The situation in Somalia remains critical due to the complex political issues, droughts alternating with floods and the increases in food prices worsening an already high malnutrition rate.
The conjunct action of these factors, coupled with the lack of help from institutions, has led the agro-pastoral communities living in the rural and suburban areas of Southern and Central Somalia to extreme poverty, forcing them to cut their food intake in quantity and quality, sell their livelihoods to survive, resort to petty trade and dislocate family members in the hope of finding new sources of income.
COOPI operates to strengthen the resilience and economic development of four beneficiary communities.
It does so by creating saving groups and self-managed money loan associations based on trust and transparency, providing an alternative to the impossibly high interest rates of local banks and lenders. This allows beneficiaries to access the capital required to start new entrepreneurial activities. Indeed, related training coursed will be held to teach them on how business companies, marketing and value generation work. Farms also figure among the local companies helped: 1250 farmers will be trained on good agricultural practices and on the production of resilient crops. Lastly, in order to stimulate new market networks, beneficiary communities will benefit from contacts in new markets and infrastructures meant for post-harvest management.
