Bareedo Core Archives - Page 3 of 10 - Bareedo Platform Somalia

Bareedo Platform Equips Young Feminist Activists in Somalia with Critical Digital Security Skills

June 30, 2025 bareedo Leave a comment All, Bareedo Core, Women, Youth

On May 19, 2025, a powerful step toward safer digital spaces for young women in Somalia took place in Garowe. At the request of Hawa Feminist Coalition, a dynamic, youth-led feminist movement, Bareedo Platform delivered an intensive digital security training for 35 young feminist activists.

This initiative aimed to strengthen the capacity of emerging women leaders to navigate online risks, protect their digital identities, and continue their advocacy safely in an increasingly connected world.

Building Safer Digital Spaces for Women Activists

Women activists often face disproportionate risks online—ranging from harassment to targeted cyberattacks. Recognizing this reality, the training was carefully designed to address gender-specific digital vulnerabilities while equipping participants with practical, actionable skills. The training covered seven essential modules, each tailored to empower participants with knowledge and tools for digital resilience.

Understanding Digital Risks and Online Threats: This session highlighted both the common and gender-specific risks women face online, emphasizing how gender-based vulnerabilities make women more frequent targets in digital spaces.
Protecting and Securing Mobile Phones: Given the central role of mobile phones in daily communication and activism, this module focused on practical phone security.Participants learned how to create strong, secure passwords, adjust privacy and security settings, back up important data, use account recovery optionsand enable “Find My Phone” features. A live demonstration introduced essential tools such as antivirus software, permission management, Secure Folder, and Google Play Protect. Special emphasis was placed on avoiding harmful apps and carefully reviewing app permissions.
Securing Messaging Apps and Email: Messaging platforms and email accounts are often entry points for cyber threats. This session provided hands-on guidance for securing commonly used tools. Participants practiced enabling two-factor authentication, strengthening passwords, configuring recovery options and identifying phishing messages and suspicious links. They also learned how to block and report abusive users, as well as how to respond safely to scam attempts.
Securing Social Media Platforms: Social media plays a crucial role in activism, but it also exposes users to risks. This module focused on protecting accounts across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.Key topics included login alerts and notification settings, password security and authenticator apps, managing personal data visibility (age, location, contact details), controlling who can view posts, tags, and profiles. Participants were also trained to report and block harassment and impersonation, prevent misuse of personal content, including risks like non-consensual sharing as well as manage digital footprints by deleting location history and disconnecting third-party apps. A practical demonstration showed how to recover compromised accounts and regain control after security breaches.

Strengthening Feminist Leadership Through Digital Safety

This training was more than a technical workshop—it was an investment in the safety, confidence, and leadership of young feminist activists in Somalia. By equipping participants with essential digital security skills, Bareedo Platform and Hawa Feminist Coalition are helping to create a generation of women who can advocate boldly and safely, both online and offline.

As digital spaces continue to shape activism and social change, initiatives like this are critical in ensuring that women are not only present—but protected, empowered, and leading.

Somalia Open Data Day 2025: Unlocking Transparency for a Better Future

March 28, 2025 bareedo Leave a comment All, Bareedo Core, Open Data, Open Data Day, Open Government

Somalia remains one of the most corrupt countries globally, operating under entrenched secrecy with minimal public access to open data. However, a new wave of hope and activism is emerging.

On March 5, 2025, with support from the Open Knowledge Foundation, Bareedo Platform hosted a milestone event in Garowe, Somalia, to mark Open Data Day (ODD) 2025, a global event celebrated annually during the first week of March.

The conference, titled “Somalia Open Data Day 2025: Unlocking Transparency,” aimed to champion the effective adoption of open data initiatives by the Somali government to promote transparency, accountability, good governance, and collaborative, evidence-driven policymaking. It also emphasized the role of open data in fighting corruption, enhancing service delivery, and strengthening Somalia’s democratic processes.

A Strong Gathering of Diverse Stakeholders

The event brought together a wide range of stakeholders, more than 27 participants attended including representatives from major government institutions such as the Somalia National Bureau of Statistics, Puntland’s Department of Statistics, the National Procurement Board, the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation of Puntland State, the Ministry of Finance, and members of the Puntland Parliament.

