Earlier this year, humanitarian funding cuts forced 13 Alight-supported health facilities in Somalia to close. This meant thousands of people lost access to essential care overnight. Communities already facing drought, conflict, and displacement were left with even fewer options. For many families, these clinics were the only place to go for medical support, safe childbirth, and lifesaving nutrition services.
Sustaining lifesaving healthcare in Somalia: it’s a team effort
In response, Alight colleagues stepped forward. They refused to walk away from the communities they’ve been serving for years, and they volunteered to work for free and donated from their own wallets. Even though many of our Somali team members were themselves affected by the funding cuts, they raised over $30,000 USD and managed to reopen most of the health facilities by the next week, restoring a critical lifeline. Rather than stepping back, Alight’s Somali team leaned into a deeply rooted cultural value: collective support.
These combined efforts made it possible to reopen 11 health facilities, restoring access to essential care for more than 250,000 people across Banadir, Lower Juba, and Sool regions.
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