Our Profile

Background

Galkayo Education Center for Peace and Development (GECPD) is a Women Non-Governmental Organization, established in October 1999 by the current Founder Executive Director Hawa Aden Mohamed -an educationist and women rights activist with the support of a group of women professionals. The goal was to offer education opportunities to women and girls. GECPD begun as an initiative by the founders to mobilize community and international resources to construct and build the GECPD Main Center. The idea was to provide basic education for girls and functional literacy skills for women.

Our aim is to improve women’s status given their immense suffering prior to, during and after the civil war in Somalia. Women did not get their fair share in education, employment and other opportunities as well as resources. Somali tradition dictates that girl’s presence in the family is not permanent, because they will be married off to other family; parents think they are good to be exploited in the household as much as possible. Girls were discriminated against and disadvantaged by parents’ choice to send boys to school and keep them for the household tasks and responsibilities.

At the time of GECPD’s establishment, women and girls had no access to information, basic education and life skills. Girls’ enrolment in school was at a mere 6.3% -according to the 2000 Education survey report. Girls were and continue to be forced into early marriages, overburdened with household chores, besides being engaged in odd livelihood activities that at times exposes them to risks. Moreover, women have been alienated in the political, economic participation and decision making. The result has been their passive role in the rebuilding and reconstruction efforts. This has made them less able to resist gender discrimination, develop their own capacities and access the knowledge needed for their own well-being and that of their children. GECPD founders believe that for women and girls to rise above these challenges and participate in the reconstruction of the Somali state, education is of paramount importance.

Legal Status

GECPD is formally registered with the Galkayo Regional court Reg. No. MDG/09/2000 and recognized by Puntland Presidential Decree number 74 of 24th January 2000 as a non-profit, non-governmental organization and it has been granted tax exemption status. GECPD is also registered with the Puntland Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MoPIC) RG No. 387

Vision Statement

A society where girls and women are free from all
forms of discrimination and violence, respected and
able to seek, defend and advocate for their fundamental
rights in all spheres of life.                                                                                                    .

Mission Statement

To strengthen the capacity of women to seek, defend and advocate for their fundamental rights in all spheres of life and to promote education for girls, women, youth and community at large for the social reconstruction and the peaceful rebuilding of the Somali state.

• Independence • Empowerment • Social justice • Peace • Education • Justice and solidarity • Diversity and mutual respect • Collaboration and participation • Transparency and accountability • Sustainability

In implementing its programs, GECPD utilizes an integrated gender and rights based approach. Integrated learning means, relating education to the real lives of Somali girls and women. A right based approach means recognizing girls and women as rights bearers. Learners under GECPD’s educational and vocational skills programs are therefore taught self-awareness education encompassing issues such as FGM, Management of Maturation Process (as health and human rights issues), HIV/AIDS, Women’s Rights, gender and participation in development, primary and community health, peace, democracy and reconciliation and environmental education.

Thematic Areas

Education

Education; GECPD offers and supports 4 sets of basic education programs- the Early Childhood Education, Formal Primary Education, Non-Formal Education and Adult Literacy. The formal primary and non-formal education programs are based on the national curriculum of Puntland. GECPD is also offering vocational skills training programs in Tailoring and Garment Making, Food Production, Carpentry, Welding and Computer Skills for women, girls and a selected group of vulnerable boys. Human Rights; GECPD’s human rights work includes awareness creation and advocacy campaigns. Among the most vigorous awareness and advocacy campaigns that GECPD is well known for is the elimination of FGM, prevention of Sexual Gender Based Violence, promotion of Gender Equality, Child Rights and Protection and Environmental and Natural Resource Conservation. GECPD has also been supporting survivors of human rights violations access required services including psychosocial counseling, medical and legal support as well as safe haven for those with security concerns. Livelihood; GECPD has since establishment in 1999 been involved in empowering women, girls and youth to access livelihood opportunities. This has included provision of business start up cash grants, initiation of income generation ventures, capacity building training in business management, and support towards establishment of producer cooperatives for skilled community women, girls and boys. These include the construction of bakeries in Galkayo and Harfo, Construction of a Women Market in Halabookhad IDP settlement, Economic Empowerment Trainings and provision of Business Start up Capital for women to start up businesses. Youth Development; Years of conflict in Somalia have led to a collapse of the family unit, lack opportunities to economic empowerment, intellectual development and constructive engagement through community development and participation for the youth. This has invoked a sense of frustration amongst the youth which has eventually resulted to increased moral decadence as the youth try to cope with the difficult times. GECPD has mobilized resources to construct the Galkayo Youth Resource Center for Peace with the aim of protecting young people against the threat of turning into social debauchery through constructive engagement and mentoring. Emergency Relief Interventions; GECPD has since the beginning been on the forefront in providing humanitarian assistance to families and communities affected by shocks and disasters through distribution of both Food and Non-Food relief supplies and provision of cash support to newly arrived, evicted, fire and flood affected IDP families in Galkayo, with the support of various donors. GECPD in partnership with WFP has also been involved in the distribution of food to internally displaced, poor and famine affected families in Galkayo, Harfo, Ba’adweyn, Bursallah and Galdogob under the Food For Training Program and nutritional programs to internally displaced and pastoral family girls in Harfo and Buulo Ba’aley under the School Feeding Program.

Youth Development

Years of conflict in Somalia have led to a collapse of the family unit, lack opportunities to economic empowerment, intellectual development and constructive engagement through community development and participation for the youth. This has invoked a sense of frustration amongst the youth which has eventually resulted to increased moral decadence as the youth try to cope with the difficult times. GECPD has mobilized resources to construct the Galkayo Youth Resource Center for Peace with the aim of protecting young people against the threat of turning into social debauchery through constructive engagement and mentoring.

Human Rights

GECPD’s human rights work includes awareness creation and advocacy campaigns. Among the most vigorous awareness and advocacy campaigns that GECPD is well known for is the elimination of FGM, prevention of Sexual Gender Based Violence, promotion of Gender Equality, Child Rights and Protection and Environmental and Natural Resource Conservation. GECPD has also been supporting survivors of human rights violations access required services including psychosocial counseling, medical and legal support as well as safe haven for those with security concerns. Livelihood; GECPD has since establishment in 1999 been involved in empowering women, girls and youth to access livelihood opportunities. This has included provision of business start up cash grants, initiation of income generation ventures, capacity building training in business management, and support towards establishment of producer cooperatives for skilled community women, girls and boys. These include the construction of bakeries in Galkayo and Harfo, Construction of a Women Market in Halabookhad IDP settlement, Economic Empowerment Trainings and provision of Business Start up Capital for women to start up businesses.

Emergency Relief Interventions

GECPD has since the beginning been on the forefront in providing humanitarian assistance to families and communities affected by shocks and disasters through distribution of both Food and Non-Food relief supplies and provision of cash support to newly arrived, evicted, fire and flood affected IDP families in Galkayo, with the support of various donors. GECPD in partnership with WFP has also been involved in the distribution of food to internally displaced, poor and famine affected families in Galkayo, Harfo, Ba’adweyn, Bursallah and Galdogob under the Food For Training Program and nutritional programs to internally displaced and pastoral family girls in Harfo and Buulo Ba’aley under the School Feeding Program.