About WOCCA

Women and Child Care Organization (WOCCA) is a non-governmental, non-political and not-for-profit making organization that was recently named in June 2006 General Assembly of WOCCA with its historical background and achievements was established in 1996 by a group of Somali professionals with the aim of humanitarian focus to assist needy communities in Somalia with its overall aims to improve the economic status of women farmers and women headed households who are struggling with life as the breadwinners for their households. The organization also focuses on the protection of the Rights of Children in Somalia. Main areas of WOCCA’s programs mainly focus on Agriculture Development, Micro-Finance, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Capacity building, Human and Child rights, Campaign against Poverty and Illiteracy, Peace Promotion and Advocacy, Awareness rising on FGM/HIVAIDS, Water and Sanitation, education as well as Environmental Protection in Somalia. WOCCA works on five main sectors in Somalia, 1) Food security (Agriculture and Livelihoods), 2) Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), 3) Human Rights and Protection, 4) Education and 5) Nutrition. WOCCA has good relations with the local communities and a good reputation with project beneficiaries. WOCCA is an active member of various networks in Somalia (South Central Somali Food Security Network (CESOFSN), Resource Based Conflict (RBC) as well as recently established Somali South Central Non State Actors (SOSCENSA) The organization is functionally operating in South-central Zone of Somalia, particularly, Middle Shabelle, Lower Shabelle, Banadir and Hiran regions as main areas of Wocca humanitarian operations with its head office in Mogadishu, field office in Jowhar, Middle Shabelle region and liaison office in Nairobi.

Objectives

• Improve the capacity of target communities through training.
• Increase knowledge skills on integrated agriculture for selected community members.
• Increase the organizational capacity to support needs in agricultural production.
• Promote organizational group dynamics, leadership skills, peace and conflict management among rural women and village committee members.
• Empower disadvantaged small-scale women farmers (in women headed households) to increase their food production and household food security.
• Promote Microfinance among the farmer communities to reduce poverty and improve household income.
• Improve the irrigation water supplies to the project area and provide technical support where necessary.
• Prepare and prevent / humanitarian responses on emergencies and reduce vulnerability among communities.
• Protect the Rights of Children and Advocate for their rights.
• Investigate, document, monitor and advocate for the abused children.
• Establish community health and nutrition awareness with the cooperation of UNICEF and improve public health and nutrition in the project area.
• Create awareness of natural resource management and conservation in the project areas.
• Reduce FGM practices on girl child among rural communities.
• Promote awareness on HIV/AIDS and its consequences among WOCCA’s targeted project area.