Latest Idea from The Institute; Hargeisa Development Fund

[Hawdian]

My latest idea or proposal is the Hargeisa Development Fund, which calls for all residents to voluntarily become members and pay ongoing monthly fees that most residents can easily afford. The fund will operate like an NGO however it is a member organization that will contribute to the people directly and their wellbeing.

Unlike the traditional Somali organizations that rely on guaranteed donations, the HDF will get regular funds from its members. The more members the more working capital and thus the more projects for the community.

The members will be offered incentives such as getting a land discount after being a member for ten years and allowing them to start a business much faster than non-members. The discount is great way to encourage more investment and generating jobs for the locals on top of getting help from the members thus the money is always in circulation.

The more members, the more discounts, the more purchases, the more development, the more jobs.



I believe for a city that has past over a million residents and hundreds of thousands living in the Diaspora, we can mobilize as many as 200,000 members within 5-10 years thus generating a handsome income with a membership fee as little as $5 per month. Many residents will of course contribute far more but as organization, the rule is standard and fair to all. Later the rich ones may claim they donated more and should have more say in the organization but that's voluntarily their own choice but membership is standardized fee. One does not get bigger say for simply contributing more.

Full details are below. Discuss. The institute is all about ideas and driving the community forward. Hargeisawis are great forward thinking people and I know they will embrace such ideas.


Example of an ID card for Members

The manifesto



Great way to motive the community...for me parks are not just playground and park. They are far more than that. They are the foundation for the development of kids and youth. The more family spends time together with community and with themselves the more they develop the right mindsets and attitudes in such environ...around mothers and other kids under a shaded tree/tent.

Right now Hargeisa does not have any open space for families. The kids are always at home or in their usual circle so they never get the opportunity to break away from old practices. By providing venues we are taking down old barriers too. Open spaces and parks are where societies are shaped. Hargeisa should be more than Beerta Xoriyada (always politics).



The Hawdian Institute may not be real but his ideas and vision are real.



Dr. Hawdian-----Forward always even if the haters are pulling your dacas.

[Hawdian]

Instead of development, I believe the right keyword is agency. What a preview of the vision...

[Notorious13]

Looks good on paper but try implementing these ideas. Otherwise ideas are only ideas.

[dough]

Good idea.

[HooBariiska]

I doubt our people are that switched on. ninyo they struggle to understand xashiishka iska tuura adna community initiative ayaad ka hadlaysaa

[Hawdian]

HooBariiska,

In 1998 when Mohamed Hassan Ibrahim approached the locals with the idea of setting up a telecom firm, people said to him; it won't work, our people can't be changed and they want to record tapes and send their relatives abroad.

Mohamed said none sense and set up Telesom after franchising it from al Barakat (Hormuud) and the rest is history.

Nothing works in this world if there is no believe and dedication. Even the brightest of all ideas does not work without a believe. Islam would not work without the first believers and companions who stood against mountains and floods of Tsunamis.

All people are changeable.

[dough]

Hawdian,

Have you started working with any government officials yet? I would love to see this idea implemented.

[Hawdian]

This idea does not require the involvement of government. It is not like Somaliland Development Fund, which solely relies on foreign donation.

HDA is an organization driven by the community but rather than donating money here and there, we register members and ask for little fees. We are basically pooling their little wealth together and investing back into the community.

In this case, I have used a fee of $5 per month as an example. In 5-10 years, if we were to have 200,000 members all paying $5 per month, we would have pooled together $12 million. We can then invest back and even put some of that funds in companies such as Telesom, WorldRemit, Pontus Marine and become share holders.

That means more funds for the agency and we are able to draw from membership, investments and donors...the $12m from members could by the following year double.

We can start with as little as 600 members, which can generate $36,000 a year and we can invest that in schools...the more campaign, awareness, the more members, the more projects the more people who want to be part of it. With that kind of money we can buy land for future park ways.

Are you telling me we can't get 600 people to pay $5 per month?

In no time that 600 will become 1200, 3000, 5000, 7000, 10,000 and slowly climb up.

The only government we work with is the local city council and the mayor.

[XimanJaale]

Interesting concept, though the method is not unique. It is similar to how some Somali NGO's work. For example I pay $20 a month for the NGO called HIRDA which is a humanitarian organisation and $200 every 6 month for this other organisation called SADO which is a agricultural development organisation. However I get nothing out of it so this membership is just a charity on my behalf.

However your concept is more of a profit type of organisation in which you reward your members with opportunities, this concept is good especially for places like Hargeisa which is a peaceful city but lacks opportunity. However your idea needs lots of money, local contacts and good advertisement. But also you need good organisational skill and planning.

Also you need to increase your membership price. Making 12 million in 10 years is very bad. How are you going to do something for the community but also your own members paying the price? You will need to partner up with building companies and other sectors to make your ideas fruitful. Because all these services you are planning to start needs a good team. Your members are the stakeholders and without commanding to their needs you cannot help out the wider community whom are your main target.

Nice thinking though


I think a better idea would be creating a company that becomes a facilitator for the local government (dowlada hoose) of Hargeisa and other local government in other towns. By becoming a facilitator I mean by collecting taxes from every working person and every businesses/companies/factories/sea-air ports etc. But also you can also become the company that facilitates with construction work and other services with the money your company have collected. Seeing that the local government of Hargeisa do not have that capacity to do such work. Overtime your company can become the biggest tax collecting and service provider company that works on behalf of the government similar to the Bin Ladan company in Saudi Arabia, though they don't collect taxes. This is also a benefit to the government because all company must be transparent and free from corruption therefore the tax money will go in good hand.

[Hawdian]

Ximaan,

Good input sxb. Much appreciated.

You are right $12m in ten years is low but not that low in Africa. It is roughly $1.2m per year, which isn't too bad for a community driven initiative. I'm strong believer in slow and steady.

Also remember its just an estimate, it could be more or it could be less but the goal and idea remains firm and in the long term it will generate far far more and is self-driven wheel.

Of course it will utilize normal charities and donors as well as means of getting extra income but they are secondary. The community membership fee is the most important concept and it belongs to the community not donors or charities.

Depending on the project, it will always work with local firms and organizations. For example if it was build a school then it would hire a local firm that it signs contract with for all construction projects while it could work with local police on issues regarding community safety.

The people are always at the center.

Hargeisawis are such pro-active people who will answer any call to mobilize. You just have to make them believe it and show them the tangible results.

It will not be just an NGO but it will invest some of the pooled money into profitable companies so each year they get their dividends which goes back to the agency to develop more projects.

[XimanJaale]

Good idea, with such determination and patience you will succeed

However I suggest that your company deals with individual sector first (specialise in something). For example education or health etc. Go read about the gulen movement it is interesting movement that you can get some good ideas from.

Oh and it is sagaaro and not sakaaro

[Octavius]

Hawdian this is actually not a bad idea