About Daryeel Rural Development
Empowering Pastoralist Communities Through Education, Sustainability & Dignity
A Diaspora-Led Organization with Deep Roots in the Somali Region
Daryeel Rural Development For Action (DRDA) was founded by a group of committed local young engineers and scholars in close collaboration with the Somali diaspora community in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as well as professionals, educators, and community leaders in Canada, Europe, and Australia. The organization was established by individuals who refused to stand by while children in their homeland were deprived of the education, opportunities, and dignity they deserve.
DRDA's mission is to strengthen the capacity of poor and vulnerable communities in the Somali Region to withstand environmental and man-made shocks. The organization works to improve the living conditions of vulnerable groups through interventions in education, health, environmental protection, girls' education, women's empowerment, and food security.
DRDA works in close partnership with local government authorities, community elders, and educational institutions including Shaykosh Boarding School. Collaboration with school leadership, diaspora communities in Minneapolis, Europe, Canada, and Australia, as well as local stakeholders, ensures that every project is culturally appropriate, community-owned, sustainable, and effectively managed for long-term impact.
"Gacmo Wadajir bay Wax ku Gooyaan"
Somali Proverb: "Together, hands can cut through anything."
Our Mission
To empower pastoralist communities in the Somali Region of Ethiopia through transformative investments in education infrastructure, girls' empowerment, environmental sustainability, and dignified sanitation — bridging diaspora resources with local needs.
Our Vision
A Somali Region where every child — especially every girl — has access to quality education in a green, safe, and dignified school environment, and where communities thrive through self-reliance and sustainable development.
From Minneapolis Living Rooms to the Fields of sheygosh
It started with a conversation. In 2022, a group of Somali professionals in Minneapolis asked a simple question: "What if we pooled our resources and actually fixed the school back home?"
Within months, Daryeel was incorporated, a field coordinator was appointed, and the first project assessment at Shaykosh Boarding School began. What they found was heartbreaking — no functioning toilets for girls, a collapsed library ceiling, no perimeter wall, and 454 boarding students sleeping in overcrowded, unsafe dormitories.
Today, just a few years later, the transformation is visible: a renovated library with hundreds of books, new restrooms and showers for boys and girls separately, a strong boundary wall, a landmark main gate, solar lighting, over 1,000 trees planted, and vegetable gardens producing fresh food for students.
But the work is far from done. The funding gap remains — and every dollar raised by the diaspora community brings us closer to the vision.
Our Core Values
Quality Education
Every child deserves a quality education in a safe, well-equipped environment regardless of how remote their community is.
Girls' Empowerment
We prioritize girls' enrollment, safety, and wellbeing because educated women transform entire communities.
Environmental Sustainability
Greening school compounds, planting food trees, and teaching eco-stewardship for the next generation.
Community Ownership
Projects are co-designed with local leaders, implemented transparently, and maintained by the community.
Transparency & Accountability
Every Ethiopian Birr and US Dollar is tracked, reported, and shared with donors and community stakeholders.
Diaspora Partnership
Bridging Minnesota and the Somali Region with skills, resources, and a commitment to lasting change.
Leadership & Partners
Board of Directors
Diaspora Leadership
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Local Advisory Council
Community Partners & Elders
Somali Region, Ethiopia
Ready to Be Part of This Story?
Join thousands of diaspora members and supporters making real change in the Somali Region.