Maydi Newsletter: February 2026
Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Maydi Newsletter!
We hope you have all had a blessed start to Ramadan as we enter this special time of reflection, renewal, and striving to better ourselves while uplifting our communities.
In this edition, we share the latest news from the region and recap our most recent community gathering. A meaningful event where we came together to reflect, showcase our collective efforts, and plant the seeds for the year ahead. It was a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when community, purpose, and hope come together. We also highlight ways you can stay engaged and contribute to the positive momentum throughout the year.
Thank you for being part of this journey with us during this sacred month and as we move into the year ahead.
S4S News
🌱 Planting our seeds today, growing tomorrow 🌿
On the 13th of February, we were pleased to showcase our long awaited annual report collating the activities and findings of our organisation throughout the calendar year of 2025. It was wonderful to see so much of our community eager to witness this showcasing, and also get an opportunity to receive feedback from them, network with them, and invite them to join our various platforms and forums.
The event itself consisted of a run-down of the annual report, followed by some special remarks and insights into our attendance of COP 30 in Brazil last year, and finally a panel discussion featuring a handful of our distinguished S4S directors who then later took questions from the audience. Participants particularly enjoyed the very frank (and also hilarious) insights as well as the trials and tribulations our directors (and their wider teams) had gone through in order to deliver all that was achieved last year. We later closed the evening with some spirited networking.
We were also proud to welcome and witness a member of our fellow brotherly organisation Somalis in Tech (SiT) unveil their most recent community fund project named ‘Aruuri’ which aims to streamline and decentralise crowd-fundraising within the Somali community whilst keeping transparency and accountability at its core.
S4S has a whole slate of exciting and engaging programmes, webinars, and content in-store for this new year of 2026, so to be in the loop about all future happenings related to us, please do subscribe to our newsletter as well as joining our newly created public Slack channel. This forum is there for you to not only see what the S4S team is doing on a regular basis, but also to receive all kinds of knowledge and career opportunities pertaining to sustainability and the like, all whilst engaging with like-minded peers!
What is the latest in the Horn?
Solar-powered water brings life to drought-stricken communities ☀️
In early January 2026, two solar‑powered boreholes were completed in rural Somalia, one in Awrboogays (Sanag) and another in Bacadweyn (Galkayo), bringing safe drinking water to at least 23,000 people in areas severely affected by drought and chronic water scarcity.
The boreholes are part of a broader initiative supported by a US $2 million partnership between the Federal Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, UNDP, and the Saudi Fund for Development. The goal is to expand sustainable water access to 120,000 people across four drought‑hit districts, with nine more boreholes currently under construction.
Community involvement has been central to the project: elders, women, and youth helped choose drilling sites and form local water management committees to ensure long‑term sustainability. The systems draw water from deep underground using solar energy, making them more reliable and affordable than costly private water tankers, which often price water out of reach for many families.
Beyond providing clean water for households, livestock, and displaced people, the initiative strengthens community‑led water governance, aims to improve health outcomes, and is expected to benefit millions indirectly through better water practices and reduced household expenses.
Somali word of the month: Xasuus (Haa-suu-s) Reflection
Xasuus invites us to pause, reflect, and remember the past with intention, a practice especially meaningful during Ramadan. This sacred month encourages reflection on our actions, growth, and purpose, while renewing our commitment to compassion, self-improvement, and care for our community. Pausing to remember helps us gain clarity, gratitude, and guidance to move forward with stronger faith and renewed intention.
In Somalia, children are taking part in tree-planting campaigns, learning from the past and shaping a greener, more sustainable future. By engaging the next generation, initiatives like these embody the spirit of reflection, growth, and community care that S4S seeks to nurture.
For S4S and its community, reflection is not just personal, it shapes the way we act together. By learning from our past efforts, we approach future initiatives with greater thoughtfulness, empathy, and impact. Xasuus inspires S4S to nurture a community grounded in accountability, collaboration, and mindful stewardship of the environment, ensuring that our actions today create a sustainable and compassionate future for all.
🗣 Upcoming events/ news:
Join us online for Somali youth perspectives and diaspora engagement. This interactive session invites participants to share ideas, challenge assumptions, and explore the future of diaspora‑local community connections.
🗓️Saturday, Feb 28 at 11:30 pm to Sunday, Mar 1 at 2 am ACDT
📍 Online event
Registration link: [Sign up here]
Connect with us:
Find Somalis for Sustainability on Instagram, LinkedIn, Tiktok and X.
Join our community on Slack
