History

In 1996, a group of Somalis living in the Netherlands came together to discuss how they could contribute to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Somalia. After several meetings, they decided to establish an organization with the aim to deliver development and humanitarian aid to Somalia. This organization, formally established in 1998, was the Himilo Relief and Development Association (HIRDA).

The members decided to focus their attention on improving basic education for male and female children. The organization’s first activity was to raise funds from the Somali community in the Netherlands to support primary schools in Bardere (Gedo region) and later in Abudwaaq (Galgaduud region), Hiiraan (Central Somalia), Mogadishu (South Somalia), Lower Juba and Garaád (Puntland).

HIRDA has shown the Somali Diaspora and international donors that it is possible to improve the development of Somalia, especially basic education, from abroad. Due to the success of the first projects, the demand for HIRDA’s work increased. HIRDA organized activities in the Netherlands, which raised awareness of the development situation in Somalia and contributed to the integration of Somali youth in The Netherlands.

HIRDA started to obtain funds from donor organizations in order to continue their development efforts. From 2001 until 2005, HIRDA received subsidies from different donor organizations on a project-by-project basis. In 2004, Oxfam Novib offered HIRDA the opportunity to receive structural funding. HIRDA’s three year plan for the period 2005-2007 was approved by the Linkis program of Oxfam Novib. Meanwhile, HIRDA also succeeded in getting project funding from other donors. With this money, HIRDA was able to increase and diversify the number of their projects in Somalia. They initiated projects concerning health, small scale food production, micro-credit loans, female empowerment, improving the accessibility to clean water, amongst others.

In order to allow for continual implementation of these projects, HIRDA Somalia was created. This branch of HIRDA was able to run the projects, while at the same time, receiving additional funding from organizations like UNICEF, WFB and WHO. To realize additional capacity for fundraising amongst the Somali Diaspora, HIRDA North America and HIRDA UK were created.