Civil society organizations showed strong participation, with groups like Puntland NGO Network (PUNTNGO), Somali Relief and Development Organization, Midnimo Women Network, Somali Earth Volunteers, Iskalaji Cultural and Awareness Agency (ICAA), Y-PEER Somalia, Ayaan Initiatives, Hawa Feminist Coalition, Horn Vision, Center for Peace, Conflict and Elections (CPCE), Somali Youth Federation, Horn Orama, Kaalo Aid and Development Organization, Center for Prevention of Violent Extremisms Somalia (CPVESOM), Puntland Research and Development Center (PDRC), and Puntland Lawyers Association among the attendees. Media outlets such as Puntland TV & Radio, Daljir Media, Women in Media Initiatives (WIMISOM), Somali Women Journalists’ Rights Association (SOWJRA), Somali Click, and Somali Open Internet Chapter were also present, underscoring the media’s crucial role in promoting open data.

Opening the Conversation and Discussion

The event opened with welcoming remarks about the significance of Open Data Day. Mr. Abdirahman Hassan, a researcher at Bareedo Platform, delivered a comprehensive presentation on Somalia’s open data landscape, highlighting key achievements and challenges.

Major successes include:

An increasing wave of advocacy demanding open data, with at least three civil society organizations and think-tank, notably Bareedo Platform actively leading the cause.
The establishment of the Somalia Open Government Initiative and the 2018 launch of data.gov.so — a platform aimed at promoting transparency and fighting corruption.
The creation of statistical agencies at both federal and state levels (notably in Puntland) that significantly contributed to data collection and reporting.
Public release of essential financial data (income and expenditure reports) by the Federal Ministry of Finance and Puntland’s Ministry of Finance, largely driven by World Bank-supported financial reforms.

Persistent challenges include:

A deeply ingrained culture of secrecy within government circles.
Limited understanding of open data among officials, with 71% unaware of open data concepts (Bareedo Platform, 2023).
Low public engagement and media literacy in utilizing available datasets.
Weak institutional capacity to prioritize open data systems.
Sparse civil society and media advocacy for open data.
An undemocratic environment marked by restricted speech and limited press freedoms.

Insights from the Participants

During the discussion sessions:

Mrs. Ifrah Abdinoor (Midnimo Women Network) highlighted the critical lack of open gender data (99% unavailable), advocating for a centralized online gender data platform.
Mr. Mohamed Dirie (Somalia National Bureau of Statistics) spoke about challenges in convincing government agencies to release non-sensitive data despite the 2018 Federal Open Government Initiative.
Mr. Abdirashid Farah (Puntland Statistics Department) shared Puntland’s ongoing efforts to publish key statistics like GDP growth, Consumer Price Index, and census data.
Mr. Kamal Dahir (Y-PEER Somalia) emphasized the link between open data scarcity and economic issues, particularly youth unemployment, highlighting that open data could drive innovation and job creation.

Discussions, Recommendations, and Action Items

Participants discussed and proposed actionable strategies, including:

Treating open data as essential in the fight against corruption and pushing for stronger, active implementation nationwide.
Prioritizing the opening of key datasets, especially procurement and gender data.
Integrating open data goals into national development frameworks such as Somalia’s National Transformation Plan (NTP) 2025–2029 and Puntland’s Five-Year Development Plan.
Strengthening multi-stakeholder collaboration by establishing a Somali Open Data Networking Forum.
Revitalizing and updating the Somalia Open Government Initiative and enhancing the national open data platform.
Expanding public awareness campaigns on open data, leveraging social media to reach broader audiences.
Empowering the media to lead advocacy efforts by reporting on data-driven stories.
Recognizing and rewarding open data champions, proposing the creation of an Open Data Prize.

Special acknowledgment was given to government bodies like the Ministry of Finance, Puntland Parliament, and Ministry of Health for making significant steps toward data transparency. Puntland Parliament was particularly praised for opening legislative processes to citizens.

Next Steps and Future Plans

The Open Data Day 2025 in Somalia was not merely a celebration but a launchpad for action toward a transparent and accountable future.

Bareedo Platform committed to a series of follow-up initiatives, with a priority on establishing the Somali Open Data Networking Forum as proposed. They pledged to continue working closely with stakeholders to provide resources, develop policies, and create collaboration opportunities to push forward the open data agenda.

The event concluded with a strong collective call for continued commitment, collaboration, and greater citizen engagement to unlock the full potential of open data in Somalia.

Participants expressed deep appreciation to Bareedo Platform for organizing the impactful event and extended heartfelt thanks to the Open Knowledge Foundation for its critical support.

