FOR CONDUCTING A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES in SOMALILAND FOR THE PROJECT “Dhalin-Kaab: Youth Empowerment

1. Context

SOS-Kinderdörfer weltweit Hermann-Gmeiner Fonds Deutschland (CVW) and SOS Children’s Villages in Somaliland (SOS SX) agreed upon the development of a joint application to the German Federal Ministry for economic cooperation and development (BMZ) for public funding of a project aimed at improving the well-being, protection, resilience, and socio-economic inclusion of vulnerable youth in Somaliland, particularly young people with care experience and youth living in IDP settings. According to the BMZ funding guidelines, local implementing organizations that are part of an international NGO network (such as SOS Somaliland) should not act as exclusive implementing partners of the German NGO (CVW). This means that, in addition to the planned cooperation with SOS Somaliland the project should involve an additional local organisation thereby establishing an equal partnership. The proposed project target groups are young people with care experience and youth living in IDP settings in Somaliland, with particular attention to highly vulnerable young people facing psychosocial, protection, social, and economic vulnerabilities. The project will also engage local authorities, local and national NGOs (LNGOs), and community structures as key actors in strengthening protection systems, referral pathways, and the sustainability of youth support services. The project responds to a context in which vulnerable youth face multiple and interconnected barriers to their well-being, protection, and socio-economic inclusion, including limited access to appropriate MHPSS services, exposure to GBV and harmful practices such as FGM, harmful social norms, and limited access to life skills, employability, TVET, mentorship, and socio-economic opportunities. These challenges are particularly significant for young people with care experience and those living in IDP settings. - Rationale The project final participants are 1,220 vulnerable youth (50% female) with care experience and youth living in IDP settings in Somaliland, as principal beneficiaries. Of these, 300 highly vulnerable youth will receive tailored Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services to strengthen emotional resilience, coping skills, and overall psychosocial well-being. In addition, 840 youth will benefit from life skills, employability skills, TVET skills, and mentorship opportunities aimed at strengthening their pathways towards socio-economic inclusion, employment, entrepreneurship, and greater self-reliance. The project will also address protection risks affecting vulnerable youth, including GBV and FGM, through prevention, awareness-raising, community engagement, and referral support for survivors. Community engagement activities will seek to challenge harmful social norms and promote positive attitudes towards youth rights, protection, participation, and inclusion. In addition, 80 members of local authorities, LNGOs, and community structures will be engaged as secondary/indirect beneficiaries and key stakeholders. Their involvement will contribute to strengthening local capacities, referral mechanisms, coordination, and the sustainability of services available to vulnerable youth. The proposed project by SOS CV Somaliland and CVW to be presented to BMZ for funding aims at improving the well-being, protection, resilience, and socio-economic inclusion of vulnerable youth in Somaliland through a holistic, protection-centred approach. The intervention seeks to strengthen young people's psychosocial resilience and coping capacities, reduce their exposure to protection risks, increase their access to life skills, employability and TVET opportunities, and strengthen the systems and community structures that support their transition towards greater social and economic empowerment. The feasibility study will therefore assess the relevance, feasibility, sustainability, partnership arrangements, institutional capacities, and potential added value of the proposed intervention, as well as the extent to which the proposed approach responds to existing service gaps and priorities within the current humanitarian and development landscape in Somaliland. - Study objectives The overall objective of the study is to assess the feasibility, relevance, coherence, sustainability, and potential effectiveness of the proposed project for improving the well-being, protection, resilience, and socio-economic inclusion of 1,220 vulnerable youth with care experience and youth living in IDP settings in Somaliland, and to provide evidence-based recommendations for the design, partnership arrangements, implementation modalities, and potential submission of the project to BMZ for funding. The purpose of a feasibility study is to provide a sound basis for developing a project concept, by identifying project preconditions, opportunities and risks. This entailsin particular an assessment of the feasibility of a project and a systematic review of the extent to which the project approach can plausibly achieve the planned changes under the existing conditions.This enhances project effectiveness and helps avoid bad investment decisions from the start. A feasibility study is to be carried out in Burao and Hargeisa locations to provide SOS CV Somaliland with a basis for decision making on what type of interventions, services and activities are feasible within the planned project, in the best interest of the target group. The study will provide SOS CV Somaliland and CVW with sufficient information to justify acceptance, modification or rejection of the proposed intervention for further formulation. Specific objectives - Analyse the socio-economic situation of the target groups in Hargeisa and Burao, including collection and validation of relevant baseline data. - Analyse the macro, meso and micro context affecting vulnerable youth, including youth unemployment, poverty, displacement/IDP conditions, protection risks, gender inequality, disability inclusion, psychosocial