A Somali-led organization, licensed and based in Waqooyi Bari.
HIDO, the Hillaac Development Organization, is a Somali-led non-governmental organization established in August 2026 and licensed by the administration of the Northeastern State of Somalia (Waqooyi Bari). It does humanitarian and community development work for Somali people. The head office is in Waqooyi Bari, and a liaison office in the United States handles diaspora engagement, donor relations and technical partnerships.
Somali development practitioners, community organizers and diaspora professionals founded HIDO. Their backgrounds are in emergency response, public health, education and rural livelihoods. They share the view that Northeastern Somalia is best served by an organization staffed locally and accountable to the communities it works with.
Somali-led
Leadership and implementation grounded in Somali knowledge and responsibility.
Community-rooted
Programs start from community needs and are designed with the people they serve.
Built for the long term
Humanitarian response today, locally owned development tomorrow.
A Somalia where every community, rural and urban, settled and displaced, has the services, opportunities and resilience to shape its own future.
To work alongside communities in Northeastern Somalia to deliver need-driven humanitarian assistance and build lasting, locally owned development solutions in health, education, livelihoods and governance.
A family that survives a drought still needs a well, a clinic, a classroom, and a market the next season. HIDO is built to work on both the emergency and what comes after, with the community setting the direction.
Seven commitments that shape every program decision.
Community ownership
Programs are shaped by the people they serve, not designed for them from a distance.
Integrity and accountability
Honest reporting to donors, partners and communities, including when results fall short of plans.
Impartiality
Assistance goes by need alone, regardless of clan, political affiliation or religion.
Dignity
Everyone HIDO works with is a partner with agency, not a passive recipient of aid.
Do no harm
Program design accounts for the risk that carelessly delivered assistance can cause harm or fuel tension.
Partnership
HIDO works through and alongside local authorities, communities and institutional partners rather than in isolation.
Sustainability
HIDO favors solutions that communities and local institutions can sustain once direct support ends.
How we put this into practice
Community-led design
We consult elders, women's groups, youth and local authorities before designing any project.
Partnership-based delivery
We work through and alongside local authorities and other organizations active in the region.
Checking for harm
We review each program design for ways assistance could fuel local tension.
Evidence-informed programming
Programs rest on needs assessments and monitoring data, not assumptions.