History of The Organization

Women and Child Care Organization (WOCCA) is a non-governmental, non-political and non-profit making women and children’s organisation, established in 1996 by Somali professionals.

WOCCA’S main objectives are to improve the economic status of women farmers who are widowed, divorced and struggling with life as the breadwinners for their households and to Protect the Rights of Children in the Middle Shabelle Region.

WOCCA has established itself as a reliable development organization in Jowhar, Balad, Mahaday, Warshiekh and Adale Districts, Middle Shabelle Region of Somalia.

WOCCA is a signatory to the International Federation of the Red Cross/Crescent Code of Conduct and is active member of various networks of non-governmental organizations in Somalia that include South Central Somali Food Security Network (CESOFSN), Peace and Human Rights Network (PHRN) Resource Based Conflict (RBC) and Natural Resources Management Somali Network (RMSN).

WOCCA’s main office in Mogadishu but mainly works in Middle Shabelle region. In 2010, WOCCA opened an Office in Nairobi and has future plans to register Internationally in London.

Since 1996, WOCCA has been involved in relief/Rehabilitation activities in Mogadishu and rural development initiatives within the Middle Shabelle Region. These initiatives started with the provision of emergency dry food distribution, rehabilitation and school furnishing in this war torn country. Thereafter, WOCCA introduced agricultural development projects aimed at helping women headed households improve their household food security and incomes. Between 1997 and 2002 WOCCA efforts were concentrated in land preparation, distribution of seeds, canal rehabilitation, extension services on crop production and promotion of Neem powder as a pesticide during recovery period.

WOCCA has prestige and image in the region. It has produced gender policy and cost sharing policy for stakeholders’ cooperation and satisfaction. Community involvement in project work was high during assessment, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. These efforts achieved a substantial level of household food security for women headed households as the intended project beneficiaries.