🌱 Empowering Women Through Community-Led Development in Beledweyne
📅 Date: 23 May 2019
📌 Project: Cash-for-Work Support for Vulnerable Households
📍 Location: Kurtumaaley, Beledweyne District
📆 Project Duration: January – May 2019
🎯 Implemented by: HIDIG Relief and Development Organization
💰 Funded by: World Food Programme (WFP)
📰 Project Summary:
On 23rd May 2019, HIDIG marked a key milestone in its Cash-for-Work (CfW) initiative with the final stage of canal rehabilitation in Kurtumaaley village. This activity is part of a larger project aimed at supporting 500 vulnerable individuals across rural Beledweyne through monthly cash support and community labor.
This powerful photo shows local women leading the rehabilitation effort — a clear testament to their pivotal role in rebuilding infrastructure and strengthening food security.
🎯 Project Objectives:
- Improve food security and income for vulnerable households
- Engage communities in public labor activities
- Rehabilitate and restore critical rural infrastructure
📍 Target Villages:
- Kurtumaaley
- Dharkeynta
- Sigalow
- Xaskule
- Habaasweyne
🛠️ Community Work Activities:
- Clearing overgrown vegetation along access roads to improve mobility and safety
- Rehabilitation and cleaning of irrigation canals, especially near riverbanks (up to 50 meters), to enhance water flow for farming
👩🏾🌾 Women at the Center:
In the final phase at Kurtumaaley, women were at the forefront of the canal rehabilitation — reflecting their essential contribution to both household wellbeing and community resilience. Their efforts symbolize the backbone of rural recovery in Beledweyne.
💬 “These women aren’t just working the land — they’re restoring livelihoods and dignity,” said a HIDIG field coordinator.
📸 Photo Highlight: A line of brightly dressed women digging and shaping the canal side-by-side — a powerful image of unity, labor, and local leadership.
HIDIG remains committed to inclusive, community-centered approaches that restore hope and strengthen rural livelihoods.