Professor Abdullahi Ali Hassan, CED Executive Director.

Executive Director's Message

Center for education and development (CED), a nonprofit, non-governmental local organization, was established in 1992 with the main aim of the advancement of education, Human Rights, humanitarian aid and development mainly in the context of Somalia. CED works with poor local communities through sustainable community development programs to overcome ignorance injustice and inequality. CED programs include but not limited to Education, Emergency aid, human rights, income generating, food security, infrastructure rehabilitation, peace building, capacity building, reconciliation/demobilization, environmental protection, and women's development.

CED responses to emergency and development needs in Somalia and assists the Somali communities towards self-reliance. CED employs participatory approaches and ownership building and strengths community initiatives. The programs are implemented in a participatory way. CED implements projects with cooperation of local communities in the project areas. This cooperation encouraged local ownership and the sustainability of the projects.

For the last four years, CED mainly supported educational institutions in Somalia through school rehabilitations, distribution of textbooks and provision of scholarship to impoverished children from poor families who could not able to pay their school fees. The other main programs worth to mention include supporting the people affected by natural disasters such as Tsunami that struck the Somali Coasts on December 26, 2004. The current ongoing projects also include the support of seven (7) primary schools in Benadir, Middle Shabelle, Lower Shabelle and Galgadud regions, distribution of Text Books to Somali Education Institutions, and supporting the people affected by Tsunami to stand them on their own feet in the future. CED is also currently assisting the drought affected vulnerable victims in Galad district, Galgadud region through emergency free food distribution to improve household Food Security.

The organization has developed its capacity in the late 2003 up to early 2004 through the active participation of Strengthening Civil organizations in Somalia program funded by NOVIB OXFAM NETHERLANDS. During the NOVIB capacity building project, CED produced 7 organizational manuals in the areas of Governance, Management Practices, Human Resource, Financial Management, Service Delivery, External Relation and Sustainability. The manuals were aimed at strengthening the internal capacity of CED.

CED management and staff are pleased to express their best gratitude to the following donors that funded CED programs for their unforgettable assistance, continued support, close cooperation, humanitarian assistance to the needy Somali communities through Center For Education and Development (CED). Thanks for these donors for opportunity you offered CED to become a potential long-time partner with these organisations.

1. Novib Oxfam Netherlands
2. Books For Africa (BFA)
3. Brother's Brother Foundation
4. CARE International
5. McGraw Hill Publishers
6. Mercy Corps
7. RAINBO

CED is currently looking for International Non-governmental organisations to form a partnership and work with CED in carrying out education, humanitarian and development programs compatible with our programs to improve the living conditions of the Somali People. Once again, we would be delighted if you could work in partnership with CED so that we will jointly work the development of the war torn Somalia. We appreciate your assistance in working with CED. We hope your support will upgrade our educational, humanitarian and development programs and will improve the living conditions of the Somali People.

Thank you and best regards.

Professor Abdullahi Ali Hassan
CED Executive Director