The “Roob Raac” meaning- Rain Followers – how climate change is affecting Somalia traditional pastoralist

December 24, 2024 bareedo Leave a comment All, Bareedo Core, Climate Change

As part of the OML-MENA fellowship, supported by NELIS Global, an Agro-Pastoralism Caravan Raising Awareness was conducted in December 2024. The initiative aimed to address the increasing vulnerability of Somali pastoralist communities to climate change. The “Roob Raac” (“Rain Followers”), Somalia’s traditional pastoralist communities, are facing severe challenges due to climate change.

During the awareness-raising caravan in the Nugal region, Puntland, Somalia, OML-MENA champions and fellows engaged with grassroots herder communities to discuss the impact of rising temperatures on their lives and survival. Through these discussions, it became evident that the communities are experiencing extreme weather conditions, including recurrent droughts, water scarcity, and pasture degradation, which have led to severe livestock losses and displacement of pastoralist families.

The pastoralist communities highlighted that many households lost their livestock during the 2022 droughts, which followed five consecutive years of non-seasonal rains. The participants affirmed that their lives as pastoralists have drastically changed due to new and unfamiliar scenarios, including unpredictable and shortened rainfall seasons, as well as recurrent droughts leading to water scarcity.

It became clear that the pastoralist communities had limited knowledge about climate change, often perceiving it as divine punishment rather than a result of human actions. This lack of understanding has forced many pastoralists to abandon their traditional nomadic practices, leading to displacement into urban areas as an Internally Displaced Persons, further jeopardizing their way of life.

Through the caravan’s awareness-raising activities, information was shared with pastoralists about climate change and its impacts on their communities. They were also empowered with adaptive strategies, including agro-pastoral practices, to secure water and pasture during droughts.

The pastoral communities acknowledged that they lacked effective adaptation mechanisms to cope with recurrent droughts, rising temperatures, and water scarcity. Their only option has been to migrate to areas with available water and pasture, often resulting in further livestock losses and cultural abandonment as they move to urban areas. The caravan’s initiatives focused on enhancing resilience through knowledge dissemination, fostering market linkages, and promoting agro-pastoral adaptation strategies. Visual aids such as posters and illustrations were used to communicate these strategies, emphasizing the importance of preserving cultural heritage while adapting to the challenges posed by climate change.

One Million Leaders – Middle East & North Africa Leadership Challenge Phase 2 – Somalia Workshop held in Garowe, Somalia

September 4, 2024 bareedo Leave a comment All, Bareedo Core, Climate Change, Inclusive Governance & Civic Participation

A four-session training was held in Garowe, Somalia, with over 25 selected champions participating in Phase 2 of the Leadership Challenge of the One Million Leaders Fellowship Program. The sessions were facilitated by OML-MENA Fellow and Rotary Peace Fellow Mr. Sharmarke and featured a special guest speaker, climate activist Mr. Abdikhay M. Hussein. The training introduced participants to the OML initiative, a global network dedicated to empowering the next generation of sustainability leaders. Guided by the vision of creating “One World in Harmony,” the program aims to build a community of leaders capable of driving sustainable change worldwide.

The in-person training was supported by TOC for Education, Inc. (TOCfE), a not-for-profit foundation (US 501c3) established in 1995. TOCfE applies a set of thinking processes and common-sense methodologies designed to logically identify and overcome key limitations that hinder communities from achieving a more sustainable world.

The training primarily focused on the impact of climate change on Somali pastoralists (nomads). Participants explored how droughts and famine have severely affected pastoralist communities by causing a lack of pasture and water, leading to the death of livestock and widespread displacement. These discussions highlighted the critical need for pastoralists to adapt to climate change in order to build resilience and ensure their resilience in the face of environmental shocks.

Participants engaged in problem analysis using methodologies such as the Problem Tree Analysis and Cloud Method to better understand the challenges faced by pastoralist communities. These tools helped clarify the causes and effects of droughts and enabled participants to identify obstacles and potential solutions for achieving a sustainable future for these communities.

Mr. Abdikhay Hussein, a climate activist, shared his practical experience on the vulnerability of Somali pastoralists to drought shocks in the face of climate crissi. He explained the traditional pastoralist lifestyle, where communities move from place to place with their livestock in search of pasture and water. This nomadic way of life, practiced by 60 percent of Somalia’s population, makes them particularly vulnerable to the increasing frequency and severity of droughts driven by climate change. The economic losses resulting from the death of livestock often lead to displacement as pastoralists seek new opportunities to sustain their families.

