A group of Australian volunteers began collecting second-hand books to send to Somalia in 1999. This initiative proved to be extremely successful in adding value to SAACID schools in Mogadishu, so those volunteers then agreed to expand their efforts in collecting books; and to formalise their efforts by incorporating a sister organisation (SAACID Australia Incorporated).

On 23 July 2001 SAACID-Australia was incorporated with the Queensland Government's Office of Fair Trading in Brisbane. The incorporation of the organisation raised the profile and legitimacy of SAACID and many more schools (both public and private) began to donate their second-hand books to SAACID. Also, community-based organisations, such as Save the Children, Lions International and Zonta also began collecting books and clothing.

In 2001, SAACID-Australia developed its first joint 5-year strategic plan with SAACID-Somalia. SAACID-Australia was to concentrate on core development issues surrounding legitimacy in the Australian context, deepening ties with local communities and community-based organisations in Australia, and securing endorsements for tax exemption and tax-deductibility on donations in Australia. SAACID-Australia was to also seek volunteers and donations of cash, goods and services to help develop and sustain the programming of its sister organisation in Somalia.

On 21 January 2003 SAACID-Australia was recognised as a charity by the Queensland and Australian governments.

On 20 August 2004 SAACID received full Australian Taxation Office (ATO) endorsement as an Income Tax Exempt Charity (ITEC). The income tax exemption is from 26 June 2004 (under Subdivision 50-B of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997). From 1 July 2005, SAACID has been entered in the public register maintained by the Australian Business Registrar as a tax exempt charity (www.abr.business.gov.au [type in SAACID's ABN number that is given at the top of this page to see SAACID's current governmental status]). SAACID has the capacity to self-assess its entitlement to fringe benefits rebate (123E of the Fringe benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986); and GST charity tax concessions (176 of A New tax System {Goods and Services Tax} Act 1999).

On 17 October 2004, AusAid endorsed SAACID as 'an approved organisation' in relation to SAACID's application for the Overseas Aid Gift deductibility Scheme (OAGDS) On 28 October 2004 the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade endorsed SAACID as 'an approved organisation' for the OAGDS. This endorsement allows SAACID-Australia to provide tax deductibility on donations of cash, goods and services to individuals, groups or companies registered and paying tax within Australia.

Treasury also endorsed SAACID as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR). The Assistant Treasurer gazetted a notice specifying that SAACID-Australia Incorporated is an eligible fund for the purposes of item 9.1.1 of table 9 in s 30-80(1) of the ITAA 1997, with effect from 14 March 2005. Source: Commonwealth Gazette No GN12, 30 March 2005 [p 796].

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) provided the final endorsement for SAACID to become a DGR. This endorsement took effect from 30 March 2005.

SAACID-Australia completed the largest voluntary demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration (DDR) programme in Somalia's history, in partnership with our sister organisation, SAACID-Somalia and UNDP. The programme began on 1 December 2005 and was completed on 31 January 2007. The programme involved providing skills and business training to militiamen in exchange for a fully functional automatic machinegun. Please see the DDR link on SAACID's index page for more detail and photos. On 26-30 April all 512 machineguns were destroyed. Each weapon was individually videoed and photographed as it was being destroyed.

SAACID-Australia completed implementation of a citywide garbage collection and road clearance programme in Mogadishu city - in partnership with its sister organisation, SAACID-Somalia at the beginning of April 2007. This programme - called Employment for Peace (EFP) - was funded by the EC, the Norwegian Government and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). It was not only designed to improve the health and hygiene outputs in the city (the garbage has not been collected for the past 16 years), but also provide a structured environment where disparate clans could work together for common goals - so as to increase trust and reconciliation. The programme began in July 2006, and ran for an initial 4 months. On the basis of excellent outputs, ILO extended the programme for another 4 months. Due to ongoing conflict and insecurity in the 2^nd phase – particularly in March and April 2007 - when the Ethiopian military initiated major conflict against the indigenous population, the programme was finally cancelled in early April. The programme completed 9 of the 16 weeks allocated for the second phase. It was considered to be very successful in fulfilling its key outcomes, with several donor countries wanting to fund further phases of the programme. ILO’s international mandate precludes it intervening in a conflict context. SAACID is pursuing other options.

SAACID-Australia signed an agreement to partner the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) in surveying all IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) - and mapping all IDP settlements in Mogadishu City. The last time this was attempted was 1994-5. This group of IDPs has never existed on the international humanitarian agenda, as it has always been considered to difficult to help these people. SAACID made 260 general surveys and 4,035 individual surveys in 260 IDP settlements. SAACID-Somalia partnered SAACID-Australia in the survey and mapping process. The survey will provide the necessary data for OCHA, UN-HABITAT, UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP and other agencies to provide more effective interventions for this group of people. See http://www.saacid.org/IDP%20survey.html for the final report.

