Cesvi runs program either in Somalia, Somaliland and Puntland.

in Somalia, South Mudug (Galinsoor, Bandiradley, Docol & Wargalo) and Hiran (Belet Weyne) Cesvi runs the project “Ensuring access to quality emergency health and nutrition services in Central and South Somalia” funded by ECHO and CHF. The project provides a contribute to an improvement in the humanitarian situation of affected vulnerable populations in Somalia by providing multi-sector assistance, notably in the areas of health, water and sanitation, non-food items/shelter, coordination, logistic, security and mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction. The main activities of the project are focused on rehabilitation and upgrading of existing health centers, recruitment and training of health workers, medicines and drugs distribution in 6 health centers, implementation of patient’s path and referral procedures for maternal, reproductive, neonatal and child health care, first aid and treatment of common illness, training on community-based referral and community-based early warning system, capacity-building and monitoring of the community-driven early warning system, strengthening and support of the community driven referral system in rural areas of South Mudug, link nutrition programs with community-driven referral systems to the MSF hospital, set-up and implementation of OTP programs in South Mudug. The project will reach 68.000 beneficiaries with a budget of 952.358 Euros of which 775.358 Euros funded by ECHO and 177.000 funded by CHF.

In south Mudug, Cesvi is implementing the project “Ensuring access to quality emergency health and nutrition services in rural and semi-rural areas in South Mudug” funded by Unicef with a budget of 341.000 Euros. The area is experiencing high rates of acute malnutrition for children under 5; the chronic underlying factors affecting the rates of acute malnutrition in both livelihoods such as poor child care and feeding practices, poor sanitation and hygiene practices, inadequate supply of safe drinking water and limited access to health facilities remain long term challenges to the health and nutrition situation of the population. The overall objective is to contribute improve access to basic nutrition promotion services for children under 5 and pregnant and lactating women in Somalia and the project purpose is to reduce the morbidity and mortality arising from lack of or limited access to basic nutrition services for children under 5 and pregnant and lactating in South Mudug. The intervention is on Infant and Young Child Feeding (excluding the treatment of acute malnutrition), maternal nutrition and care, micronutrient deficiencies, deworming, immunizations and prevention and management of common illness.

The project ”Protection of the rights of children affected by the armed conflict in Somaliland and Puntland” is funded by EC with a budget of 663.614 Euros and will reach 32000 beneficiaries. This two years project, started in February 2010, aims to enhance the delivering of child protection services at field and governmental level. 
In the field, Cesvi with the support of a local partner Gavo, in Somaliland and international NGO GRT in Puntland, provides child protection support through psychosocial support activities to children affected by the armed conflict. The  psychosocial support activities are based on the “Guide for developing psychosocial activities for children affected by the armed conflict”- Practical Toolkit, which has been developed under the project itself.
The areas of intervention are the IDPs camps where the most vulnerable children are identified, selected and involved in the psychosocial support activities. In Somaliland the project locations are, Hargeisa, Burao, Berbera and Erigavo while in Puntland, Bosaso and Garowe. It is worth to mention that awareness campaigns on child protection issues are part of the intervention.
At Governmental level, Cesvi is promoting the enforcement of a child protection policy with the ministries in line with the project namely the Ministry of Labour and Social affairs in Somaliland and Ministry of Family in Puntland. 
During the initial phase of the project, by owing establishing places and centers for implementing PSS activities, Cesvi has deemed necessary to establish a common definition and guidelines of Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) tailored on the Somali context. It is worth to note that due to the complex and articulated situation of Somalia and due to the misused term of Child Friendly Space, it seemed necessary to define the term as well as guidelines on the minimum standards required to establish a CFS. This Cesvi’s purpose was highly supported by Unicef Somalia in Nairobi and the members of CPWG. The CFS guidelines will be followed by the members of the child protection working group in Nairobi and at the same time, local NGOs will be trained by Cesvi on how to set up CFSs in Somalia.
Cesvi has also played an active “playdoier” role in favor of the establishment of a Child protection working group in Somaliland and Puntland.

The project “Strengthening Somali civil society capacities to promote environmental protection and sustainable development and to contribute to good local governance system” focus its actions on the urban and rural areas of Somaliland, Northern region of Somalia, as a pilot for replication in other areas, building on the positive development and governance experience that is taking place in the region. The project aims are to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals 1 and 7 through the empowerment of Non State Actors to play an effective role in shaping sustainable development and to enhance civil society’s role in poverty reduction and in environmentally sustainable development and contribute to good local governance system. During the past few years, Somalia has been struggling to re-establish security and governance to improve social-economic and environmental indicators. The engagement of an empowered group of non state actors with adequate representation of social sectors, capacity to coordinate and work in partnership with other actors, including Government and private sector, is considered critical to building good governance and development. This project will focus on poverty reduction and environmental issues as inter-related topics to promote civil society organization’s involvement in strategies and actions at local level. The project is funded by EC with a budget of 565.236,06 and 1.670.000 beneficiaries from 6 municipalities.

*photo by Fulvio Zubiani