VNG International's Somaliland team recently visited Berbera to observe the impact of the ASPIRE (Advancing Strong Partnerships for Inclusive and Resilient Economic development) programme, after its conclusion in 2020. Between 2018 and 2020, VNG International implemented this EU funded project, with co-funding from IDEAL. ASPIRE was implemented in Somaliland and Puntland with the aim to promote inclusive and resilient economic development, drawing on the Territorial Approach for Local Development (TALD). In Somaliland, the project focused on Berbera District as a hub for inclusive local economic development in the region and as an entry point to address regional income disparities.

More than two years after completion of the project, Abdishakur Mohamed Hassan (Cidin), the Mayor of Berbera, was still incredibly enthusiastic and emphasized that the impact of ASPIRE is actually visible on a daily basis. "It felt like magic, to have a system in place, a structure where different institutions come together and can inspire each other. This helped a lot to connecting the local government with the business community". He was referring to the Berbera Economic Forum (BEF), a platform where local government, private companies, and civil society organizations exchange on economic opportunities and developments.

Within the project, VNG International strengthened the capacity of BEF. "VNG International built the capacity of our institution, without VNG, BEF was not in the position where it is these days." Mohamed Jama Ali, Executive Director of BEF explained. He mentioned that VNG International supported the organization with a multi annual strategy and annual work plans, that are still the fundament for the organization. "In addition, VNG International supported us with the establishment of our office, which we are still using and where 8 staff members are working nowadays." During the Covid Pandemic, BEF faced difficulties in engaging with their stakeholders. However, in the week after the visit of our Somaliland delegation, they organized a workshop to review their strategy and policies.

BEF is mainly supported by the municipality of Berbera, which successfully combats youth unemployment through this Forum. The Forum works with youth groups, such as the Berbera Youth Forum, and women led CSOs to train young people on how to set up a business. They also issue grants to give young people a chance in the labor market. Several businesses have been set up in this way, especially in the fish industry, which is in line with the TALD approach. They also work a lot with the Somaliland diaspora, advising them on the business opportunities in the region and how to set up a business there.

Mayor Abdishakur emphasized that he shares the knowledge gained by the ASPIRE programme often with other mayors. Earlier, VNG International published a toolkit based on the experience gained in Berbera. The mayor also mentioned that the study visit to The Netherlands, which was part of the project, inspired him a lot. The two main take aways of this visits, which he successfully implement in his own city, is the way youth unemployment is dealt with in The Netherlands and how cities in The Netherlands are preventing from growing disproportionately. “It is actually more important that this happens equally, and that you maintain old buildings, instead of building over and over again,” he mentioned. Developments that are still evident in Berbera.