Mothers First in Somaliland
Mothers First work in Somaliland.
In 2023, Mothers First developed a listening project in Somaliland, East Africa.
The community of over 500 households had been relocated from the city of Hargesia to baren location 20 km outside the city.
This page details our response to the community.
How we began and where we are now
The Listening Tent.
In 2023 Mothers First helped establish a Listening Tent — a safe, welcoming space where people could come together to share their stories. That simple tent became a cherished hub, a center for community and connection.
What they asked for
The community came up with 6 long term durable solutions
Durable Solution Progress
1 Training of traditional midwives
2 Build a Birthing Centre
3 Miro loans
4 Global Action Plan on Wasting
5 Dry Land Agriculture Project
6 Workers Union
Training for Traditional Midwives
Perhaps one of the most humbling experiences of the listening tents project was the request from the traditional midwives for training. This was humbling because they recognised the need for training to better serve and protect pregnant women.
We are delighted to partner with the Edna Adan University Hospital will provide this in-hospital training as part of its service delivery.
What we built
In response in 2024 Mothers First has built a birthing clinic—a vital first step toward ensuring safe deliveries.
Thanks to the skill and knowledge of local Somaliland craftspeople, the structure for the Birthing Clinic has already been built — using traditional methods suited to the environment and climate. Now, we need your help to complete it and make it ready for the very first baby to be born safely inside.
Building of the Birthing Centre
In this video Reakeu, a traditional midwife working in the camp for internally displaced people tells us why they need a birthing centre.
It is beautiful to hear her words, telling us the importance of this project and reminding us that the work is not yet complete.
Birthing centre phase 2 completed
In July 2025 we completed phase 2.
With the generous support of 50 donors we have made a significant step forward in dillivering safer births in this camp. Listen to this short video from Reakeu.
Micro loans
One of the universal issues that emerged in the listening tents process was access to employment and employment generating opportunities.
Using the microloan fiance model developed in India, we have started a small micro loans program within the camp. 7 households have been given 120 dollars each to develop a small poultry business. They are currently setting up a cooperative to sell their egg production. The miro loans project goes beyond just providing the assistance but seeks to develop a cooperative to establish a viable enterprise
Water and Sanitation
Water and sanitation programs, often referred to as WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) programs,
Of the 600 families only 138 families have a toilet.
Using the labour in the camp we are building toilets for the most vulnerable households.
Our building model and costs
All building that is taken place in the camp uses the skilled labour from witin the camp.
The cost of each pit toilet is 550 Euro, of that 400 euro goes on direct labour.. This means that the money this money stays within the community.
Dry land agricultural project
Developing employment and income opportunities is vital for resilience and durable solutions. To address challenges in the IIDAAN IDP Camp, the initiative introduces dryland farming, a method suited to arid regions with limited water.
This system will enhance nutrition, strengthen livelihoods, and reduce climate vulnerability by making efficient use of scarce resources.
Following discussions with the Mayor of Hargeisa, we are pleased to announce that 2 hectares of land just beyond the camp perimeter have been made available.
