Somalia
In a failed state, small successes go a long way toward building self-reliant communities.
In a country fraught with danger, Somali Bantus are perhaps the most imperiled. Descendants of slaves, Bantus are marginalized and more vulnerable to attack and deprivation than others. Bantus tend to settle near rivers, which in southern Somalia flood regularly. Mercy Corps uses cash-for-work programs to help Bantus build levees that reduce the risk of losing their homes and raise their living standards.
Blog Post: Water flows again for a Somaliland community ›
Mercy Corps recently restored water services to a village where flooding had washed away the water-delivery systems.
Blog Post: Fixing Somalia's schools ›
At a primary school attended by 1,140 students, Mercy Corps rehabilitated dilapidated classrooms and water tanks and installed handwashing facilities for the boys' and girls' latrines.
There's more to Somalia than piracy ›
You've probably been following the recent news about pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia. Nearly everyone agrees that the root of the problem isn't at sea, but on shore.
Wellspring of Progress ›
For most of the past seven years, Farhiyo Hussein spent much of her day walking as far as six kilometers to collect free or cheap water. Then Mercy Corps constructed a reservoir.
Building Safe Water Facilities ›
We are building facilities for clean drinking water and sanitation in Somalia – one of the most basic and cost-effective ways to improve life and prevent disease.
Helping Somalis Endure Hardship ›
As Somalia slides closer to famine, Mercy Corps continues to drill boreholes, build schools and offer short-term jobs in an area where few global relief agencies will tread.
Helping a Failed State Succeed ›
Mercy Corps' work in Somalia ranges from helping fishermen increase their yields to teaching new conflict-management skills to building vital transportation links.
Q&A with Abdikadir Mohamed ›
An ethnic Somali, Abdikadir Mohamed has served as Mercy Corps' top representative in Somalia since June 2006.
The Ladies of Mercy Corps Somalia ›
Jeremy Barnicle hosts a revealing roundtable in which he quickly realized his assumptions on Somali women were wrong.
Helping Somalia's Marginalized Minority ›
Mercy Corps is helping protect a community of Somalia's marginalized Bantus from floods.
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