A Somali woman is going to fetch water. Photo by Said Isse/TRT World, used with permission.

Most aid and development agencies rely on marketing and communication frameworks to fundraise and address pressing global challenges, including the prevention of humanitarian crises. Yet many of these strategies fall short because they do not sufficiently engage in co-creation with the affected communities. They also struggle to withstand shrinking funding spaces and sudden shifts in donor policies. I argue that aid agencies must invest more in participatory communication as a sustainable approach that empowers communities beyond the limits of emergency relief.

In 2017, humanitarian partners, including the United Nations (UN), International Non-Governmental Organisations(INGOs), the Federal Government of Somalia, and international donors, mobilized around USD 1.3 billion in aid, then the largest response in the country’s history. Five years later, in 2022, that figure rose to USD 2.1 billion, as drought once again created a risk for widespread famine. But in 2025, funding dropped sharply, with less than a quarter of the required amount received. 

The humanitarian sector is also under immense financial strain. During recent funding cuts by the United States, major NGOs announced mass staff layoffs, underscoring the volatility of relying on a small pool of donors. At the same time, the needs in Somalia are immense. Today, 1.8 million children under five suffer from acute malnutrition, including nearly 470,000 with severe acute malnutrition. These numbers are rising as conflict, drought, and dwindling funds converge.

The contrast is clear: While international headlines and appeals continue to rely on powerful images and testimonies that resonate with global audiences, local communities are too often left without a strong voice in shaping the kind of support they receive or how it is delivered.

Beyond powerful images

What often goes under the radar is the model of communication that aid agencies use. Most stories are built around emotional visuals, beneficiary testimonies, and simplified impact narratives designed to attract donor support. Somalia is a striking example of this. In 2022, ABC News travelled to report on the drought-induced humanitarian crisis in Somalia and captured the story of Maliaka (not her real name), a severely malnourished child treated at a health facility supported by USAID. The story was powerful: it moved audiences, generated funds, and expanded relief efforts. Yet two years later, following USAID’s withdrawal, the same health facility is at risk of running out of therapeutic food. 

Also, Somalia’s government still depends on external grants for around half of its budget. This means shifting donor policies and shrinking aid funds can quickly reverse progress. Success stories can collapse into failures as schools and health facilities close once projects end. Donor-focused communication is essential but insufficient.

Blurred lines

The persuasive communication model sustains fundraising; however, its limitations are clear in contexts like Somalia, where crises recur and donor fatigue is real.

A more participatory communication model that empowers communities and allows them to guide the conversation would strengthen ownership and resilience. This means actively involving community members in decision-making, programme design, and evaluation. Most importantly, it requires that all communication and media products that are circulated by aid and development agencies to the national audience should follow a participatory communication approach. For example,  consulting families about the support they need, engaging local health workers in planning, involving community leaders in monitoring outcomes, and tailoring communication products for the needs of local programme participants. 

While some of this exists in current programmes, community participation is often consultative rather than empowering. Agencies may gather feedback, but decisions on resources and interventions remain externally driven. Communities remain participants in name, rarely gaining the authority to shape the projects that affect their lives.

From visibility to empowerment

There is a blurred line between visibility, fundraising, and empowerment. Donor-driven storytelling prioritizes visibility to donor markets, often extending the same narratives to national audiences without adapting them. This risks overlooking local perspectives and results in less effective engagement. Visibility-driven fundraising is crucial for sustaining life-saving interventions, but when storytelling focuses solely on immediate impact, it may undermine longer-term capacity building.

Somalia offers a few exceptions. One notable example is the United Nations’ Tubta Nabada (Path to Peace) radio magazine show. Broadcast three times a week in partnership with local media, it brings together communities, civil society, and government representatives to discuss peace, security, and development. It demonstrates a participatory communication model that goes beyond fundraising. However, little public data exists on its impact, underscoring the need for more rigorous evaluation of participatory communication approaches. 

Similarly, in 2023, the Save the Children Somalia program launched a child-focused podcast that follows a similar communication model to Tubta Nabada.  

What needs to happen.

Somalia’s recurring crises highlight the fragility of aid systems that rely too heavily on donor-driven communication models. Despite the success of humanitarian responses in 2017 and 2022, communities still face challenges posed by extreme weather conditions like droughts and floods. The need to shift from the current approach is clearly demonstrated by the current humanitarian crisis amid shrinking donor funds and the policy shifts that led to the closure of USAID. 

While visibility and fundraising remain essential to sustain life-saving interventions, they cannot substitute for genuine community empowerment. Aid agencies need to embed participatory communication into the heart of their strategies as a core practice. This means giving communities real authority in shaping stories, setting priorities, and evaluating outcomes. In an era of shrinking funds and shifting donor priorities, only communication that empowers communities can build the trust, resilience, and ownership necessary for sustainable change.