Humanitarian Empowerment & Resilience Organization (HERO) is a women-led, non-profit, and non-governmental organization operating at both local and regional levels. Headquartered in Mogadishu, Somalia, HERO maintains active sub-offices across South Central Somalia, as well as in Nairobi, Kenya and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Founded in January 2020 by a visionary group of Somali professionals and humanitarian experts, the organization was established in response to escalating humanitarian crises, frequent climate-induced emergencies, and the pressing development challenges faced by vulnerable communities throughout Somalia.

HERO’s integrated programming approach bridges the gap between lifesaving humanitarian assistance and long-term community resilience. The organization plans to work across multiple thematic sectors, including Education, Health, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Livelihoods, Environmental Sustainability, and Good Governance. These sectors will be supported by strong cross-cutting commitments to human rights, gender equality, access to justice, and the protection of marginalized and at-risk populations—especially internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, returnees, women, children, and persons with disabilities.

Since its inception, the founders of the organization HERO have actively established strong collaborative partnerships with local authorities, regional state administrations, the Federal Government of Somalia, and international development partners. These ground breaking partnerships will enable the organization to respond effectively to both emergency and development contexts, while promoting locally driven solutions and enhancing community ownership.

HERO will maintain active engagement with humanitarian coordination platforms, UN clusters, civilsociety networks, and donor agencies to ensure inclusive, transparent, and accountable service delivery.

The organization is driven by a strong commitment to social justice and inclusive development. HERO envisions a society where marginalized communities are not only recipients of aid but are empowered as active agents of change in rebuilding their lives and shaping their futures. By prioritizing sustainable livelihoods, equitable service access, and inclusive participation, HERO aims to foster self-reliance, strengthen local capacity, and promote peaceful and resilient communities. HERO plans to contribute meaningfully to Somalia’s humanitarian-development-peace nexus. The organization remains at the forefront of promoting dignity, hope, and resilience through peoplecentered programming that puts communities at the heart of its interventions.