Responding to Needs. Building Resilience. Creating Opportunities.
Active in Relief & Development Assistance (ARDA) delivers integrated humanitarian and development programs that respond to immediate needs while addressing the underlying drivers of vulnerability, poverty, conflict and exclusion.
We work alongside communities, local authorities and partners to deliver practical, inclusive and sustainable solutions across Somalia and Mandera County, Kenya.
OUR PROGRAMMING APPROACH
ARDA
Community-Led Solutions for Complex Challenges
Communities across Somalia and Mandera County face interconnected challenges including conflict, displacement, drought, floods, poverty, limited access to essential services and climate-related shocks.
ARDA responds through integrated programming that connects humanitarian assistance with development, peacebuilding, climate adaptation and resilience.
Our programs are designed around community priorities and implemented through participatory planning, local capacity strengthening and close engagement with communities, local authorities and other stakeholders.
Our approach is built around:
Local Ownership
Communities are actively involved in identifying priorities, planning solutions and sustaining results.
Inclusion
We promote equitable participation and ensure vulnerable and marginalized groups are considered throughout the program cycle.
Integration
We connect humanitarian response with livelihoods, peacebuilding, climate adaptation and resilience.
Sustainability
We strengthen local systems, capacities and ownership so that benefits can continue beyond project implementation.
CORE PROGRAM AREAS:
Our Core Areas of Intervention
WATER, SANITATION & HYGIENE (WASH)
Access to safe water, adequate sanitation and proper hygiene is fundamental to health, dignity and sustainable development.
ARDA combines infrastructure development, emergency response and community engagement to improve access to safe and reliable WASH services.
Our WASH interventions include:
1. Emergency water trucking during drought periods.
2. Rehabilitation of boreholes and water infrastructure.
3. Construction and rehabilitation of sanitation facilities.
4. Gender-sensitive and disability-friendly latrines
5. Hygiene kit distribution
Hygiene promotion and education
6. Rainwater harvesting and other resilient water solutions.
7. Community water resource management.
We engage communities, local authorities and other stakeholders throughout the planning, implementation and management of WASH services to strengthen local ownership and sustainability.
WASH → HEALTH → DIGNITY → RESILIENCE
FOOD SECURITY & LIVELIHOODS
Food Security & Livelihoods
Recurrent drought, conflict and displacement can undermine household resilience, disrupt access to food and limit income-generating opportunities.
ARDA supports communities to restore productive capacity, improve food security, strengthen livelihoods and expand sustainable economic opportunities.
Our interventions include:
- Cash-for-work activities
- Rehabilitation of community infrastructure
- Livestock vaccination and animal health support
- Livestock restocking initiatives
- Small business and micro-grants
- Mentorship and technical support
- Agricultural inputs, seeds and tools
- Support to youth and vulnerable groups to participate in markets
- Linkages with local authorities, cooperatives and market actors
Our livelihoods programming is designed to connect economic recovery with broader humanitarian, WASH and climate adaptation interventions, strengthening household and community resilience.
RECOVER → REBUILD → EARN → THRIVE
Disaster Risk Reduction
DRR
ARDA works with communities to anticipate, prepare for and respond to disaster risks while reducing vulnerabilities and strengthening coping capacities.
We integrate disaster risk reduction into both humanitarian and development programming so that interventions address immediate needs while contributing to long-term resilience.
Our DRR interventions include:
- Integration of DRR into development and humanitarian programs
- Community disaster risk assessments
- Disaster risk reduction planning
- Village Disaster Risk Management Committees
- Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction plans
- Early warning and preparedness
- Community awareness and training
- Local disaster response planning
Through locally led preparedness and planning, ARDA supports communities to become safer, better prepared and more resilient to future shocks.
ANTICIPATE → PREPARE → RESPOND → RECOVER
OUR CROSS-CUTTING APPROACH
Integrated Action for Lasting Change
ARDA recognizes that humanitarian, development, peacebuilding and climate challenges are interconnected.
Our programs therefore seek to address immediate needs while strengthening the systems, capacities and relationships that enable communities to recover and adapt.
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
Communities are involved in identifying priorities, designing interventions and monitoring results.
INCLUSION & EQUITY
We promote meaningful participation of women, youth, displaced people, people with disabilities and other marginalized groups.
LOCAL CAPACITY
We strengthen local institutions, committees, volunteers and community structures to sustain results.
CONFLICT SENSITIVITY
We consider local conflict dynamics and seek to ensure that interventions contribute to peaceful coexistence and do no harm.
CLIMATE RESILIENCE
We integrate climate risk and adaptation into relevant humanitarian, livelihoods and development interventions.
ACCOUNTABILITY
We use monitoring, feedback and learning mechanisms to improve program quality and remain accountable to communities and partners.
Working Together for Stronger Communities
ARDA believes sustainable change is built through partnership.
We welcome collaboration with donors, development partners, government institutions, civil society organizations, private-sector actors and community organizations seeking practical, locally led solutions to humanitarian and development challenges.