Bareedo Platform Somalia has concluded a Digital Security and Resilience Training in Garowe, Puntland, bringing together more than 35 participants from civil society organizations, women-led groups, youth movements, media organizations, and grassroots activist networks based in Puntland, Somalia.
The targeted rapid-response training aimed to strengthen participants’ digital safety, resilience, and operational security in response to growing risks such as hacking, online surveillance, cyber harassment, disinformation, and other digital threats that can disrupt the work of civil society and independent actors.
During the training, participants received practical guidance on securing social media accounts, protecting digital devices and online communications, strengthening data protection practices, identifying digital threats, and responding effectively to security incidents. The training contents was also included sessions focusing on wellbeing and healing digital trauma as results of digital threats to sustain civic activism.
The training forms part of Bareedo Platform Somalia’s broader efforts to support safer civic and democratic engagement across Somalia by strengthening the digital resilience of the civil society groups, human rights defenders, journalists and vulnerable rights groups working in challenging and high-risk environments.
Bareedo Platform Somalia continues to provide digital safety support, capacity-building, and emergency technical assistance to at-risk civil society organizations, activists, human rights defenders, journalists, women-led groups, and grassroots activists to sustain safe civic and democratic engagement across Somalia.
This initiative was made possible through the generous support of the CIVICUS Crisis Response Fund and the Digital Democracy Initiative (CRF-DDI), funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Bareedo Platform Somalia successfully conducted the Induction Training on Civic Education, Electoral Participation, and Digital Engagement for Digital Civic Ambassadors under the DoorashoKaab Program in Garowe, Puntland on June 24, 2026, bringing together 25 young leaders committed to promoting informed civic participation, democratic governance, and electoral transparency across Somalia.
The one-day training marked the beginning of a nationwide capacity-building initiative aimed at equipping Digital Civic Ambassadors with the knowledge, skills, and digital tools needed to educate communities, promote democratic values, encourage citizen participation, and strengthen electoral integrity through technology.
Building the Next Generation of Civic Leaders
The training provided participants with practical knowledge on civic education, elections, democratic participation, digital engagement, and combating misinformation. Through interactive presentations, practical exercises, discussions, quizzes, and live demonstrations, participants enhanced their understanding of their roles as trusted civic educators and community mobilizers.
The training covered five key modules:
Module 1: Civic Education and Community Engagement
Module 2: Understanding Elections in Somalia and Puntland
Module 3: Introduction to the DoorashoKaab Platform and Mobile Application
Module 4: Digital Literacy, Digital Safety, and Combating Misinformation
Module 5: Community Mobilization, Democratic Participation, and the Role of Digital Civic Ambassadors
Participants also completed practical exercises, election simulations, platform demonstrations, and knowledge assessments to reinforce learning and prepare them for community outreach.
Learning the DoorashoKaab Platform
A major highlight of the training was the live demonstration of the DoorashoKaab Platform and Mobile Application, where participants learned how to navigate the platform and use its features effectively.
The ambassadors explored how to access:
Civic education courses
Verified voter and election information
Electoral laws, policies, and procedures
Election resources and updates
Electoral incident reporting tools
Community engagement resources
Participants were encouraged to become champions of the platform by promoting its use within schools, universities, youth networks, civil society organizations, and local communities.
Promoting Safe and Responsible Digital Engagement
Recognizing the growing influence of digital platforms on democratic participation, the training also focused on digital literacy and online safety.
Participants learned how to:
Identify and verify misinformation and disinformation
Recognize manipulated or AI-generated content
Use fact-checking tools
Protect their online accounts through strong passwords and Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Identify phishing, impersonation, and online scams
Report harmful content across social media platforms
Practice responsible digital citizenship
These skills will enable ambassadors to promote safer online spaces while strengthening public trust in democratic information.
Digital Civic Ambassadors as Community Leaders
Following the training, participants will serve as Digital Civic Ambassadors within their communities, supporting grassroots civic education, voter awareness, and democratic participation.
Their responsibilities include:
Delivering civic education within their communities
Promoting informed electoral participation
Raising awareness about democratic rights and responsibilities
Encouraging the use of the DoorashoKaab platform
Supporting efforts to combat misinformation
Promoting peaceful, inclusive, and transparent democratic processes
The ambassadors will also participate in continued mentoring, networking, refresher training, and community engagement activities under the DoorashoKaab Program.
