SACOMA history
SACOMA was established in 2000 to support Kiswahili speaking communities from Sub-Saharan Africa living in the UK, many of whom are experiencing disadvantage, such as poverty, social isolation and discrimination. To empower, inform and educate members of the Kiswahili community to enable them to overcome disadvantage and social exclusion and effectively participate in the social and economic regeneration of marginalized communities in the UK.   The main purpose was stabling an enterprise that would serve the education and welfare needs of people from Sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere, particularly Kiswahili speaking communities living as immigrants in the UK..
 
SACOMA’s current services
SACOMA’s core service is the provision of Information Advice and Guidance (IAG), and support through outreach, awareness creation, workforce development and enterprise.  The IAG service is developing into a specialised service to accommodate and engage the sensitivities of the hard to reach communities facing considerable barriers to allowing them to access available services to allow for their personal development. We want to make sure the target community who are living in poverty are able to tap into the wider labour market, especially industries which are traditionally difficult for them to access. We are interested in supporting the African migrant and BME community into rewarding and sustainable life where they are empowered and know where to seek for further help by providing an IAG service which empowers beneficiaries to engage successfully with the mainstream service and the economic activities.

SACOMA’s International development programme
We  export our expertise in the UK to Promotes social enterprise as a route to self employment to give disadvantaged people the skills and opportunities to make the most of their lives in Kenya focusing on urban regeneration through reduce poverty in Kenya through shelter development for the homeless and disadvantaged/marginalised communities living in urban slums through awareness creation, mobilization, training and formation of Primary Housing Co-operatives. We facilitate access to shelter through provision of land (security of tenure), housing, water and sanitation and improvement of small scale business for the slum dwellers on sustainable basis.

SACOMA today 
Sahara Communities Abroad (SACOMA) is recognised as a promoter of excellence in the voluntary and community sector. We have won several excellence awards and recognition for our quality service provision. Our main focus is to promote and work with our community members to shape the future for today and tomorrow’s generation. SACOMA provides Information, Advice and Guidance and a range of initiatives and support programmes which are responsive and proactive to meet the individual needs of the migrant and Black Minority Ethnic (BME) communities, to enable them to gain access to available resources, gain self-esteem and foster personal and community development.  We are a not-for-profit company with a board of directors.
SACOMA’S VISION FOR 2020