Ugaas of the Bahgari — Ogaden community
Development Plan
The plan rests on six pillars. Each states why it matters, what will actually be done, and how we will know whether it worked.
Water & Drought Resilience
Reliable clean water, and readiness before the drought arrives.
Why it matters
Water is the first thing people raise. When the rains fail, families and herds move, and children drop out of school. Everything else in this plan depends on solving it.
What we will do
- New boreholes, and repair of the wells that already exist
- Birkado and rainwater catchment to store the wet season
- Coordinated water trucking during drought, so no village is served twice while another is missed
- A water committee in each district that manages maintenance
How we measure it
Households with clean water within one kilometre, and the number of wells still working at the end of the year.
Education
A classroom worth sitting in, and every girl reaching it.
Why it matters
Education is the only route out of dependence on aid. Girls are the first to be withdrawn when drought hits, and the least likely to return.
What we will do
- New classrooms, desks and teaching materials
- Teacher housing, so teachers stay in the remote districts
- Scholarships aimed specifically at girls continuing to secondary school and university
- A catch-up programme for children who have already dropped out
How we measure it
Children enrolled, the share of girls reaching secondary school, and teachers retained year on year.
Health
Care within reach — above all for mothers and infants.
Why it matters
A woman in labour hours of travel from the nearest clinic is in danger. Distance and the absence of transport are the hardest facts of life here.
What we will do
- Health posts in the districts, consistently staffed
- An emergency transport arrangement for obstructed labour
- Mobile outreach teams for immunisation and screening in remote settlements
- Health education delivered through mosques and schools
How we measure it
Births attended at a health facility, and average travel time to the nearest functioning clinic.
Livestock & Livelihoods
Healthy herds, a reachable market, and income that survives a bad year.
Why it matters
Pastoralism is the backbone of the local economy. A single disease outbreak or failed grazing season can push a family from self-reliance into destitution.
What we will do
- Regular veterinary treatment and vaccination campaigns
- Fodder banks stocked before the dry season, not during it
- Market linkage and fairer prices for herders
- Support for riverine farming and small-scale irrigation
How we measure it
Animals vaccinated, and households that kept their herd intact through a drought season.
Peace & Customary Law
Disputes settled by xeer, not by force.
Why it matters
Development does not happen where there is no peace. Most conflict here is over grazing, water and land — and those are exactly the disputes customary law is built to settle.
What we will do
- A standing xeer panel that can be convened immediately
- Written, mutually agreed grazing and water arrangements
- Reconciliation work with neighbouring communities
- A written record of rulings, so settled matters stay settled
How we measure it
Disputes resolved peacefully, and how long each took to resolve.
Youth & Women
A skill, a little capital, and a seat where decisions are made.
Why it matters
Young people are the largest part of the community and the least employed. Women carry the household economy with the least support behind them.
What we will do
- Vocational training: construction, electrical, water, bookkeeping and IT
- Small start-up grants for women-run businesses
- Community savings and lending groups
- Formal seats for youth and women on the committees of the Office
How we measure it
Trainees who found work, and women-run businesses still trading a year later.
Every pillar has projects behind it
The project register shows what is under way and what is waiting on funding.