We launched Daadihiye Initiative, funded by Raagsan, a local social enterprise, to amplify the voice of local citizens and give them a seat at the decision-making table. To ensure inclusivity, we adopted diverse communication channels ranging from face-to-face field research, toll-free number, radio, and SMS engagements. These channels ensure we adequately represent the voice of people from all sociocultural and economic dimensions. We have also established robust feedback mechanisms to ensure the information we collect reaches the audience we intend to reach and policymakers.
We envision that through Daadihiye, policymakers and key stakeholders will have a chance to listen to local citizens’ views, concerns, and ideas, that are in most cases underrepresented if not ignored. Daadihiye will provide a pathway to shake the status quo from a Somali narrative built by and for the few elites who are often the only people engaged in the discussions to inform public decisions. Our different avenues of engagement will provide an opportunity for more comprehensive public consultation.