OWS Development Fund

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OWS Development Fund

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OWS Development Fund is one of the leading aid and development organizations in the Ethiopian Somali Region.

Our primary goal is to eliminate poverty in the region by focusing on long and short-term development programs.

19/08/2026

🌍 WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY 2026
📅 19 August 2026
Today, we honour the courage, compassion and commitment of humanitarian workers who stand with communities during conflict, displacement, disaster and crisis.
Humanitarian service is more than delivering assistance. It is about protecting dignity, preserving hope and standing with people when they need us most.
Yet those who serve humanity must never become targets. World Humanitarian Day 2026 calls on all of us to ; to protect civilians and humanitarian workers, safeguard humanitarian access, uphold international humanitarian law and ensure accountability when these protections are violated. (World Humanitarian Day)
We remember those who have lost their lives in humanitarian service.
We recognize those working on the frontlines today.
We stand in solidarity with communities affected by humanitarian crises around the world.
Humanity must always come first.
Protect those who protect others.
Respect humanitarian principles.
Act for humanity.
💙 Happy World Humanitarian Day 2026!

04/08/2026

🌍 World Breastfeeding Week 2026 | Day 4

Today, we celebrate our dedicated frontline teams of OWS Development Fund who support refugee, IDPs and host community mothers with care, guidance, and hope.

🤱 Breastfeeding is every child's first protection and best nutrition.

💧 Clean water and good hygiene are essential for safe and healthy breastfeeding.

Through SBCC initiatives, community engagement, visual learning materials, and family success stories, we have reached tens of thousands over the last seven years alone with life-saving Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) messages.
✨ Support mothers. Promote breastfeeding. Invest in water. Build a healthier future for every child.

03/08/2026

🤱 Every breastfeed counts. Every hour matters. Every child deserves the best start. 💜

Breastfeeding within the first hour of birth, exclusively for the first 6 months, and continuing up to 2 years alongside complementary foods can significantly improve a child's health, immunity, and development. Together, we can empower families with the knowledge and support they need to give every child the healthiest possible start in life. Let's build healthier communities—one informed choice at a time.

02/08/2026

Breastfeeding is nature's first vaccine and a cornerstone of child survival, nutrition, and development. It provides babies with the essential nutrients they need, strengthens their immune systems, and supports healthy growth from the very beginning.
On this World Breastfeeding Week, let's work together to create supportive families, communities, and workplaces where every mother can breastfeed with confidence and dignity.
A healthier start today means a brighter future tomorrow.

01/08/2026

🌍 World Breastfeeding Week | 1–7 August

🤱 Breastfeeding is more than nutrition. It is love, protection, healthy growth, and a strong start in life.

💚 Support mothers. Empower families. Protect breastfeeding.

👶 Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months gives babies the nutrition and protection they need to grow and thrive.

🏠 Every mother deserves encouragement and a breastfeeding friendly environment at home, in the community, and at work.

🌱 Together, let’s support breastfeeding today for healthier children, stronger families, and a healthier future.

31/07/2026

Strengthening Partnerships for Lasting Impact in Somali Region

OWS Development Fund has today successfully finalized stakeholder engagement meetings in Kebribeyah and Awbare Woredas as part of OWS Development Fund's Phase II Hilton Foundation-funded project entitled: “Enhancing Economic Self-Reliance for Women and Early Childhood Learning Opportunities in Somali region.” The consultations brought together woreda leadership, education officials, and women and children affairs representatives to align on project priorities, implementation approaches, and accountability mechanisms.

During the consultative workshop, OWS Development Fund formally introduced the project, handed over the regionally signed MoU, and provided updates on ongoing coordination with UNHCR and RRS regarding access to refugee infrastructure. Stakeholders welcomed the initiative and recognized its strong potential to improve livelihoods for vulnerable women while expanding access to quality early childhood development services.

Both Kebribeyah and Awbare woreda administrations officially endorsed the project and granted OWS DF the green light to proceed with community-level implementation. Joint agreements were reached to launch kebele-level stakeholder engagement sessions, establish Complaint and Feedback Committees, and strengthen community participation, transparency, and accountability throughout the project cycle. Constructive discussions on beneficiary targeting further reinforced a shared commitment to maximizing impact while ensuring inclusiveness and avoiding duplication. The engagement concluded with strong support from local authorities, clear action points, and renewed partnerships that will help drive sustainable change for women, children, refugee communities, and host populations across the target woredas.