Strengthening Democracy Through Civic Technology
The training forms part of Bareedo Platform Somalia’s broader efforts to harness civic technology to strengthen democratic governance and citizen participation in Somalia.
Through DoorashoKaab, citizens can access reliable civic education, verified election information, electoral resources, and secure digital tools that enable meaningful participation in democratic processes.
Bareedo Platform Somalia believes that informed, engaged, and digitally empowered citizens are essential to building transparent, accountable, and inclusive democratic institutions.
The organization extends its sincere appreciation to all participants, facilitators, and partners who contributed to the success of the training.
The DoorashoKaab Program is implemented by Bareedo Platform Somalia with the support of AfricTivistes under the AHEAD Africa and Digitalise Youth projects, led by the Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI).
Bareedo Platform Somalia successfully conducted an Induction Training on Civic Education, Electoral Participation, and Digital Engagement for Digital Civic Ambassadors under the DoorashoKaab Program in Baidoa, Southwest State of Somalia, on June 29, 2026. The one-day training brought together 25 young leaders from Southwest State committed to promoting informed civic participation, democratic governance, electoral transparency, and responsible digital engagement within their communities.
The training formed part of a nationwide capacity-building initiative aimed at equipping Digital Civic Ambassadors with the knowledge, practical skills, and digital tools needed to educate communities, promote democratic values, encourage meaningful citizen participation, and strengthen electoral integrity through technology.
Building the Next Generation of Civic Leaders
The training provided participants with practical knowledge of civic education, elections, democratic participation, community engagement, digital literacy, and the prevention of misinformation. Through interactive presentations, group discussions, practical exercises, quizzes, election simulations, and live demonstrations, participants strengthened their understanding of their roles as trusted civic educators, digital advocates, and community mobilizers.
The training covered five key modules:
Module 1: Civic Education and Community Engagement
Module 2: Understanding Elections in Somalia and Southwest State
Module 3: Introduction to the DoorashoKaab Platform and Mobile Application
Module 4: Digital Literacy, Digital Safety, and Combating Misinformation
Module 5: Community Mobilization, Democratic Participation, and the Role of Digital Civic Ambassadors
Participants also completed practical exercises, platform demonstrations, election simulations, and knowledge assessments designed to reinforce their learning and prepare them to undertake community outreach activities.
Learning to Use the DoorashoKaab Platform
A major highlight of the training was the live demonstration of the DoorashoKaab Platform and Mobile Application. Participants received practical guidance on navigating the platform and using its various civic and electoral information features.
The Digital Civic Ambassadors explored how to access:
Civic education courses
Verified voter and election information
Electoral laws, policies, and procedures
Election resources and updates
Electoral incident-reporting tools
Community engagement resources
Participants were encouraged to become champions of the DoorashoKaab platform by promoting its use among schools, universities, youth networks, civil society organisations, community groups, and other local stakeholders across Southwest State.
Promoting Safe and Responsible Digital Engagement
Recognising the growing influence of digital platforms on civic and democratic participation, the training also placed strong emphasis on digital literacy, online safety, and responsible digital citizenship.
Participants learned how to:
Identify and verify misinformation and disinformation
Recognise manipulated and AI-generated content
Use fact-checking tools and reliable information sources
Protect online accounts through strong passwords and Two-Factor Authentication
Identify phishing attempts, impersonation, and online scams
Report harmful and misleading content on social media platforms
Communicate responsibly and respectfully in digital spaces
These skills will enable the ambassadors to promote safer online environments, reduce the spread of misleading information, and strengthen public trust in civic and electoral information.
Digital Civic Ambassadors as Community Leaders
Following the training, the participants will serve as Digital Civic Ambassadors within their respective communities in Southwest State. They will support grassroots civic education, voter awareness, digital engagement, and inclusive democratic participation.
