The Somali region has the lowest standard of education, healthcare, access to water and infrastructure in Ethiopia.

The Local Community Initiatives Project will improve education, primary healthcare and access to water in the Liben and Afder zones of the Somali region.

Lack of rainfall has seriously affected the health and livelihoods of the region’s population. The majority of Liben and Afder’s population are from pastoralist communities. Water shortages have damaged the pastoralist way of life, as these people rely on livestock and agriculture for survival.

Healthcare facilities are either poor quality or non-existent in the Somali region. Health centres desperately need equipment, medication and trained staff.

Schools in the region’s major towns have very little resources. There is often not enough space in classrooms so children have lessons outdoors.

Project Objectives

• To improve access to clean drinking water;
• To improve primary healthcare services, particularly immunisation and programmes that focus on mothers and children;
• To improve access to formal primary education.

Project Activities

• Constructing water supply schemes;
• Establishing and training a water management committee;
• Train Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA);
• Identify locations for an immunisation programme;
• Provide fuel and support to health offices in the district;
• Constructing one new school and expanding three others;
• Providing these schools with furniture

"Islamic Relief is striving for a fairer world. Our mission is to help the poor and needy to live sustainable, self-reliant lives within safe and caring communities. Our work is guided and shaped by the core values of accountability, humanitarianism, neutrality and impartiality, inclusiveness, integrity and co-operation, all of which are also integral to the Islamic faith."
Dr Hany El Banna - Founder of Islamic Relief

Islamic Relief was established in 1984 and our unique approach is the result of these many years of hands-on experience.

1. Where possible we adopt a community partnership-based approach; encouraging community involvement, understanding and ownership of projects.
2. We run the majority of our field projects ourselves, giving us direct insight into the problems faced and how best to solve them.
3. We aim to empower those we help in order to achieve sustainable results.
4. Though our emergency response teams are quick to respond to emergencies around the world, we continue to support communities long after the initial media interest has died down.
5. We recruit staff locally to benefit from their local knowledge. This ensures that we are culturally sensitive and allows us to reach communities and areas other organisations cannot.
6. Where necessary we coordinate our work with other reputable aid agencies, local organisations and governments.

Millennium Development Goals

Islamic Relief is committed to the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which have been agreed by the world’s leading development institutions in an effort to meet the needs of the world’s poorest by the year 2015. 

The goals:

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development

For more information about the MDGs, please visit: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/