Development in Somalia begins long before we see it

September 9, 2026

Two women in hijabs sit at a table, examining a booklet during a workshop.

By Ayan Ali

For a long time, I believed development lived mainly within government offices, policy frameworks, and state institutions. Strengthening systems, building capacity, and advancing governance felt like the essential ingredients for national progress.

Over the past one year, during my time at UNDP Somalia, I encountered another perspective that is just as powerful. It unfolds in communities, among young people, and within civil society. Seeing these layers together changed how I understand development in Somalia.

As a young Somali woman who grew up in the country and experienced its challenges firsthand, I was struck by how much of development happens long before it becomes visible in formal processes. It begins quietly and often without recognition. Over these months, I met young people, artists, and community leaders who are driving change with consistency and purpose, even when resources are scarce.

I also began to notice that development rarely becomes visible overnight. Many people assume it is visible when a policy is passed, a strategy is launched, or an institution achieves a milestone. Yet the truth is that a series of developments take place long before these moments. It moves slowly, through conversations, negotiations, coordination, training, and gradual shifts in how communities see themselves, and what they imagine is possible.

When something becomes visible to the public, it often represents the final layer of a much longer process. I realized this in mid 2025 when I had a chance to meet and document the stories of the brave Somali women peace builders, now known as Somali Women Peace Network. They are probably the most visible and respected voices of Somali women in Somalia, be it in political discourse, peace-building or reconciliation.

Today, one cannot imagine any conflict negotiation happening in Somalia without women’s participation, says Ubax Ugaas, a grassroots women peace builder from Galmudug State.

“Conversations held in unsafe spaces, resistance met with doubt, and women showing up repeatedly even when they were told they didn’t belong. And the fact that Somali women are now part of political and peace processes is not accidental. It’s something they fought for persistently, until the idea of excluding them no longer made sense”

But this was not an overnight thing. It took more than five years for these women to build their capacity, organize themselves into networks and mobilize effectively. Unaware of these processes, many would have taken these women’s workshops as mere talk shops.

Before their advocacy reached national and international platforms, their work had already been unfolding quietly at the community level. Training, mentorship, awareness raising, and local peace-building often began informally. Over time, these efforts accumulated into something larger. UNDP helped strengthen their reach, yet the foundations of resilience were laid long before. And that invisible groundwork is part of the development.

Through these experiences, I began to understand that development is not defined only by the results that are announced or celebrated. The process of working toward national goals is development itself. The planning, coordination, learning, and capacity building that happen quietly are what eventually make progress possible. And the final achievements simply reveal what was already in motion beneath the surface.

Development, I learned, is not always loud or immediate. It grows in small steps, through patience and consistency, and often long before recognition arrives. Yet the reality is that the public, especially younger generations, increasingly expect development to happen quickly. And what becomes visible to the public is often only one moment in a much longer journey. Understanding this changed how I see progress in my country, and how I appreciate the work of those who make it possible every day.

About the Author:

Ayan Ali Mohamed is a communications associate at UNDP Somalia.