Their responsibilities will include:
Delivering civic education within their communities
Promoting informed and peaceful electoral participation
Raising awareness of democratic rights and civic responsibilities
Encouraging citizens to use the DoorashoKaab platform
Supporting community efforts to identify and combat misinformation
Promoting inclusive, transparent, and peaceful democratic processes
Connecting young people and communities with verified civic and electoral information
The ambassadors will also participate in continued mentoring, networking, refresher training, and community engagement activities under the DoorashoKaab Program.
Strengthening Democracy Through Civic Technology
The Baidoa training forms part of Bareedo Platform Somalia’s broader efforts to use civic technology to strengthen democratic governance, electoral awareness, and citizen participation across Somalia. Through DoorashoKaab, citizens can access reliable civic education, verified election information, electoral laws and resources, and secure digital tools that enable them to participate meaningfully in democratic processes.
Bareedo Platform Somalia believes that informed, engaged, and digitally empowered citizens are essential to building transparent, accountable, peaceful, and inclusive democratic institutions. The organisation extends its sincere appreciation to all participants, facilitators, partners, and stakeholders who contributed to the successful delivery of the training in Baidoa.
The DoorashoKaab Program is implemented by Bareedo Platform Somalia with the support of AfricTivistes under the AHEAD Africa and Digitalise Youth projects, led by the Digital Democracy Initiative.
Garowe, Puntland – 22 June 2026 – Bareedo Platform Somalia, a youth-led civil society organization dedicated to promoting inclusive democracy and citizen participation, officially launched DoorashoKaab, an innovative civic technology platform designed to empower Somali citizens with accessible civic education, trusted voter information, and safe digital tools to learn, participate, and report during elections.
The official launch event was held at Dream Point Hotel in Garowe, Puntland, bringing together more than 50 representatives from government institutions, the electoral commission, political parties, civil society organizations, media outlets, youth networks, women-led organizations, and other key stakeholders committed to strengthening democratic governance in Somalia.
DoorashoKaab is a bilingual (Somali and English), open-source digital platform and mobile application developed by Bareedo Platform Somalia to address longstanding challenges in civic education, electoral participation, and transparency. Designed to operate effectively in low-bandwidth environments and accommodate varying levels of digital literacy, the platform provides accessible tools that enable citizens to participate more actively and confidently in democratic processes.
The platform was developed with support from the Election Civic Tech Fund of AfricTivistes, implemented through the AHEAD Africa and Digitalise Youth initiatives.
Speaking at the launch event, Abdikhayr Mohamed Hussein, Executive Director of Bareedo Platform Somalia, emphasized the need for innovative civic technology solutions in Somalia’s evolving democratic landscape.
“DoorashoKaab was developed in response to critical gaps in Somalia’s electoral ecosystem, particularly limited access to civic education, low and uneven participation among youth, women, and marginalized groups, declining public trust in electoral processes, and the increasing spread of misinformation. The platform also addresses the lack of safe and structured channels through which citizens can report electoral irregularities and engage meaningfully in democratic processes.”
During the launch, Bareedo Platform presented the key features of DoorashoKaab, highlighting its role as a one-stop platform for civic learning, voter information, electoral transparency, and citizen engagement. The platforms consists of the following features:
Civic Education Section: The Civic Education Section provides a range of self-paced learning courses covering civic education, electoral processes, democratic participation, citizens’ rights and responsibilities, and safe electoral engagement. The platform also features a growing trained network of more than 150 Digital Civic Ambassadors based across Somalia who are leading grassroots civic education, voter awareness, and community engagement activities in their respective communities.
Polling Stations Section: The Polling Stations Section enables citizens to locate voting centers through interactive maps and searchable lists. It also provides information on registered voters, voter turnout, election schedules, polling locations, and verified election results. The platform presents election data and results from democratic elections held across Somalia in accessible visual formats.
Incident Reporting Section: The Incident Reporting Section allows citizens to safely report electoral concerns, irregularities, or incidents they witness before, during, and after elections. Users can submit reports through a simple digital form, attach supporting evidence, and receive a tracking number that enables them to follow the progress of their case while relevant authorities investigate and respond.
Resources Section: The Resources Section provides free access to election-related laws, policies, regulations, guidelines, procedures, and educational materials from the Federal Government of Somalia, Puntland, Somaliland, and other electoral institutions.
