In drought-prone Burao District, two women's lives changed when early warning systems and community training gave them the knowledge and voice to protect their families. Nasra now leads disaster preparedness in her community, while Zainab, who once lost everything to drought, can now act before crisis strikes. Their story shows how empowering women with timely information transforms entire communities.
The night sky promised nothing. No rain. No relief. Zainab* sat beneath the acacia tree near her home, watching her children sleep inside the small shelter. At 40, she had survived droughts before. But the 2022–2023 crisis nearly broke her.
She lost almost all of her 70 animals. She gave birth in the middle of it, weak and desperate, fetching water from a pond hundreds of metres away because the tanker had run dry.
She had no warning. No time to prepare. No way to protect her ten children or the livestock that fed them.
Just a few villages away, Nasra* faced a different kind of drought. Not one of water, but of voice. As a mother of six, she spent years confined to the edges of community life, managing a household and participating in women's savings groups. But when decisions were made about droughts, floods, or how to protect families from the next crisis, women like her were not invited to the table.
"In the past, only men were invited to meetings or gatherings," Nasra* says. "Women stayed home, taking care of the family and children."
The pattern repeated itself across Burao District and beyond. Communities were hit hard by climate shocks, yet those most affected by the consequences, women and children, had no role in preparing for them.
Then something shifted.
Training Women to Lead
Between November 2024 and June 2025, Save the Children, in partnership with the Somaliland National Disaster Preparedness and Food Reserve Authority (NADFOR) and local authorities, began rolling out Community-Based Disaster Risk Management training across Burao District. Four rounds of training, each lasting four days, brought together local leaders, committee members, and, for the first time, women.
The sessions were practical. Participants learned how to interpret weather forecasts, coordinate community responses, manage assets during emergencies, and deliver early-warning messages.
For Nasra*, the training was a door opening.
Save the Children gave us that opportunity, and gradually, people started to see the value of women's participation," she says. "Out of eight committee members, three of us are women. We have gained so much through our involvement, and our voices are now part of every discussion.
She was assigned a clear role: delivering early-warning messages to the community. When alerts came through about droughts, floods, or heavy rains, it was her responsibility to make sure families received them quickly and understood what actions to take.
"My responsibility is to deliver messages and alerts to the community. Whenever there is an early warning about drought, floods, or heavy rains, I make sure it reaches people on time," she explains. "That is the duty I was assigned, and I take it seriously. We make sure the messages are clear and that people understand what actions they need to take.
The training taught her more than just how to pass on information. It gave her the tools to interpret it, to act on it, and to help others do the same.
"We learned how to prepare for natural disasters like droughts and floods, how to store water safely, and how to move away from low-lying or risky areas," she says. "We learned how to protect our families and help our neighbours do the same. The training taught us to act, and also to teach others."
When the Early Warning Messages Reached
For Zainab*, the change arrived differently, but it was no less profound.
One day, travellers passed through her village and stopped to share information with a small group of women sitting under a tree. At first, Zainab* didn't take it seriously. But when community focal points came through later with a clear message, a drought is coming, water levels are dropping, prepare and take precautions, she listened.
"When I received that message, I acted immediately," she says. "I dug a small pit near my home, lined it with plastic, and began storing water. I sold several unproductive goats for a small amount of money and used it to buy food and supplies for both my family and the remaining animals."
This time, she was ready. And this time, she did not lose everything.
"When I compare the two experiences, before and after receiving early warnings, they are completely different," she reflects. "It's like the difference between walking at night and walking during the day. At night, you hit every tree because you can't see what's ahead. In the daytime, you can see clearly. That's how I see it now, early warnings make everything visible before it happens."
From Knowledge to Action
The impact of early-warning systems in Burao District now extends far beyond individual families. Entire communities are better prepared. Women are leading the response. And children are safer.
Nasra* now sits on a local preparedness committee, helping to plan and disseminate early-warning messages. Her role has inspired other women to step forward, attend trainings, and take on leadership responsibilities.
