Launching Ceremony of Naruuro Cluster Level Association

Naruuro Cluster level association (CLA) is located in Statehouse IDP in Hargeisa it represents 8 Self Help Group ( SHGs) in which 160 are the members of the 8 SHGs 20 members per each SHG. The cluster has conducted a launching ceremony as a CLA on 29th January 2018,  the event was held at Golis University Hall, the representatives of the cluster was organized the event with the support of Candlelight and their community facilitators. Government officials like, Minister of Environment, the vice Minister of planning, Director of social department of the Ministry of Labour and Social affairs and director of trade department of the Ministry of trade and investment has participated.

Officers from microfinance institutions like Daarasalam Bank, Dahabshiil Bank and Premier Bank have also participated and some other officers like Self Help Group approach promoters, National SHG coordinator, Nafis Network and Save the Children have participated in the ceremony. Some of the members from 8 SHGs and the CLA representatives were displayed their achievements as CLA, challenges and suggestions to the government sector and non government sector including UN and INGO agencies and Micro-finance institutions.

The participants was appreciated the SHG approach well, and presented many congratulations to the CLA for their valuable achievements and improvement economically and socially. They encouraged them to keep up the good work and promised to work with them and provide the needed support and collaboration from them at any time.

Self Help Group Approach (SHG) is a successful instrument for combating poverty in a sustainable way. It empowers the very poor people of the communities socially and economically to live a life of dignity with their families and community. The Self Help Group (SHG) is breakthrough of changing dependency on humanitarian aid model Instead; it focuses to promote the strength and the power of the communities as well as unleashing the potential of the communities. The initiative is based on mutual support and encouraging self-reliance of the members and communities.

The approach has three levels of Self Help Group (SHG) as the first level which is aimed at economic empowerment for individual and family level, the second level is Cluster Level Association (CLA) which is aimed at social empowerment or collective gain for the community and the third level is Federation level which is aimed at political empowerment for the poor. A CLA is an association of 8 – 10 SHGs located in nearby area (within same geographical area) and working on the things that cannot be done by SHGs themselves effectively it is a democratic body of SHGs, by SHGs for SHGs and Strong SHGs form their CLAs. Therefore the SHGs send representatives to network CLA.