14/07/2026

𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧

As part of the second-year implementation of the Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Multi-Year Resilience Programme II, OWS Development Fund officially launched the second round of the Accelerated School Readiness Programme on 8 July 2026 across six target woredas of the Somali Region: Duhun, Moyale, Hudet, Danot, Bokh, and Galhamur. The programme targets children aged 6–7 years who are transitioning to Grade 1 but have not attended preschool or O-Class, helping them acquire the foundational skills needed for a successful start to primary education, particularly in pastoralist, refugee, and emergency-affected communities.

To ensure quality delivery, OWS Development Fund trained selected educators from target schools and deployed IDELA (International Development and Early Learning Assessment) certified staff to conduct baseline assessments for enrolled children. The assessment findings will serve as a benchmark for measuring learning progress, with a follow-up endline assessment planned at the end of the two-month summer programme.

In addition, OWS Development Fund continues to support out-of-school children through the Accelerated Learning Programme (ALP) in Duhun and Galhamur woredas, reaffirming its commitment to providing inclusive, equitable, and quality learning opportunities for vulnerable children across the Somali Region.

03/07/2026

Protecting Dignity, Amplifying Voices

From July 1–3, 2026, two of protection specialists at OWS Development Fund, in collaboration with the Protection Cluster, UNHCR, the Federal Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, and the Somali Regional Bureau of Women and Social Affairs, conducted a comprehensive protection assessment in IDP sites across Tullu Guled Woreda, Fafan Zone, Somali Region. The mission engaged displaced communities, local authorities, and service providers to better understand protection risks, vulnerabilities, access to essential services, and priority humanitarian needs, ensuring that future interventions are informed by evidence and the voices of affected populations.

The assessment reflects our collective commitment to protecting the safety, dignity, and rights of internally displaced persons and strengthening coordinated humanitarian response efforts.

The findings from the assessment are anticipated to contribute to targeted, inclusive, and accountable programming that addresses the urgent protection concerns facing vulnerable women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, and other at-risk groups in displacement settings.8

01/07/2026

𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦

Today, July 1, 2026, 10 of our Multi-year Resilience Project Staff members from OWS Development Fund commenced a four-day International Development and Early Learning Assessment (IDELA) training at the Save the Children International Jigjiga Area Office Meeting Hall.

The training is facilitated by SCI Experts from Country Office and Jigjiga area office as part of the second year of the MYRP II phase funded by Education Cannot Wait (ECW).

The training is expected to strengthen participants' skills to assess early learning and school readiness using internationally recognized methods. Through practical and interactive sessions, participants will build the knowledge and confidence needed to collect high-quality data that will guide evidence-based programming and improve early childhood education for children living in crisis affected communities.

At OWS Development Fund, we believe that investing in local capacity is key to delivering lasting impact. We sincerely appreciate Save the Children International for its continued technical support and partnership in strengthening the skills of our team.

The ECW MYRP II initiative is implemented through a broad consortium of national and international partners, including Save the Children International, Norwegian Refugee Council, Development Expertise Center (DEC), Humanity & Inclusion (HI), Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) and OWS Development Fund, under the leadership and funding framework of Education Cannot Wait (ECW). Key stakeholders are FDRE MOE, RRS, SRS- REB and Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS).

Together, we are building stronger foundations for every child's learning journey.

29/06/2026

𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒, 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒: 𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐇𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐈𝐈 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐄𝐂𝐂𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄

OWS Development Fund successfully conducted a six-day Project Launch Workshop and Staff Induction Training for the second phase of the Hilton Foundation-funded project, “Improving Early Childhood Development Outcomes and Strengthening Economic Resilience of Women and Young Caregivers in the Somali Region, Ethiopia.

The workshop brought together regional government representatives, project staff, and OWS-DF leadership to officially launch the project, align on objectives, and strengthen understanding of implementation strategies, coordination mechanisms, and accountability commitments. Participants also reflected on Year I achievements and lessons learned, while reviewing Year II priorities, the annual work plan, and the MEAL framework to enhance effective and evidence-based delivery.

The five-day Project Staff Induction (June 25–29, 2026) equipped staff with practical skills in financial management, donor compliance, procurement, safeguarding, PSEA, AAP, CFRM, and performance management, strengthening their capacity to deliver high-quality, inclusive, and accountable services.

OWS Development Fund extends its sincere appreciation to the the Somali Regional Government, and all partners for their continued commitment and collaboration.

OWS Development Fund extends its sincere appreciation to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation the Somali Regional Government, and all partners for their continued commitment and collaboration.

Address

Kebele 10
Jigjiga
04

Telephone

+251900644648

Website

http://www.owsdf.org/

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