{"id":155979,"date":"2025-07-22T15:12:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T12:12:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/?post_type=artikkelit&#038;p=155979"},"modified":"2025-08-12T10:51:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T07:51:08","slug":"from-learners-to-leaders-somali-youth-are-taking-environmental-initiatives","status":"publish","type":"artikkelit","link":"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/en\/latest-news\/articles\/from-learners-to-leaders-somali-youth-are-taking-environmental-initiatives\/","title":{"rendered":"From learners to leaders: Somali youth are taking environmental initiatives"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n<div class=\"block-hero full-width id-block\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-1.jpg');\">\n\n\t<div class=\"bg-mobile\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-1-1024x683.jpg');\"><\/div>\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"curtain\"><\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"inner-blocks entry-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h1>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">From learners to leaders: Somali youth are taking environmental initiatives<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-ingress\">In Galkayo, Abudwak, and Warsheikh, Somali youth transitioned from disengaged bystanders to active civic and environmental leaders after participating in a civic education and environmental stewardship initiative supported by the Somalia Stability Fund III (SSF) and implemented by Finn Church Aid (FCA). <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"block-content-with-infobox full-width id-block\">\n\t<div class=\"container-lg\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"flex-inner inner-blocks entry-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n<div class=\"block-inner-blocks inner-blocks entry-content lorem\">\n\t\n\n<p>Across Galmudug and Hirshabelle, youth have historically faced limited opportunities for meaningful civic engagement. Despite being well-educated and eager to contribute, they were often excluded from local governance processes. This disconnect has contributed to feelings of marginalization among youth and women, weakening the social cohesion and slowing development progress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To address this, FCA, with support from the Somalia Stability Fund III (SSF III), launched the Youth Civic Education and Environmental Stewardship Initiative in June 2025 in partnership with the Ministries of Interior in Galmudug and Hirshabelle. The initiative&nbsp;aimed to equip youth with civic knowledge, promote environmental stewardship, and foster collaborative relationships between young people and district administrations.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"block-inner-blocks inner-blocks entry-content\">\n\t\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who was impacted?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Youth gained civic knowledge, leadership skills, and access to platforms that legitimized their voices and stewardship in community development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>District officials began recognizing youth as partners in development and adjusted their approaches accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Local communities benefited from the visible outcomes of youth-led initiatives, such as cleaner public spaces, increased environmental awareness, and stronger social cohesion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Women\u2019s groups leveraged the opportunity to use these new platforms to advance gender-inclusive approaches to environmental action and governance, reinforcing their critical role in both community resilience and decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Over 80 youth from Galkayo, Abudwak, Jowhar and Warsheikh received intensive training on constitutional rights, civic responsibility, climate resilience, and community mobilization. However, the most transformative outcomes occurred not in the training rooms, but when participants applied their knowledge through community-led actions. Through public clean-ups and facilitating consultations with local authorities, Somali youth have begun reshaping both their physical environment and governance landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Galkayo: Amplifying youth voices in governance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In early June, 20 young men and women from schools, universities and youth-led organizations participated in a five-day civic training facilitated by the Galmudug Ministry of Interior and supported by FCA. The sessions focused on constitutional literacy, civic duties, climate resilience, and community mobilization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI never read the Somali provisional constitution, nor did I understand my constitutional rights and responsibilities. Thanks to the training, now I read a few chapters as part of the training exercise, and I intend to continue to finish before the training finishes,\u201d\u00a0said <strong>Abdikadir<\/strong>, one of the participants, after reading Somalia\u2019s Constitution for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pre- and post-assessments showed an increased civic knowledge in the participants from 30% to 95%. The impact extended further when participants attended a district consultation meeting with the Deputy Mayor and local officials. They presented actionable recommendations, highlighted exclusion and unemployment, and advocated for youth inclusion in district development processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-2-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"A full meeting room with training participants gathered behind tables in a horseshoe formation, listening to four presenters\" class=\"wp-image-155986\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-2-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-2-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-2-267x178.jpg 267w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A district-level consultation meeting aimed to link youth initiatives with local governance activities in Galkayo, Somalia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMany of us are educated and working to support community development, yet the administration sees us as problems rather than partners. We&#8217;re on the same mission \u2014 to uplift Galkayo \u2014 so we should be working together. There are areas beyond their reach where we can step in and help,\u201d said <strong>Nasteho<\/strong>, who also participated in the training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After the training, Galkayo local authorities promised that youth in the district would be involved in the district&#8217;s development efforts henceforth. What began as training became a partnership between youth and governance, marking a shift from training to tangible policy engagement \u2014 a significant change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Abudwak: From training rooms to tree planting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In Abudwak, Galmudug State, 20 young men and women completed a four-day intensive training program on governance, civic rights, environmental responsibility, and climate change. The program did not end with the sessions; the youth translated their learning into action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-3-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"A meeting room with a meeting led by a woman and with mostly woman participants in the photo\" class=\"wp-image-155989\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-3-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-3-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-3-267x178.jpg 267w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-3-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A training on youth civic education and environmental responsibility in Abudwak, Somalia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>With support from FCA and SSF, the youth organized a peer-led environmental campaign that mobilized over 60 residents. Over three days, teams cleaned public spaces including the police station, district hospital, the women\u2019s center (Guriga Hooyooyinka), and a local orphanage. They planted and fenced 80 trees as a symbolic and practical contribution to environmental resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cToday, the city has been awakened,\u201d said<strong> Ifrah<\/strong>, a training participant in Abudwak.