Harfo

Background

Harfo district in Mudug Region is situated 70 kilometres from Galkayo along the Galkayo-Bossaso road in Mudug region Puntland state Somalia. The district has an estimated total population of between 11,000 and 12,000 persons. A total of 9 pastoral settlements (Beer Degatur, Cadey Gabogabo, Gaxandaley, Bilcil, Faratooyo, Farjano, Gosol, Mindhiciro and Kalakac) surround the district, all lacking social service amenities facilities. The Harfo community is largely pastoral, and comprises of various displaced and returnee families. There is a sizeable number of the populations relying on small scale business with most operating general shops, milk selling and meat business. Most of the small scale businesses in Harfo are run and managed by women. Women are also engaged in tending to goats while the main economic engagement of men is tending to camels and cattle, large scale businesses and working in the few companies existing in the town. Other sources of employment include construction works.

The districts has only a limited number of schools and just a single skills training center mostly enrolling women. The skills provided to women in the center are Tailoring, Henna and Computer skills. There are no reliable health services with only 1 MCH with limited supplies and staff. Residents in need of specialized health services have to travel to Galkayo. The only companies operating in the district are Water, Electricity, Telecommunication and Hawalas which only employ a limited number of staff most of whom are men. While Harfo town is based on the highway with access to means of transport, the same is limited to the surrounding villages. The district has no operational public market.

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GECPD WORK IN HARFO

GECPD started working with the Harfo community in the year 2000 providing education in collaboration with the Harfo women groups. The program at this time was Integrated Second Chance and the Integrated Adult Literacy programs offered to 80 girls and adult women in 4 rented rooms. GECPD has now constructed the only Girls Primary School/ Women and Girls education center in the area, a Girls Hostel/Borading School and a Boys Primary School.  GECPD’s operations in the town have since expanded to include;

  • Formal Primary Education for boys and girls,
  • Integrated Non-Formal Second Chance Education,
  • Integrated Tailoring and Computer Skills Training,
  • Awareness and Advocacy on GECPD integrated thematic subjects.

OUR CENTERS IN HARFO

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Harfo Girls and Women Center

GECPD has since constructed and established the only Girls and Women Center/school in the town. More >>

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Harfo Girls Hostel

The Hostel was established in 2004 to provide accommodation to orphaned, poor pastoral nomadic.  More >>

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Harfo Boys Peace School

Lack of educational opportunities in Harfo was affecting both boys and girls. The only Primary  More >>

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The Borehole

The drilling of a borehole was motivated by the inconveniences and the growing costs of water  More >>

Why Focus on Girls and Boys

Girls had been alienated and denied access to Education opportunities, with boys being sent to relatives in areas with schooling opportunities, as girls remained at home overburdened with household chores. Limitation in schooling opportunities in Harfo; to promote sustainability through building  community ownership, and the need to promote the culture of gender equality, have seen GECPD incorporate boys into its Formal Primary Education programs at the Harfo Center.