Protection GBV and Child Protection

Provided Services

WAAPO’s protection program strategy is consisting of four main components which incl. the strengthening GBV and general protection prevention and response, protection of children strengthened, improving access to quality legal remedies and strengthening community-based protection. To ensure protection service by WAAPO are integrated WAAPO prevention program are well aligned with the response service such as, WAAPO runs 3-Safehous’s, skill center, and seven CP-desk as well as leading several programs that focused a primary prevention on protection through capacity buildings, and innovative awareness raising activities on GBV/CP, social norm, Legal right, & women access to finances.

Our Services

GBV Service Provision

WAAPO’s program, improve GBV service provision by providing safety & security (Safehouse) clinical management of rape (CMR), psychosocial counselling, legal & medical support, and referral services.

For critical SGBV survivors with real security concerns, WAAPO accommodate them in its safe house (only safehouse in Somaliland) and provides accommodation, counselling, meals, life skill education, relocation assistance, materials & hygiene supplies. WAAPO, also, strengthen the prevention component on SGBV through awareness raising campaigns & capacity buildings training.

Strengthens the protection for the vulnerable children

WAAPO’s protection program strengthens the protection for the vulnerable children and improve the protective environment through providing case management (CM) services that meets their unique needs which include family tracing and reunification, alternative care arrangement and community-based protection mechanisms (CBPM) to support the case management process. The CP-projects by WAAPO strengthen CP primary prevention through capacity buildings, media outreach, parental & carer program, & innovative awareness-raising to ensure children are safe, prevent child protection risks, family separation, & child abuse. WAAPO is also running 3-child friend centre (3-CFs) in the Safehouses, (7-CP-Desk).

Strengthen Community-Based Protection

WAAPO program also strengthen community-based protection through all programmatic cycle by meaningfully engaging members of the community in decisions that affect them. WAAPO conducts community profile & evidence-based study to understand their protection concerns, establish/strengthen community-based structures committees to support community-based PSS support, MHPSS, act as forms of support.

WAAPO runs 3-Safehouse’s, 1, Life skills centre, 7-Seven CP-Desk 2-Safe space to provide safe public places for social recreational activities, attain integration protection services ranging from counselling, life skills educations program, network events, and multisectoral response services(legal, medical and safety). WAAPO also establish and strengthened community-based structure mechanism and running a total of 12-CBSCs on community-based protection, CDLs, prevention and response mechanisms to enhance protection.

Access To Quality Legal Remedies

To improve access to justice for women and survivors of rape, WAAPO also improve access to quality legal remedies in relation to their fundamental rights community-driven protection approach focused on individual legal aid services and capacity-building, to achieve this, WAAPO usually conduct comprehensive mapping for the existing legal service provides interlink the existing community paralegals (UNTF/WAAPO Project attached female paralegals) and legal consultancies work closely with service providers incl. L.C, Legal aid centre, Somaliland women-lawyer association and free lawyers of MoJ in SL and ADR-Centre.

Community Care Program

WAAPO is currently implementing a community-care program in 3- regions in Somaliland incl. Sool ( Las,Anood),Sanaag( Cerigavo,) and Awda ( Borama); The overall aim of the project is to create healthier, safer and more peaceful communities for women and girls In Somaliland.

The model of the project is that, with the support and efforts with local communities, the program engages a diverse range of influential individuals known as Community Discussion Leaders (CDLs). These CDLs are carefully selected from various groups, including Elders and Traditional groups, Youth groups, TBA’s groups, Women’s groups, Service Providers groups, Education groups, Community committee members’ groups, and Police and Security groups. The CDLs undergo an intensive 14-day training program focused on community care and will be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills with the aim to facilitate dialogue sessions within their respective communities. The CDL will be conducted 96- community dialogue sessions, community action plan and implementation activities and will be concluded community declaration events and end-line survey.

Economic Empowerment

The project also supports the social-economic empowerment (livelihood) for the GBV survivors by providing life skills education, short-term business skills, start-up business grants and access to finance activities. For complementarity purposes, WAAPO integrated the success model of the UPSHIFT program. (In 2023 alone, a total 230 GBV survivors access start-up grants) Furthermore, the project innovated skills centre in the Safehouse- to serve as fully integrated “one-stop” space to help GBV survivors unleashing their potential, get access to networking & business guidance.

Core Relief Items.

Project provides core relief items, cash assistance and basic household needs to vulnerable refugees and asylum-seekers specifically survivor of GBV and will offer culture-appropriate hygiene kits, sanitary products & one-time cash support. Moreover, the project conducted awareness raising on issues around hygiene practice, menstrual management, & social norms related to M&M 7 will be develop disseminate IEC prevention materials.