From Zero Dose to Protection: How Nomadic Outreach is Changing Lives in Belet-Hawa.

In Belet-Hawa, a cross-border district in the Gedo region of Somalia, routine immunization faces persistent challenges. Weak health systems, low coverage, limited facilities, and frequent funding gaps have left many children unprotected from preventable diseases. Amid these obstacles, Vision Corps Initiative (VCI) launched a nomadic outreach project that has become a lifeline for hard-to-reach villages.
“I am 46 years old with six children, and I had never heard of vaccines,” said Sacdiya, one of the mothers reached by the outreach team. “Many mothers and children lost their lives because of sickness, lack of vaccines, and poor nutrition. We only relied on traditional healers or holy means to cure the sick.”
For Sacdiya, hope arrived when a grey vehicle rolled into her village, Candadax. “The team came with vaccines and lifesaving drugs. They told us these were essential, but for us, it felt like a complete service we had never dreamed of.”
Before this, no child in the village had been vaccinated. Mothers had no access to antenatal or postnatal care. Sick children were left unattended, and nutrition screening was unheard of. The VCI outreach team changed that narrative, providing a full package of essential health services.
Community Health Volunteers (CHVs), nomadic elders, and care group mothers played a critical role in building trust and promoting acceptance of vaccines. “I used to believe vaccines were a poison meant to lower our population,” admitted Mohamud, a respected elder. “But a lady with unique communication skills explained their importance. I agreed to vaccinate my children. Later, when a measles outbreak came, my neighbor who refused vaccination lost a child. That confirmed the power of vaccines.”
By involving nomadic elders in population tracking and zero-dose tracing, the project adapted to the unique mobility of the community. This approach ensured that community needs and perspectives were respected while strengthening health delivery.
The nomadic outreach project demonstrates Vision Corps Initiative’s commitment to saving lives, reducing zero-dose children, and empowering communities to embrace health solutions. It stands as a model of how inclusive, community-led approaches can transform health outcomes in Somalia’s most remote areas.