Call for Interest to Universities In Somalia/Somaliland: Collaborative Project with Universities to Advance Natural Language Processing (NLP) in Somali

About Us:

Shaqodoon is a national non-governmental organization (NGO) established in 2011 to provide innovative and sustainable solutions to the youth employment challenges in Somaliland & Somalia. The organization evolved from the EDC Somali livelihood project, funded by USAID, which aimed to improve access to work, training, and self-employment opportunities for youth in Somaliland, Puntland, and South-Central Somalia.

Shaqodoon designs, implements, and evaluates programs that address the pressing needs of the local community in vocational and technical skill development, entrepreneurship and ecosystem development, employability skills and market linkages, while addressing violence against women, gender-based violence and female genital mutilation through our centers. The organization also focuses on access to finance for youth entrepreneurship and works with local and international development partners to utilize technology for humanitarian and development programs.

Shaqodoon is committed to inclusivity, skill development, employment services, youth entrepreneurship, environmental protection, private sector business development, and technology for development. The organization employs participatory methods to ensure active youth engagement in the delivery of its services.

Project Overview:

Shaqodoon Organization, in partnership with Radio Ergo, World Vision, and SomRep, is leading an innovative project to advance natural language processing (NLP) in the Somali language. This language model is being developed in collaboration with leading a AI solutions provider, Shapr. This project aims to enhance feedback systems and audio processing for humanitarian projects across Somali regions. We are seeking collaboration with universities to contribute to this transformative initiative.

Our project focuses on leveraging AI technology to improve feedback collection and analysis processes in humanitarian efforts. By developing a Somali language machine translation with a Larger Language Model (LLM), we aim to streamline communication channels and enhance program effectiveness. Universities specializing in ICT/Technology innovation and natural language processing are invited to join us in this endeavor.

Opportunities for Universities:

•      Research Opportunities: Engage in cutting-edge research in AI technology and language processing.

•      Student Engagement: Provide students with hands-on experience in real-world projects.

•       Capacity Building: Contribute to the development of NLP expertise in Somali regions and enhance students' skills and expertise in ICT and language processing.

•      Collaborative Partnership: Work closely with Shaqodoon and other organizations to achieve project objectives.

•      Recognition: Acknowledgment as a key partner in a groundbreaking humanitarian project.

•      Networking: Opportunity to collaborate with leading organizations in the field of AI technology and humanitarian efforts.

•      Contribution to Social Impact: Play a vital role in improving feedback systems for humanitarian projects in Somali regions.

•      Access to NLP Model: Universities will benefit from the resulting NLP model, which they can use for research and academic purposes.

How Universities Can Get Involved:

1. Forming Project Teams: Assemble teams of computer-literate students proficient in Somali and English languages.

2. Project Management: Manage student teams according to project guidelines and criteria.

3. Data Processing: Oversee the transcription, translation, and labeling of audio data by student teams.

4. Quality Assurance: Ensure the accuracy and integrity of processed data.

5. Collaboration: Work collaboratively with Shaqodoon and project partners to achieve project milestones.

University Selection Criteria:

The collaborating universities are expected to have:

•      Specialization in ICT/Technology innovation with an interest in advancing NLP in Somali.

•      Availability of a dedicated space/lab with laptops/computers and a reliable internet connection for project teams to use for the duration of the activity.

•      Capacity to form and manage teams of 9 members per university or 2 shifts of 9 members each (part-time).

•      Advanced level of team members in both Somali and English.

•      Team members should be in their 2nd, 3rd year or recently graduated from the university with a minimum availability of 24 hours (part-time) or 48 hours (full-time) per week.

•      Willingness to use the project's end product for further research.

•      Commitment to contributing to NLP in Somali and training students for similar work in the future.

How to Express Interest:

Universities interested in collaborating on this project are invited to submit their expressions of interest by fillin out this google form:

https://forms.gle/u5VbeRJ7ebVaXYyw5

Deadline for Expressions of Interest:

10th June 2024

Join us in advancing language technology and making a positive impact in Somali communities!