Hellosomaliyouth.net

According to the organisers, young people from all regions in Somalia helped to shape the design and concept of the website. As a way of ensuring that youth were at the core of the contents of the website, 2 webmasters were selected from each of the 3 zones UNICEF works in: Puntland, Somaliland, and Central and Southern Somalia. The webmasters were responsible for updating and managing the website. They also moderated various online discussions on topics selected by Somali youth, such as peace and security, HIV/AIDS, health, education, hygiene and sanitation, child protection and child rights, sports, and local news. In 2007, more than 200 discussions were registered.

One of the aims of the website was to enhance the dissemination of information on key issues affecting young people. The Hellosomaliyouth.net website therefore featured links to news articles and photos submitted by youth programmes from the 3 main regions. The website also posted relevant resources for sharing amongst young people and included links to other youth websites, including the UN youth section, the World Bank's Youthlink site, UNICEF's Voices of Youth, and other online news sources. "The site has very much contributed to our development as young people and our participation in decisions reached in our communities. We receive right and invaluable information from our peers through the site. This information helps us and empowers us to take right decisions," said Mursal Mohamed, 19, youth webmaster for the site's Puntland section.

In order to facilitate networking, the site featured an online mapping system with profiles of youth groups in each region. Profiles included information on youth group activities and contact details.

The website also contained a grant section which provided an opportunity for youth groups from places in Somalia where there is an internet connection to submit applications for small grants administered through locally identified UNICEF partners. The small grants were meant for any youth-driven initiatives.

In order to support the running of the website from the 3 zones, the project formed partnerships with local organisations, who received small grants from UNICEF to support the management of the website. These grants enabled local partners to meet internet connection costs, purchase equipment, and cover other minimal expenses to facilitate the work of the webmasters.

Hellosomaliyouth.net also worked in collaboration with other existing communication channels, such as the "KOOR" youth magazine and a youth radio programme. This strategy was designed to allow for broader engagement with Somali youth.

Youth, Conflict, HIV/AIDS, Children, Health, Rights.

The idea for Hellosomaliyouth.net was initiated by Somali youth during an assessment conducted in 2005 by UNICEF and its partner, the African Network for Health Knowledge Management and Communication (Afri Afya), an organisation working in knowledge management and communication with rural and other marginalised communities. The assessment aimed to explore ways of working with youth through new and emerging technologies. It showed that youth wanted a "trendy" and effective way to communicate and "stay in touch"; a website was identified as the preferred option.

According to the organisers, the site operated beyond the clan borders that were created by the prolonged civil war and by a lack of effective central government. The website therefore was intended to play a unifying role, as it allowed Somali young people from other regions, ethnic groups, and social backgrounds to participate, interact, discuss areas of concern, and duplicate successful lessons from other youth groups.

Organisers cited challenges that kept the site from reaching most of the country's young people, such as a lack of youth centres with internet access, limits on the number of internet users due to high costs, and perceptions among community elders and parents that the internet is not useful for children and young people.