Somali Organization for Voluntary Action (SOVA)

Contact Information

  • Where – Somalia (Eastern Africa)
  • Contact Person – Yusuf H. Daud
  • Email – yusufmustashaar@hotmail.com
  • Address – Jowhar, Somalia

Areas of Expertise

The Somali Organization for Voluntary Action (SOVA) has expertise in a range of areas, including:

Main Aims and Objectives

SOVA’s Mission is to “protect the environment and improve the lives of disadvantaged and minority groups in South-Central Somalia through providing capacity building training and basic rights projects such as water, food, health, and education.”

SOVA conducts projects and programs relating to environment, humanitarian assistance and human rights for disadvantaged people such as women, children and minority groups in education, water, food, and health provision as well as creation of income-generating projects..

Upholding the Principles of Conflict Transformation

SOVA sets the scene for concrete conflict transformation in Somalia by fighting inequality at various levels, including with respect to gender and cross-clan relations, and through alleviating poverty among the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women, children, elderly people and minority groups. SOVA believes that poverty is and has been a major drive of conflict in Somalia, which has been going on since 1991 when the last Central Government of Somalia collapsed.

SOVA will uphold the principles of conflict transformation by providing capacity-building training to local communities, particularly in three major zones of Somalia (Somaliland, Puntland and South-Central Somalia, including the Capital, Mogadishu). In addition, SOVA pursues the transformation of conflict through poverty alleviation programs for various local communities in Somalia, and actively contributes to negotiation processes of clan conflicts that relate to land issues and tribal wars.

Where and with Whom?

SOVA collaborates with local authorities and has a geographical presence in three provinces – Middle Shabelle Region, Hiran and Mogadishu (the capital of Somalia). SOVA plans to extend its geographical mandate to all provinces in South-Central Somalia.

Main Activities in the Field of Conflict Transformation

Emergency Flood Response in Jowhar District

Floods in Jowhar, coupled with the clan conflict in Jowhar, caused one of the worst humanitarian crises. Access constraints continued to make the situation worse. The flooding steadily started in early April 2013 and spread to around dozens of villages and towns in the region, including Jowhar, cutting the main roads that link the region to the capital Mogadishu and other major towns in the country. The water also destroyed thousands of hectares of farm land, inundating entire villages. Thousands of people were left with no proper shelter food and clean water to drink.

SOVA observed the livelihood situation of flood victims, particularly women and children, particularly three women in labour escaping from floods and tribal clashes and leaving all their property behind. The project intervention was designed to reduce the negative impact of the flood and conflict between Jareer and Abgal clans by restoring livelihoods through the distribution of food and aid. Substantial achievements were attained because representatives from the local community were very much involved in the distribution activity. SOVA ensured that the process was inclusive and participatory , with a project committee comprised of representatives from communities, elders and women representatives involved in selecting the affected households using a criteria that took into consideration displacement, loss of crops/assets, elderly people and orphans and female-headed households.

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