HIJRA

Humanitarian Initiative Just Relief Aid (HIJRA) is an African humanitarian organization focused on the implementation of emergency and resilience programming in the greater Horn of Africa; Somalia, Kenya and Uganda.

Background and administration

The organization was founded in 1992 in Somalia, by a collective group of professionals and community members to response to the unprecedented crisis following the collapse of the Somalia state, taking the acronym HIJRA to represent the displaced in the region.

HIJRA is headed by an Executive Director and supported by line management in programs and program support. Collectively, these individuals represent a wealth of knowledge and expertise in program development, management, administration, human resources (HR), logistics, information technology (IT), finance, fundraising and communications.

The organization works through its head office in Nairobi, Kenya, supporting three country program offices, 126 staff members and over 371,000 beneficiaries.

Humanitarian Initiative Just Relief Aid (HIJRA) is an African humanitarian organization focused on the implementation of emergency and resilience programming in the greater Horn of Africa; Somalia, Kenya and Uganda.

HIJRA works to implement water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); health; education; and livelihood projects, addressing immediate needs at the grassroots level. Program components include the construction of water and sanitation facilities, hygiene promotion, cash distribution, primary healthcare including communicable disease control, and preventative as well as maternal and child healthcare.

HIJRA is an immediate responder working to provide impartial assistance. As such, the organization works to ensure the safety of its beneficiaries and staff by adhering to a strict policy of transparency, neutrality and accountability.

HIJRA is one of the largest organisations in South Central Somalia, providing aid to over 371,000 of the region's most vulnerable.

Actions

HIJRA is an emergency response organization. HIJRA endeavors to provide the best care possible, employing the SPHERE standards before entering new program areas. HIJRA supports community development by hiring locally, drawing staff from local regions, encouraging beneficiaries to participate in program development.

Methods

HIJRA is a direct implementer. The majority of its staff comes from its program areas, supported by a smaller number of equally significant international staff. In 2011, HIJRA worked through 126 staff to deliver lifesaving programs in Somalia, Kenya and Uganda. Members and staff of HIJRA make a commitment to the following values:

  • Professionalism
  • Equality and justice
  • Transparency
  • Independence and neutrality

HIJRA focuses its work on bridging gaps in aid through strategic partnerships participating in consortiums, working groups and clusters, serving as one of six NGOs in the Somalia Humanitarian Country Team.[1]

Water, sanitation and hygiene

HIJRA water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities aim to improve access to clean water, sanitation and public health services in Mogadishu, Ceelasha and Xawa Abdi.

HIJRA employs innovative delivery methods, such as gravity piped water systems, emergency latrine construction and communal waste management to address issues of distribution and delivery. HIJRA's emergency WASH programs worked to construct and rehabilitate water storage platforms, tanks and distribution points supplying 3 million gallons of clean water per day to over 371,000 of the most vulnerable. The program's public health component further works to ensure good hygiene practice through the provision of facilities, supplies and capacity building programs.

Livelihoods

HIJRA's programs in livelihoods cover a broad range of activities focused on enhancing self-reliance through non-formal education, income generation and cash for work programming.

HIJRA's livelihood programs work towards wealth creation, stimulating credit systems and empowering small businesses. HIJRA's programs further work to be all-inclusive, drawing beneficiaries from existing program areas and working to ensure the needs of the most vulnerable are met through linkages within health and WASH programs.

Health

HIJRA provides emergency health services throughout South Central Somalia, Mogadishu and Lower Shabelle.

HIJRA's emergency role in health works to address the immediate needs of the displaced by providing health care through static and mobile outreach services. HIJRA works through its communities to hire local health experts to ensure emergency needs in preventive, promotive and curative care are met.

HIJRA's activities in health include the provision of primary healthcare services, treatment and control of communicable disease, immunizations, delivery of safe motherhood services in emergency obstetric and neonatal Care (EmONC), antenatal (ANC), delivery, postnatal (PNC), and gynecological care through the provision of essential medicines, equipment and expertise.

Education

HIJRA's programs in education work to address the growing needs of urban refugees through the provision of basic education materials and school infrastructure rehabilitation.

The programs work to provide direct material assistance to refugee children through distribution of school uniforms, writing materials and feeding program contributions, providing direct school assistance through the distribution of desks, rehabilitation of latrines and provision of text books.

HIJRA implements in-school psychosocial support programs to address issues of xenophobia and post-traumatic stress. Programs, both preventive and curative, work to train and sensitize teachers and provide extracurricular activities in the form of team sports, expressive art, poetry, story-telling, drama, music, painting and drawing.

HIJRA works with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Urban Refugee Protection Network (URPN) and the Kenyan Ministry of Education (MOE) to develop and provide integrated programs to address the unique needs of the urban refugee.

Communications and advocacy

As a humanitarian group, HIJRA has a duty to protect its beneficiaries from violence and abuse by speaking out about violations of humanitarian rights in an attempt to bring these abuses to the world's attention.

HIJRA takes an active role in information exchange by working to support advocacy efforts at the local and international level, ensuring its community's voice is reflected in the development of policy documents, programming and media.

HIJRA is conscious of the risks associated in the collection of such information ensuring its receipt through the employment of skilled professionals, and encourages groups and communities to speak out only when appropriate.

Funding and accountability

HIJRA is a non-profit organization which relies on public, private and government funding.

HIJRA receives 90% of its program funds from donors. Funds collected are earmarked into general program themes and distributed at the country level.

HIJRA strives to operate efficiently and to minimize fundraising and administrative costs. In compliance with donor regulations, HIJRA allocates the bulk of funding to direct program costs allowing 5% for indirect expenditures.

HIJRA receives funding from DFID and CIDA through its OXFAM partnership, the Common Humanitarian Fund[2] and the Jolie-Pitt Foundation. HIJRA receives in-kind support from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Rotary.

The organization further works to ensure the appropriate use of funds and program development through representation on the Somalia Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) and in relevant UN clusters, consortiums and working groups.

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References
  1. "Humanitarian Country Team". Archived from the original on 2012-12-09. Retrieved 2013-01-07.
  2. "Common Humanitarian Fund". Archived from the original on 2012-12-09. Retrieved 2013-01-07.
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