Regional fund for the promotion of civil society in Somalia and Sudan

Project description

Title: Regional fund for the promotion of civil society in Somalia and Sudan
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Countries: Somalia and Sudan
Overall term: 2013 to 2015

Context

Both Somalia and Sudan are considered fragile states. Their government structures are weak and unable adequately to perform their public services. Conflicts over political power and resources are, in part, resolved through violence. In each country, many of the people have no access to healthcare, and little or no opportunity to gain an education. They are subject to food shortages, and many of them have been forced to flee their homes due to the destruction of their livelihoods or under threat of violence.

Objective

Local civil society actors provide basic services for particularly vulnerable groups of the population.

Approach

A number of German non-governmental organisations (NGOs) applied for grant funding for projects which they will carry out in cooperation with local or regional partner organisations in Sudan and Somalia. GIZ has assessed the plausibility and practicability of the proposals and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has selected the following five projects for support.

  1. SOS Children’s Villages: Practical skills and income generating activities for youth and young adults (Somalia)
  2. Welthungerhilfe: Healthcare services for mothers and children in Banadir region (Somalia)
  3. Vétérinaires Sans Frontières, VSF Germany: Economic empowerment of vulnerable women through microfinance and income generation activities (Somalia)
  4. German Red Cross: Support for community managed services to improve safe drinking water in North Darfur (Sudan)
  5. Plan International Germany: Improved healthcare for pregnant women in North Kordofan (Sudan)

These projects receive support under the regional fund, and will run for a maximum of two years.