Horn Environmental & Fisheries Organization
Rooted in community.
Driven by resilience.
We work with communities and institutions across the Horn of Africa to protect natural resources, strengthen livelihoods, and build a more sustainable future.
About HEFO
Local knowledge. Lasting impact.
Horn Environmental & Fisheries Organization (HEFO) is a non-governmental, non-profit, and non-political organization established in 2021 by a team of experts from across the Horn of Africa.
We promote sustainable development, environmental conservation, and resilient livelihoods across fisheries, agriculture, livestock, and natural resource management—placing communities at the centre of every solution.
What guides us
Purpose with a lasting horizon.
Our mission grounds the work we do today. Our vision keeps us focused on the future we are building together.
Our mission
Empowering action,
together.
HEFO’s mission is to empower communities, institutions, and private-sector actors across the Horn of Africa to sustainably manage natural resources, strengthen food and nutrition security, protect the environment, build climate resilience, and create inclusive and sustainable livelihood opportunities through evidence-based, locally led, and collaborative solutions.
Our vision
A resilient future,
shared by all.
HEFO envisions resilient, food-secure, environmentally sustainable, and economically empowered communities, where people have the knowledge, capacities, opportunities, and institutions needed to sustainably manage their natural resources, adapt to climate and environmental pressures, and achieve improved livelihoods and well-being.
Our Promise
We remain committed to protecting the environment and driving sustainable blue and green growth across the region.
Our Background
From local expertise to shared progress.
HEFO began with a simple belief: the most durable solutions for the Horn of Africa are built with the people, knowledge, and institutions rooted in the region.
HEFO is established
A team of experts from across the Horn of Africa came together to form an independent, non-profit, and non-political organization dedicated to sustainable development.
Practical solutions, shaped locally
Our work brings together evidence, innovation, capacity building, and participatory governance to support resilient livelihoods and healthy ecosystems.
Resilience that lasts
We continue to strengthen partnerships that help communities sustainably manage natural resources, adapt to climate pressures, and create inclusive opportunities.
How we work
Designed with people.
Grounded in evidence.
HEFO connects local insight, practical skills, and reliable evidence to develop solutions that are relevant, collaborative, and built to last.
Tailored programmes
Built around real needs
We shape programmes around the priorities, opportunities, and challenges that communities identify in their own context.
Training & support
Skills that create agency
We strengthen the knowledge and practical capacities communities and institutions need to turn opportunity into lasting progress.
Data-driven approach
Learning that improves action
We use research, local knowledge, and continuous learning to inform decisions and make every programme more effective.
Collaborating for impact
What our partners say.
Progress is stronger when it is shared. We value the trust and expertise of the institutions that work alongside us.
Work with HEFO
Let’s create lasting impact together.
Discover how our programmes support resilient livelihoods, environmental stewardship, and sustainable growth across the Horn of Africa.