Horn of Africa Voluntary Youth Committee (HAVOYOCO)

Horn of Africa Voluntary Youth Committee (HAVOYOCO) is a regional non-governmental, non-partisan, humanitarian organization that aims to”empower, advocate vulnerable communities in the horn of Africa to withstand natural and human made calamities and facilitate development programs to improve their standard of living.”

The project with ISF will improve the living conditions of agro-pastoral women and enhance sustainable use of natural resources. It will organise women entrepreneurs into cooperatives, builds new knowledge and skills, and supports networks between cooperatives, experts and markets. The project will facilitate cooperation between men and women in the selected value chains to balance gender power relations.

In 2024, the main process is the joint planning phase including all necessary background analyses and project design, resulting in a comprehensive 4-year project plan and a detailed 2024 activity plan (Q3-4). ISF will also conduct an organizational capacity assessment of HAVOYOCO, help them in drafting a capacity building plan and train their key staff in financial management.

Key actions and outputs of the project are, as follows: 

• To provide training on climate-resilient agriculture practices and technologies to agro-pastoral women and men in order them to apply these practices and technologies to increase production and productivity. 
• To establish an early warning system to alert the community of impending climate-related hazards, which will improve the DRM (Disaster Risk Management) system in place. 
• To strengthen the capacity of women to operate their cooperatives and participate in decision-making processes.  
• To establish partnerships with local markets to increase access to market opportunities for women and men regarding Output: Improved access to markets.