"If you are poor, you are disadvantaged. But if you are poor and also a minority, you are doubly disadvantaged!"

SECTORS & Programs:
   a) Minority rights, gender and good governance      
   b) Sustainable Livelihoods and Economic Development
   c) Access to social services
   d) Conflict and emergencies
  


SOMRAF is dedicated to improving the life and welfare of the poor and marginalized in the community. We have several sectors that are tailored to meet different needs and wants ranging from handling internally displaced persons and families, health matters, education development all the way to peace and reconciliation programs.

SOMRAF four main sectors aiming to address the prolonged complex issues of minority communities and formulate short and long term gaols through: research and advocacy for the minority rights; socio-cultural economic, technological and political empowerment of minority communities; enabling minority communities to have access to basic social and development needs and services.

Generally vulnerability to humanitarian crisis is high as a result of over a decade of insecurity and poor governance in Somalia. The Somali marginalized minority communities are ranked bottom of the society, their situation continued to worsen without any progress or remedies, they suffering from extreme & chronic poverty. They are living in a diminished quality of life that restricts the full enjoyment of their human, economic, social, and cultural rights.

They are facing horrible disaster situation & slow collective death, for being voiceless, helpless & powerless, due to not getting intervention and proper attention to this painful situation they live due to marginalization status, capacity problem & bad local security conditions and they are double advantaged people, un-witnessed, un-noticed victims in Somalia’s prolonged humanitarian crisis. Both local and external support of aid agencies have failed to address their immediate humanitarian needs even in Stable regions of Somaliland and Puntland, as non-minority tribes who were better connected socially and politically took the benefits. Because, most of the minority communities are illiterate, many are landless, and are exploited by outside moneylenders and development partners.

Minorities in Somali remained the least integrated and most persecuted people in Somalia, before, and after collapse of the central government of Somalia. However, in the absence of a legitimate state authority and accepted rule of law, a society, a nation, a country like Somalia will find itself in a state of turmoil and anarchy where only the strongest clans survive, as pillage, robbery, rape and enslavement of the unarmed and unprotected is a means of control and domination and ultimately survival. Those who have no means of defense or can seek retribution like minorities & women are easy targets and find themselves at the mercy of the armed militia of majority clans, which is the case of Somali vulnerable marginalized group of women & minorities. Due to the above reasons, the minorities are the neediest group of people facing worst starvation, highest poverty rates, massive displacement, huge unemployment figures, highest illiteracy levels and horrific health and sanitation status. Their status is applicable to what an ILO calls an ‘evil circle of economic and social marginalization’.

SOMRAF aims to address the complex issues of minority communities through: research and advocacy for the minority rights; socio-cultural economic, technological and political empowerment of minority communities; enabling minority communities to have access to basic social and development needs and services.

a) By empowering people to identify their economic needs and explore ways and means of
     fulfilling those needs;
b) By developing self-confidence and ability to undertake income generating activities through
    appropriate and adequate training and motivation;
c) By providing opportunities for continuous upgrading of vocational knowledge and skills for
    gainful employment;
d) By developing a team spirit for working together for sustainable social and economic growth.

Out of the many possible options and choices, the organization has chosen four main themes in order to deal with the complex minority issues in and outside the country. Under each theme, long term aims, or goals and short terms objectives have been also set.

SOMRAF Thematic campaigns:
Thematic focus through campaigns
Campaign 1: Promoting inclusion, justice and the rule of law
Campaign 2: Fostering a culture of human rights
Campaign 3: Promoting the democratization process and Economic empowerment
Campaign 4: Advancing equality, tolerance and peace