On 23 January 2007, SAACID signed a programme cooperation agreement with UN-HABITAT (funded by the European Commission - EC) to strengthen the capacity of community leaders in Mogadishu City with regard to another programme that SAACID is partnering the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on – the Employment for Peace (EFP) programme for all districts of Mogadishu City.

The training involves providing Training of Trainers (ToT) for each district on leadership and management to key community leaders in each of the 16 districts of the city, as well as the Bermuda enclave, so that community leaders can move to implementing a full programme cycle on their own. SAACID will then facilitate the training in each district.

Another key activity of the programme is to profile each district in partnership with key community leaders in each district.

The programme began in March 2007 and was expected to run for 4 months. Due to significant fighting and increasing insecurity, the timeframe has had to be continually extended.

The initial workshop, profiling and consultation elements have now been completed, and SAACID and HABITAT have now begun implementation of a district-based public infrastructure rehabilitation element for 9 of Mogadishu’s 16 districts; which will have a special emphasis on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

A 40' container with 10,400 kilos of second school books and 10,500 kilos of second hand clothing for refugees was packed and sent to Mogadishu in late March 2007. It travelled from Brisbane, via Singapore and Dubai to Mogadishu. The consignment arrived safely.

All the clothing was distributed to displaced people – along with food and water – in September and October of 2007.

Due to the current level of insecurity in Mogadishu, SAACID continues to store the books until it feels that it is safe to move the goods for sorting and registration.

In June 2007, SAACID-Australia signed a contract to implement a rapid assessment of all IDP camps in Mogadishu City; as well as camps in Lower Shabelle Region.

The process was to take about 2 weeks. Due to the invasion of SAACID-Somalia’s administrative compound by Ethiopian military and Transitional Federal Government (TFG) police, this initiative was disrupted. The invasion destroyed a lot of equipment, and a lot more equipment wad looted. A lot of files were also looted – including the data results for 5 of the districts that had been surveyed.

The initiative is now completed and the final narrative reports can be found at http://www.saacid.org/IDP%20survey.html.

On 13 September 2007, SAACID-Australia signed a programme cooperation agreement with UNDP and UN-OCHA to draw funds from the Humanitarian Relief Fund (HRF) for a programme to clean all 260 Internally Displaced (IDP) settlements in Mogadishu City over a 3-month period.

The 3-month programme was successfully completed, with 168 of the 260 then identified settlements being cleaned. SAACID underestimated the amount of garbage in these camps – and especially the amount of cactus and thorn tree that has had to be removed. In November 2007, SAACID implemented a rapid assessment of IDP settlements in Mogadishu for UNHCR. SAACID found 37 new IDP settlements since the June survey. This had been caused by a new massive displacement in late October and early November when Ethiopian troops and TFG militias attacked large residential areas of Mogadishu.

The programme employed 780 IDPs (96.3% women). SAACID underestimated the amount of garbage in these camps – and especially the amount of cactus and thorn tree that has had to be removed. In November 2007, SAACID implemented a rapid assessment of IDP settlements in Mogadishu for UNHCR. SAACID found 37 new IDP settlements since the June survey. This has been caused by a massive displacement in late October and early November when Ethiopian troops and TFG militias attacked large residential areas of Mogadishu.

SAACID has submitted a second phase proposal to OCHA for another 3-moth period – designed to clear the ~ 130 settlements remaining in the city (due to ongoing fighting and insecurity, more IDP settlements are being created all the time). This new phase began on 5 April, and will continue through to early July 2008.

SAACID was contracted by UNHCR to conduct a rapid assessment of all current IDP settlements in Mogadishu in November 2007.

This was successfully completed over a 10-day period without major constraint.

SAACID worked to design, develop, secure funding and implement 10 wet food feeding centres in Mogadishu City, to cater for the hundreds-of-thousands of malnourished people subsisting in the city at this time.

Partners and donors secured for a first 4-month phase of intervention included: the Danish Refugee Council, Oxfam-Novib, the World Food Programme, UN-OCHA, the Dutch Government and the Swedish Government.

The initiative operated at 10 sites in the city, with a maximum 50,000 meals being provided every day; and was completed on 16 March 2008.

The security context has only continued to devolve throughout this programme period, and more donors have on come on board to support and expand this initiative. Partners and donors for a second 6-month phase of intervention include: the Danish Refugee Council, Oxfam-Novib, the World Food Programme, UN-OCHA, The $10 Club, the Danish Government, the Norwegian Government and the Swedish Government.

In this phase of intervention, 80,000 meals will be provided every day at 16 sites throughout the city.

At the end of week 33 (13 July2008), some 9,913,318 hot meals being successfully provided to the starving in the city.

SAACID-Australia has signed a contract with UNICEF to provide daily water trucking to 112,000 people in the Afgoye corridor (southwest of Mogadishu City). This initiative is funded for 4 months, and will continue through to the end of July 2008.

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