WHO WE ARE: The Children’s Legal Defense Center is a nonprofit legal assistance organization based in Hargeisa, Somaliland that defends wrongfully and unjustly imprisoned children.

WHAT WE DO: We take the written law and make its protections a reality by providing legal assistance and criminal defense to imprisoned children and their families.

HOW WE DO IT: Our work is underpinned by the legal empowerment approach. We assist our clients and their families to know the law, how it applies to their situation, and work with them to use it in their cases. This is not just about teaching people their rights. It is about working alongside those who society marginalizes and disfavors, like children accused of crimes, to ensure they receive the protection of the law.

WHY WE DO IT: Defending children helps get them out of prison cells and back home where they belong. It fights poverty by allowing them to return to school and later become productive members of society. It advances human rights by ensuring the vulnerable enjoy the full protection of the law. It is the right thing to do.