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Basic Development Needs

The BDN cycle

About BDN

Basic Development Needs (BDN) being an integrated socio-economic development approach aims at achieving “Health for All” through improved quality life and reducing poverty. It is based on the principles of self-reliance, self-financing and self-management by an organized empowered and actively participating community, supported through coordinated inter-sectoral action. This initiative has attained remarkable success and is now considered as an effective strategy for improving socio-economic and health indicators in most countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region.
In 2006, 71 villages with a total population of 101,452 benefited from this program.

Another 13 villages are receiving Basic Development Needs management, through the interventions of the Somali Red Crescent. Although great efforts were made in the advocacy of the BDN concepts at the various levels from grassroots to regional, some central local authorities including the international agencies are engaged in the overall developments of the country. Thus far exercising the strategies of BDN concepts is limited and the expectation by the community of more input from WHO is high. However, some villages have attracted the international communities because of their organizational set-up and common voice of interest.

Challenges

Government and international organizations did not give as much attention to building the capacity of villagers as regards to investing on social services and support activities that are more in the urban areas. Consideration of holistic strategy by stakeholders is limited and implementation of activities at villages is more on agency vision rather than the beneficiary’s priorities. Basic Development Needs has not yet been recognized by the government as a strategy for development and poverty reduction due to absence of strong state commitment to support and lead the initiative.

Achievements

1. 1. BDN initiatives greatly contributed to the coordination and implementation of
   Primary Health Care (PHC) activities at village level.
2. Due to regular community education on the importance of application of larvivrous
   fish to permanent water sources to control malaria, outbreaks of malaria were
   contained in all BDN villages with agricultural source of income by the active
   participation of the community.
3. Partnership established with SRCS, Hargeisa Voluntary Youth organization
   (HAVAYOCO).
4. Capacity building for Village Development Committee’s and community is a
   continuous process.
5. Integration and collaboration of WHO programs with BDN is in place at all levels.
6. Improvement of technical and conceptual skills of VDC including the organization
   and collaboration of the beneficiaries with their local leaders.
7. Established laboratory support services
8. Advocacy for the BDN programme: Development of a brochure on BDN in Somalia
9. Introduction of Healthy City programme in Somalia: Hargeisa (North West Somalia) and Garowe (North East Somalia).
    

Future Directions

• Strengthening advocacy of Basic Development Needs initiatives and convincing
  government authorities that approach is holistic strategy for facilitating means to
  attain MDG’s.
• Consideration of focusing development support programs by government and
  international communities to rural and nomads communities.
• Sustaining current key partners and integration of WHO activities at grass root level.
• Support to the Healthy City programme
• More funding allocated to the Community based Initiative in Somalia