Updates Section: The Updates Section offers citizens access to verified election news, official announcements, reports, and real-time developments related to democratic processes across Somalia.
Stakeholders Welcome the Initiative
Following the presentation, participants commended Bareedo Platform Somalia for introducing an innovative tool that strengthens citizen participation and electoral transparency.
Ahmed Sahid, a youth representative from the Mustaqbal Political Party, praised the initiative and its potential impact on youth engagement.
“On behalf of young people and political parties, I commend Bareedo Platform for developing and launching DoorashoKaab. This is a timely and much-needed platform that will strengthen youth participation, democratic engagement, electoral transparency, and citizen involvement in Puntland and across Somalia.”
— Ahmed Sahid Youth Representative, Mustaqbal Political Party
Ifrah Abdinor, Executive Director of Midnimo Women Network, highlighted the platform’s potential to enhance women’s participation in elections.
“We warmly welcome this important initiative and see a significant opportunity for Somali women to participate more effectively and meaningfully in democratic and electoral processes.”
— Ifrah Abdinor Executive Director, Midnimo Women Network
H.E. Abdirahman Sheikh Ahmed, Puntland Minister of Labour and Social Affairs and member of Mideeye Political Party, expressed his appreciation for the platform’s extensive electoral information resources.
“I am impressed by the DoorashoKaab platform and appreciate Bareedo Platform for this remarkable initiative. The platform clearly demonstrates Puntland’s democratic progress, particularly through the availability of electoral laws, policies, and procedures, as well as information highlighting the strong voter turnout achieved in Puntland’s elections.”
— H.E. Abdirahman Sheikh Ahmed Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Puntland
The platform was officially launched by H.E. Mohamud Aidid, Puntland Minister of Youth and Sports, who emphasized the importance of civic education in Somalia’s democratic transition.
“We highly appreciate this initiative and are particularly encouraged by the civic education component of the platform. Civic education is essential during this period of democratic transformation. I encourage young people to share DoorashoKaab widely within schools, universities, and youth networks so that more citizens can benefit from it.”
— H.E. Mohamud Aidid Minister of Youth and Sports, Puntland
Supporting Somalia’s Democratic Future
Bareedo Platform Somalia intends to continue expanding and strengthening DoorashoKaab so that citizens across all regions of Somalia can access civic learning resources, verified voter information, electoral updates, and safe reporting mechanisms through a single platform.
The organization believes that DoorashoKaab will contribute significantly to increasing the participation of youth, women, persons with disabilities, minority communities, and other underrepresented groups in democratic processes, while also promoting transparency, accountability, public trust, and informed citizen engagement.
As Somalia continues its democratic journey, civic technology initiatives such as DoorashoKaab offer new opportunities to connect citizens with democratic institutions and ensure that participation, transparency, and accountability remain at the center of electoral processes.
About Bareedo Platform Somalia
Bareedo Platform Somalia is a youth-led, non-profit organization established in 2015 to promote participatory democracy, civic engagement, open government, and digital rights in Somalia. Through innovation, technology, and citizen-centered approaches, the organization works to strengthen democratic governance and empower citizens to participate meaningfully in public affairs.
Bareedo Platform Somalia is concerned by the announced internet and electricity disruptions in Mogadishu, particularly given the vital role digital connectivity plays in communication, access to information, business operations, emergency services, and civic participation in Somalia.
While network maintenance may be necessary from time to time, any interruption to essential digital services must be accompanied by clear, timely, and transparent communication. In periods of heightened political and security developments, transparency is essential to maintaining public trust and preventing speculation and misinformation.
Access to the internet has become indispensable to the exercise of fundamental rights, economic activity, and public engagement in Somalia. Any disruption should therefore be strictly necessary, proportionate, limited in duration, and subject to public accountability.
We call on the National Communications Authority (NCA) to provide the public with clear information on the nature, scope, necessity, and oversight of the planned internet disruption. The NCA, as the country’s communications regulator, has a responsibility to ensure transparency and safeguard the public interest whenever access to critical communications infrastructure is affected.
Bareedo Platform Somalia will continue to monitor developments and advocate for an open, secure, reliable, and rights-respecting digital environment for all Somalis.