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe can see what happens when youth are involved. We urge the government to build on the knowledge we\u2019ve gained through this training by meaningfully including youth in local development and decision-making processes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is not just about cleaning,\u201d said <strong>Farah<\/strong>, a youth member. \u201cWe\u2019re saying: we are here. We care. And we want to be part of the solution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-4-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"A group of people, mostly female, cleaning a site next to a concrete wall and collecting trash\" class=\"wp-image-155992\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-4-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-4-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-4-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-4-267x178.jpg 267w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-4-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A youth-led initiative on cleaning public spaces in Abudwak included the police station, the district hospital, the women\u2019s center, and a local orphanage.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>During a district consultation attended by youth groups and community leaders, the district Mayor and Galmudug\u2019s Minister of Interior acknowledged the youth\u2019s leadership. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou should never be guests in decisions that affect your lives,\u201d said H.E. <strong>Abdi Mohamed Jama<\/strong>, Galmudug Minister of Interior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou are not just participants\u2014you are the leaders. You have a duty to protect your environment, claim your rights, and lead this country toward a better future.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The initiative demonstrated that practical civic education, when paired with community action, can reposition youth as credible development partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Warsheikh: Youth and Women at the Frontlines of Environmental Action<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the coastal town of Warsheikh, youth adapted their training to local challenges. They led an environmental campaign across four villages, Sh. Cabdi, Iftin, Beder, and Umulkheyr, raising awareness through door-to-door outreach, beach cleanups, and temporary waste collection points. They also facilitated community dialogues to integrate traditional environmental practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe youth are ready. What we need is a belief and inclusion,\u201d said <strong>Abdullahi Awes Mohamed<\/strong>, a representative of the Warsheikh youth network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-5-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Two men collecting trash on a beach next to the water. Behind the two men, a large group of women are also participating in the cleaning.\" class=\"wp-image-155995\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-5-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-5-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-5-267x178.jpg 267w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-5-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A youth-led beach-cleaning operation in Warsheikh, Somalia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Women were also at the forefront. Qali Mire Sahal, Chairlady of the Women\u2019s Network, spoke passionately about the dual burden and strength of women in environmental stewardship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re the ones keeping our homes and streets clean. We plant, we teach \u2014 but we\u2019re still left behind from the decisions and efforts. That would hopefully change after this exercise, where we demonstrated our contributions and energy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And it is changing. In a landmark consultation on June 16, the District Commissioner of Warsheikh, Mr. <strong>Mohamed Hassan Mantaan<\/strong>, announced plans to establish a Youth-Government Liaison Committee and pledged that youth-led initiatives would be included in the district\u2019s future planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese programs didn\u2019t just build capacity \u2014 they built trust,\u201d he said. \u201cOur youth are now part of our governance processes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Beyond campaigns: Building a culture of civic engagement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While outcomes such as tree planting and waste clean-up are measurable, the most significant shift was cultural. Youth transitioned from passive recipients to active agents of change. Youth stood before local officials to demand inclusion in district planning and were taken seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This transformation, from exclusion to inclusion, from training to trust, reflects the core objective of SSF III: to support locally owned, inclusive governance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-6-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Three people collaborating in planting a sapling into a hole in the ground.\" class=\"wp-image-156000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-6-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-6-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-6-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-6-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-6-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-6-267x178.jpg 267w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/picture-6-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Training participants planting trees as a symbolic and practical contribution to environmental resilience in Abudwak, Somalia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Toward long-term impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These changes are setting the foundation for systemic, sustainable engagement. Districts are now considering establishing youth advisory boards. Environmental actions are being institutionalized into local governance. Civic engagement is moving from a one-time event to a sustained practice. SSF III continues to support this momentum through mentoring, provision of tools and materials, and by scaling peer-to-peer engagement models to expand reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Planting the future<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In Abudwak, Warsheikh, Jowhar, and Galkayo, youth are no longer passive or peripheral. They are initiating change, shaping discourse, and leading community development efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These actions began with workshops, but they\u2019re growing into a movement. In a country that is often defined by instability, these young people are planting the seeds of resilience, rooted in action, voice, and agency. They are not future leaders. They are leading now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From learners to leaders: Somali youth are taking environmental initiatives In Galkayo, Abudwak, and Warsheikh, Somali youth transitioned from disengaged bystanders to active civic and environmental leaders after participating in a civic education and environmental stewardship initiative supported by the Somalia Stability Fund III (SSF) and implemented by Finn Church Aid (FCA). Over 80 youth [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":185,"featured_media":155983,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"144261,142159,150419,121399,146715,148684","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_improvement_type_select":"improve_an_existing","_thumb_yes_seoaic":false,"_frame_yes_seoaic":false,"seoaic_generate_description":"","seoaic_improve_instructions_prompt":"","seoaic_rollback_content_improvement":"","seoaic_idea_thumbnail_generator":"","thumbnail_generated":false,"thumbnail_generate_prompt":"","seoaic_article_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[53,173,779],"countries":[298],"article_themes":[311,551],"class_list":["post-155979","artikkelit","type-artikkelit","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-somalia_en","category-peace","category-somalia-local-governance","countries-somalia","article_themes-youth","article_themes-peace"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>From learners to leaders: Somali youth are taking environmental initiatives - FCA Finn Church Aid<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/en\/ajankohtaista\/artikkelit\/from-learners-to-leaders-somali-youth-are-taking-environmental-initiatives\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From learners to leaders: Somali youth are taking environmental initiatives - FCA Finn Church Aid\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"From learners to leaders: Somali youth are taking environmental initiatives In Galkayo, Abudwak, and Warsheikh, Somali youth transitioned from disengaged bystanders to active civic and environmental leaders after participating in a civic education and environmental stewardship initiative supported by the Somalia Stability Fund III (SSF) and implemented by Finn Church Aid (FCA). 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