In recent years, Somalia has faced increasingly severe droughts, exacerbated by natural resource degradation and climate change. Rural communities, whose livelihoods are closely tied to weather patterns, are particularly affected. Since 2011, Somalia has experienced only one proper rainy season, leading to a prolonged crisis that has left millions facing food insecurity.

In the final part of the training, participants discussed strategies to promote solutions that support transforming the lives of pastoralists, making them more sustainable and resilient to droughts. Using problem-solving tools, particularly the Theory of Constraints (TOC) for Education, participants worked on developing sustainable solutions that combine traditional livestock rearing with modern farming practices. The goal is to build community resilience against climate shocks while preserving the cultural practices of pastoralist communities.

Finally, the training sessions provided participants with a deeper understanding of the OML initiative and the critical challenges faced by Somali pastoralists in the context of climate change. Through interactive discussions and problem-solving exercises, participants shared experience and discussed on actionable strategies to support pastoralist communities in adapting to environmental challenges and building a sustainable future.

Bareedo Platform trains 42 at-risk civil society organizations on how to use the Microsoft nonprofit’s secure software and products in Garowe, Puntland, Somalia to improve their digital security capacity

July 14, 2024 bareedo Leave a comment All, Bareedo Core, Digital Rights, Women, Youth

Bareedo Platform Somalia, with the support of the Digital Defenders Partnership (DDP), conducted a two-day training in Garowe, Puntland, Somalia, from June 27 to 29, 2024, for over 42 civil society organizations from various regions of Somalia. In this training, Bareedo Platform trained them on how they can use Microsoft technology, software, and products provided for nonprofit organizations after they have received approval from Microsoft to use these products free of charge. They received training on utilizing Microsoft-provided security tools, which aid in preventing cyber-attacks, detecting and resolving threats, and responding to data breaches.

Bareedo Platform previously identified and recognized 91 civil society organizations, predominantly led by women human rights defenders, feminists, and minorities, as the most vulnerable to digital attacks and threats in Somalia. These groups have consistently faced severe digital attacks such as phishing, spyware, communication theft, surveillance, privacy breaches, censorship, and online harassment, which have significantly impacted their work. Their vulnerabilities mainly resulted from their lack of digital security knowledge and their use of insecure digital equipment and communication platforms, which made them more vulnerable to digital attacks.

Before this training, Bareedo Platform had been providing individual technical assistance for these civil society organizations for months to develop sustainable internal digital security policies and action plans to better respond to cybersecurity challenges and digital threats. The support included how these organizations could have access to Microsoft’s grants, donations, and discounted products and services specifically designed for nonprofit organizations, although these organizations could not afford to buy the expensive secure software and products.

With the technical assistance of Bareedo Platform, 40 out of 51 organizations that applied for Microsoft Nonprofit Solutions received approval from Microsoft to use their secure software and products free of charge or at a discounted price. Bareedo Platform conducted a two-day training for these organizations to teach them how to use the services provided by the Microsoft nonprofit to help them effectively protect themselves from digital threats.

With the use of Microsoft’s secure products and software, these civil society organizations, which have previously faced digital threats and attacks, can now keep their data safe from cyberattacks and help manage their network security.

As part of this project that is funded by Digital Defenders Partnership (DDP), Bareedo Platform previously conducted three-days long digital security awareness and training for 108 civil society organizations, human rights defenders, activists, and journalists in Somalia who have been facing digital attacks and risks. The training which was held from March 2, 2024 to March 4, 2024 in Garowe, Somalia and facilitated by a professional digital security expert, the participants learned the following digital knowledge and practices to respond to the digital security challenges they face in their work and daily lives.

Bareedo Platform also reached out to and provided direct digital security support for 49 NGO staff, human rights defenders, activists, and journalists across Somalia and also helped 21 civil society organizations, particularly those led by vulnerable groups such as women, feminists, minorities, and LGBTQ people, solve some immediate security threats and risks they have been facing digital threats throughout Somalia, as well as develop sustainable internal digital security policies and action plans to better respond to cybersecurity challenges and digital threats.

Bareedo Platform also developed the first draft of a digital risk assessment tool that will be available online for more than 10,000 civil society organizations, human rights defenders, activists, and journalists in Somalia to identify their online security strengths and weaknesses and get relevant recommendations and resources for improvement.

Bareedo Platform appreciates Puntland NGO Network (PUNTNGO), an umbrella body that brings together all registered local non-governmental and non-profit organizations (NGO) operating in Puntland, Somalia, for facilitation of the training, as well as their close collaboration on referral and bringing the most at-risk groups facing digital attacks to our attention.