"Before, women were rarely invited to meetings. Now, we are part of the committees that make decisions," she says. "When an alert message comes, we know what to do, we move livestock, store water, and help others prepare. Save the Children's training opened the door for women to lead, to speak, and to protect their communities."
The training has created a ripple effect. Knowledge is shared from committee members to families, from mothers to neighbours, from one generation to the next. When the community faced a prolonged drought after the trainings began, they acted early, storing water, selling livestock in advance, and safeguarding food supplies. Losses were reduced. Children's wellbeing was protected.
Zainab*, who once faced crisis alone, now shares her experience with others in her community. She encourages them to take early warnings seriously and to prepare before disaster strikes.
"From what I have learned, awareness and early warnings are incredibly valuable," she says. "Apart from God's will, they are the only real protection we have against disaster."
She explains it in simple terms.
"Crises strike in two ways, one while they are still approaching, and one after they've already hit. Awareness reaches you before the disaster does. It's like sitting under a tree that's about to fall, if someone warns you and you move, you survive. But if you ignore the warning, you'll be crushed. That's how early warnings work. Those who take them seriously benefit greatly."
A Call to Other Women
For Nasra*, the transformation goes beyond disaster preparedness. It is about recognition, dignity, and the right to participate.
"I want to encourage all women to participate, at least seventy per cent of them, in trainings and learning programmes," she says. "Our level of education has been low for a long time because most of us stayed at home. Also, I encourage every woman to compete with men, not in conflict, but in learning, sharing knowledge, and raising her capacity. That way, she can contribute to her community and to society at large. We have proven that women can lead, and our participation makes the whole community stronger."
The warnings still come. The droughts have not stopped. But now, when the sky promises nothing, the women of Burao District know what to do. And they make sure everyone else does too.
Project Background
Somalia and Somaliland continue to face recurring climate shocks, including five consecutive failed rainy seasons that left over eight million people in need of humanitarian assistance. While the drought eased after the Deyr rains, severe flooding during the following Gu season displaced thousands, and forecasts indicate continued risks linked to El Niño.
The country's operating context remains highly fragile, shaped by the intersecting pressures of protracted conflict, recurring climate shocks, and limited institutional capacity. Clear early warning signals, including extended dry spells, escalating food prices, rising malnutrition rates, and conflict escalation, provide critical opportunities to act before crises intensify.
To strengthen preparedness, Save the Children is implementing the "Reducing Impacts of Disasters Using the Anticipatory Action Framework" project, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO). In partnership with the Somaliland National Disaster Preparedness and Food Reserve Authority (NADFOR) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), the project enhances community-based early warning systems and local leadership in anticipatory action.
Training is delivered through community workshops, simulation exercises, and Participatory Scenario Planning sessions, where local leaders, women's representatives, and pastoralists translate seasonal forecasts into simple, actionable messages. Families then receive alerts through community focal points who share information via mobile phones, mosque announcements, and village meetings.
This system ensures that when early warnings are issued, communities can act immediately, storing water, selling livestock, and preparing food supplies, turning climate information into life-saving action that protects livelihoods, children's nutrition, and community resilience.
The project has capacitated 300 members of Community-Based Disaster Risk Management structures to enhance local preparedness and enable early action. Government agencies now lead dissemination of seasonal climate forecasts tailored to communities, reinforcing sustainability and alignment with national mandates. Mobile phones have emerged as the primary source of disaster communication, with government officials and community leaders serving as the most trusted sources for forecast sharing.
In Burao District, the first community trainings began in November 2024, followed by three additional rounds through June 2025. Since the training, the community has faced one prolonged drought, but this time, they were better prepared. Families acted early, reducing losses and protecting children's wellbeing.
Women like Nasra* and Zainab* are now trusted messengers within their communities. They receive early-warning alerts, share them with others through established networks, and help families act early. Their leadership is helping entire towns become more resilient and self-reliant when hazards occur.
The droughts have not stopped. But now, when the sky promises nothing, the women of Burao District know what to do.
And they make sure everyone else does too.
*Names changed to protect identity.
