Project summary

Effective altruism Somalia was lunched in February 2026 and has 50 members in somalia and the diaspora. it is a new national group led by volunteers. we promote the use of evidence and reason to improve lives and do the most good in Somalia. Our work focus on community building, tallent development, and effective giving. this will help students, professionals and Somali diaspora communities to direct their career and giving towards high impact organisations.

We need funding to register the national group as an organisation, provide stipends to support so we can run the community effectively and with out distraction. also this will help run our programs, produce a causal prioritisation report identifying high-impact opportunities in Somalia.

What are this project's goals? How will you achieve them?

Our goal is to build a sustainable, well governed Effective Altruism community in Somalia that enables people to direct their career, resources towards the opportunities where they can achieve the greatest impact.

to reach that we need:

1. Register EA Somalia to establish legal foundation for partnerships, and organisational accountability.

2. support the national group leadership over the next 6 months to enable consistent community building activity.

3. Produce an evidence based report investigating opportunities in animal welfare, neglected global health problems, and AI governance policy in Somalia. we will assess each area based on scale, neglectedness, and solvability. we will consult relevant experts to strengthen our analysis and identify where limited reassures can be allocated to achieve high impact.

4. Organise a public talk introducing AI governance and policy, highlighting its relevance to Somalia and identifying opportunities for students, professionals, and policymakers to engage with the field.
   

How will you know it worked?

We will measure success by:

1. Complete the organisations registration by February 2027 and obtain the required legal documentation.

2. Published the prioritisation report by Jun 2027 and share it with relevant stakeholders.

3. Deliver 1 EA Introductory fellowship, and at least 3 virtual talks and one in person talk supported by the leaderships stipends.

4. EA Introductory Fellowship secured 40 sign-ups, with 13 of participants finishing the first cohort.

5. Host at least one talk on AI governance and policy, aiming to engage with at least 20 people including policy makers.

6. Track active membership, aiming for at least 25 active members participating in community activities.

7. Record attendance at each event, ea fellowship and track repeat participation to assess member retention.

8. Track the number of community members who take action by applying to high impact role, start a project, and pledge or started giving to high impact organisation.

How will this funding be used?

1. Co-director stipends (2 × $300 × 6 months): $3,600

2. Organisation registration (federal and Puntland): $700

3. Cause prioritisation report: $200

4. AI governance and policy talk: $400

5. Total budget: $4,900
   

Who is on your team? What's your track record on similar projects?

Our Team:

1. Abdullahi Hassan, Co-Executive Director: Community builder with a background in working with NGOs, development programmes, and data-driven research.

2. Ramas Ibrahim, Co-Director: A professional in diplomacy and international affairs, with a strong interest in leadership, youth engagement, and sustainable development.

3. Kyle Lucchese, Advisor: Brings experience in the effective altruism community and movement building.

4. Helen W. Hernandez, Advisor: Global health expert who provides relevant knowledge and guidance.

5. Estelle Novenka Florens, Advisor: Director of Effective Altruism South Africa, with experience in global health, animal welfare, and community building.

   Since launching in February 2026, EA Somalia has run the following activities through volunteer effort and without external funding:

   • A three-month reading series covering global health, animal welfare, and AI safety, with an average of six participants per discussion.

   • A career advice workshop in partnership with Probably Good, with 12 people registered and five attending.

   • Two introductory EA talks, including one for students at Citycot University, attended by 13 students.

   • A monthly newsletter sharing opportunities, news, and updates, with 70 subscribers and a 30% open rate.

   • A LinkedIn page that has grown to 400 followers.

   These activities have helped us build a community of around 50 members across Somalia and the diaspora. We are still a young, volunteer-led organisation, and this grant would help us move from occasional events to a more consistent programme of community building, research, and talent development.

What are the most likely causes and outcomes if this project fails?

1. Community members may participate in EA Somali Activeties but not take further action, such as pursuing high-impact careers, engaging in research, or practising effective giving.

2. The EA introductory fellowship may not reach the right participants or attract people who are well-positioned to apply what they learn.

3. The cause prioritisation report may not be used by relevant stakeholders to inform decisions about funding, policy, or interventions.

We will mitigate these risks by providing clear follow-up opportunities for members, targeting fellowship outreach towards suitable participants, and consulting relevant stakeholders during the report’s development to increase its relevance and practical use.

How much money have you raised in the last 12 months, and from where?

EA Somalia has not raised any external funding in the past 12 months. Since launching in February 2026, we have relied entirely on volunteer contributions to run our activities and build the community.