Horn of Africa Development Initiative - HODI

Horn of Africa Development Initiative's (HODI) theory of change starts with the belief that peaceful and resilient communities can be created only when the most vulnerable citizens among them – women, youth, and children – are represented in power structures, their capacities are fully developed, and when men and elders are fully engaged throughout the process.

HODI’s first programme, Traditional Elders for Peace, started in 2005 with the aim of increasing the capacity of elders to resolve conflicts peacefully through the formation of a cross-border committee of elders in Kenya and Ethiopia. It has a rapid response body including interfaith leaders to control outbreaks of violence (after a raid, for example, or election-related violence), and a Women for Peace group across 300 villages to address contentious issues like retaliation. In 2017, Tribal Elders' Councils in 152 villages across Marsabit included one or more women, compared to zero in 2005.

HODI’s flagship programme, Shoot to Score, Not Kill, runs since 2008. Supported by FIFA, it has prevented school-age children from being drawn into ethnic rivalry and conflict and provided tools and frameworks for learning a culture of non-violence through football. More than 10,000 youth have participated to date. Breaking the Silence is another of HODI’s programmes. Since 2013, it has created and run a school-based peer network for adolescent girls to have a safe space to learn from each other on deeply sensitive topics including child marriage, female genital mutilation, and sexual abuse. More than 13 schools now take part, reaching 1,500 adolescent girls and 500+ parents in 2016.

HODI’s two other programmes are: Community Resilience, helping villages start a community savings scheme to pool resources, which has been adopted by 16 villages and 14,700 households; and Most Vulnerable Children Access Free Primary Education, which ensures that girls stay in school and is established in 20 primary schools in 30 communities - more than 565 girls who had dropped out have returned to school since 2013, and a 2015 study demonstrated that 64% of girls held a leadership position in their school, community, or sports programme, compared to 7% prior to the programme.