Usheeg: Expanding Access to Protection, Climate and Market Information in SomaliaDigital Information Services
Together with IOM Somalia, Sauti East Africa developed Usheeg, a free mobile information service that connects displaced and marginalized communities with timely market, climate, early warning and protection information.
Launched in 2025 in Beledweyne (Hiiraan) and Jowhar (Middle Shabelle), Usheeg helps women traders and displaced households make informed decisions about their livelihoods and safety. The platform combines verified information from multiple sources into simple menus accessible through USSD and SMS on basic mobile phones, without requiring internet access or a smartphone.
Usheeg was developed and delivered by Sauti East Africa in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), using community consultation, localized content and accessible technology to reach people who are often excluded from digital services.
The Challenge
Communities in Somalia face overlapping pressures from conflict, displacement, drought, flooding and volatile food markets. Access to practical information is often fragmented, while many traders rely on informal networks for commodity prices, exchange rates, weather updates and protection referrals. These constraints particularly affect women, displaced people and households with limited income or digital access.
A useful service therefore needed to work on basic phones, be free to access, deliver current and locally relevant information, and be understandable to people with different literacy levels. Trust was also critical: users needed reassurance that the information was verified and that the service did not require registration or payment.
The Project
Sauti began with a needs assessment that included stakeholder consultations, community feedback and analysis of Radio Ergo listener reports. Findings informed the information categories, language choices and menu design. Working with IOM and Hormuud, Sauti configured and launched a USSD and SMS platform with simplified information in Somali-language options and English.
The mobile service brings together:
- Market and food supply information, including locally relevant commodity prices and food-security updates;
- Weather and climate services, including forecasts, drought and flood information;
- Early warning notices to help communities respond to emerging hazards;
- Exchange rates to support trade and everyday financial decisions; and
- Verified social and protection services, including information on available assistance and referral pathways.
Technology development was paired with direct community engagement. With government facilitators, community-based trainers and local radio stations, Sauti demonstrated the platform in marketplaces and displacement settlements, collected user feedback, and improved menu navigation and translation. An administrative dashboard enabled the team to monitor registrations, information requests, repeat usage and service performance.
Results
Results at the end of the initial project (September 2025)
- 20,916 unique users had accessed Usheeg by 30 September 2025, exceeding the original target of 20,000 users.
- 13,472 traders and community members were reached through face-to-face market activations and training, exceeding the original outreach target of 1,875; approximately 71% were women and 40% were youth.
- 5,860 people participated in activations across 11 markets in Beledweyne and Jowhar, supported by 21 government facilitators.
- 7,612 people were reached through training at five displacement settlements and one school in Beledweyne, supported by 10 community trainers.
- Three radio stations supported public awareness, while dashboard monitoring recorded 2,732 users accessing the service more than three times during the onboarding period.
The project demonstrated that relevant livelihood information can draw sustained use while also creating a channel for essential protection and early warning messages. Community feedback informed improvements to accessibility, content clarity and trust.
Expansion following the initial project: Further work extended access through Hormuud, Telesom and Somtel networks, introduced an interactive voice channel, and supported targeted SMS early warnings. By August 2026, the platform had reached 27,604 cumulative users. This later figure reflects continued platform operation and expansion, rather than the September 2025 project endline.
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