In 1991, Fatima Jibrell founded the Horn of Africa Relief and Development Organization in Connecticut, USA, in response to the damage done by the Somali civil war and its effects on her homeland of Somalia. Over time, the organization grew, and in 1998, then simply known as Horn Relief, it began its Pastoral Youth Leadership Program in the Sanaag region of Somalia, known then as the Buran Rural Institute. The first class had 41 boys and 24 girls. In 2001, Adeso held its first Camel Caravan in Somalia, where twenty young people walked for three weeks with nomadic pastoralists to learn about the environment, animal and human health, and peacemaking. In 2002, in response to Fatima Jibrell’s advocacy work, the Puntland Government banned the export of charcoal in the region. In recognition of her leadership in creating a social and environmental movement in Somalia, Adeso’s founder won the international Goldman Environmental Prize for Africa. That brought greater international attention to development and environmental issues in Somalia. In 2003, the organization implemented the first large-scale cash transfer program in Somalia, and its Deputy Director at the time, Degan Ali, developed the first cash-transfer training curriculum to educate internal staff and partner agencies. In 2006, Fatima Jibrell retired as Executive Director, and was succeeded by Degan Ali. The following year, Fatima Jibrell won the National Geographic/Buffet Award for Leadership in African Conservation, and the organization publishes a cash transfer implementation manual. In 2010, Adeso started its first country program in Kenya, and in 2011 it opened its first country program outside of the Horn of Africa, in South Sudan. In 2012, the organization changed its name from Horn Relief to Adeso, to reflect its expansion outside of the Horn of Africa, and its emphasis on development rather than simply relief work. In 2014, Somali-American actor Barkhad Abdi joined Adeso as a voluntary Goodwill Ambassador, to help give back to his country of birth through visibility and outreach.
Adeso’s work
The organization’s work can be categorized in four ways:
According to Adeso, One of their goals is the education of students to help them build life skills.Training programs however go beyond schools and also include :
Adeso’s responses include emergency cash-based interventions, water trucking, distribution of non-food items, and the rehabilitation of water sources – often crucial as most emergencies are drought-related.
Reinvigorating the economy
Adeso works to strengthen local economies and protect communities from future shocks. Adeso looks at the skills that are required in new local economies before designing the training programs to equip local people with these skills. Sometimes, this can be as simple – but as crucial – as supporting initiatives that teach basic literacy and numeracy skills. Adeso also assists by for example helping farmers bolster their production or helping entrepreneurs establish new jobs.
Influencing policy
Adeso advocates on behalf of the communities they work with, giving them a voice on a local and international stage, and ensuring their interests and concerns are considered at the highest level.
Adeso's Offices
Adeso has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, and is recognized as a charity in the UK, Kenya and the United States. According to its 2012 Annual Report, the organization has nine field offices: four in Kenya, three in Somalia, and an additional two in South Sudan. There are approximately 45 staff in the Nairobi office and nearly 250 staff in field offices. The 2012 revenues for Adeso were $25 million.
