Somalia

Blog Post:  Posted September 2, 2010, 2:57 pm by Safiya Mohamud Said

My introduction: Safiya Mohamud Said

Country: Somalia

Editor's note: This is the second in a series of profiles about the participants in this week's writing and photography training in Kitgum, Uganda. They've written introductory pieces about themselves to share with Mercy Corps readers.

Life was fair enough when I got a job as soon as I finished school. It was my first time in the world of non-governmental organisations and there was a lot to expect in such a challenging environment.

I started working with Mercy Corps as a Project Assistant in an emergency response programme to internally-displaced people and urban poor host communities in the eastern region of Somalia.

It was a great challenge for me to work with such vulnerable communities that have lost everything they had in their lives. It made me fall apart whenever I heard their stories. This made me feel sad and sometimes traumatized, but it did not stop me from doing my work and helping my people.

I started dealing with these issues, day after another, until it became a part of my life. This work shaped me in a way that taught me more about myself and others. It helped me solve my own issues without waiting for someone to come and help.

I love my job and my colleagues. The workplace is wonderful and it makes me want to stay for longer and come back eagerly again.

Mercy Corps is a learning environment and I am grateful for the opportunities it has given me.

Blog Post:  Posted October 21, 2009, 9:23 am by Mr. Ogaro

Water flows again for a Somaliland community

Country: Somalia

Topics: Water/Sanitation

Beer (pronounced Bayer) village in Somaliland lost its water system in 2005 when flash floods hit the region, swept away water delivery pipes, and left a seasonal community well clogged with silt. Parents looked to their children for help and in turn students stayed home from school to help ferry water for livestock and household use.

Mercy Corps, with funding from USAID, recently replaced old water pipes and the pump dynamo, refurbished the community water standpipes and constructed a new reservoir at the school.

Today the community’s rehabilitated stand pipe bubbles with running water and Mohamed Jama Harale, a Beer community elder, exudes excitement as he explains, "I am happy that my animals can now get water and my three sons and one daughter who are school age can get time to go to school."

Blog Post:  Posted September 4, 2009, 9:53 am by Ms. Dubow

Fixing Somalia's schools

Country: Somalia

Topics: Youth, Education

With a current population of 1,140 pupils and 11 classrooms — with virtually no land for expansion — Biyo Dhacay Primary School has labored under appalling infrastructure and facilities.

Biyo Dhacay Primary school is located in the North West of Hargeisa town in the Marodijeex region. (That's in Somaliland, a semi-autonomous part of Somalia.) Mercy Corps' SEEDS programme intervened at a time when the school needed proper rehabilitation and maintenance of the school's infrastructure such as classrooms and its water and sanitation facilities.

USAID supported the rehabilitation of the school's dilapidated classrooms and water tanks, which are connected to the town's main water system, and the installation of handwashing facilities for the boys' and girls' latrines.

Check out these before and after photos:

Posted April 17, 2009 by Dan Sadowsky

There's more to Somalia than piracy

Country: Somalia

You've probably been following the recent news about pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia.

Nearly everyone agrees that the root of the problem isn't at sea, but on shore. Somalia is a failed state. More than three million people — a third of the country — are in need of humanitarian assistance. Only one in four girls attends school.

We remain committed to working in Somalia and in other places where violence, hunger and dire poverty can seem overwhelming. But we need your help to do it.

Our work in Somalia includes:

• distributing seeds and farm tools to poor farmers;
• showing veterinarians new ways to keep livestock healthy;
• creating revolving loan funds for women who sell milk in local markets and want to expand their businesses.

It takes a lot of work to turn a desperate situation around — but we've been helping conflict-shattered communities meet their biggest challenges for almost 30 years.

Please show your commitment to families struggling against the odds in places like Somalia with a generous donation today. Your support means everything.

Posted April 14, 2009 by Hussein Noor Abdille

Wellspring of Progress

Country: Somalia

Topics: Conflict & War, Displacement, Water/Sanitation

For the past seven years, Farhiyo Hussein, a 30-year-old mother of five, has lived in a camp in northern Somalia's Bossaso region. Like many IDP camps, hers lacked access to safe drinking water.

Because she could not afford the inflated prices charged by private water vendors, and to avoid the risks inherent in fetching water outside the camp – especially at night, when rapes and beatings are common – Farhiyo spent much of her day walking as far as six kilometers to collect free or cheap water. Getting water took so much time that she was unable to earn an income to feed her children.

Other households faced similarly cruel dilemmas. In those with elderly or disabled parents, children had to choose between going to school and procuring water for the family. Water, of course, came first.

Even families that did buy water from private vendors were at risk. "The water was not treated," explains Abass Hassan, the chairperson of the camp committee on water. "So cases of diarrhoea were common in almost all families, including mine."

In 2008 Mercy Corps constructed a reservoir at the camp and filled it with safe drinking water. "Mercy Corps is the first and only organisation to either construct a reservoir or supply water to this camp," notes Abass.

Today, with a clean, reliable water source close by, Farhiyo's world has opened up.

"Now, I don't have to worry about water," she says with a smile. "I can comfortably search for a job, knowing my family has access to water."

Since she no longer has to pay usurious fees, "we have enough money for other domestic needs. And thanks to the safe water, my children are finally looking healthy."

Most impressive for the long run, residents are proving their will to be self-sufficient. With the money saved, the community – on its own initiative – doubled capacity by constructing a second reservoir.

Turning Crisis Into Opportunity:

Posted March 4, 2009 by Bija Gutoff

Building Safe Water Facilities

Country: Somalia

Ask a community in crisis what it needs to rebuild, and clean water will be at the top of the list. Safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene are the very foundations of human health and community development. Mercy Corps emphasizes all three in our relief and recovery initiatives. What’s distinct about our approach is that we hire local residents to construct the water facilities they require.

We work with communities to identify their priorities. We then supply the daily wages that enable people to support their families with dignity and gain a stake in their own futures while building vital infrastructure such as wells and latrines. Our cash-for-work approach creates jobs and infuses badly needed currency into local economies.

Mercy Corps projects are bringing life-giving water and healthier sanitation to communities in Guatemala, Sudan, Tajikistan, Zimbabwe – and Somalia, an extremely poor “failed state” where tremendous numbers of people have been displaced by violence. In helping Somalis build potable water and sanitation facilities, Mercy Corps is enabling people to survive, reducing the water-access issues that represent sources of conflict, and freeing communities to take the next steps in rebuilding their lives.

We are working in five districts of southern Somalia. Through our large cash-for-work programme, we have employed area workers to build 34 wells and 1,300 family and 350 communal latrines. We also conduct hygiene education campaigns to prevent diarrhoea (which kills more than 1.4 million children worldwide each year) and other preventable waterborne illnesses. We have taught safe hygiene and sanitation practices to 8,000 households. In places that lack government support, we also teach communities how to set priorities, make plans and implement projects. All together, these projects will serve 170,400 people, of whom 42,000 live in camps for those who were forced by violence to flee their homes.

In northern Somalia, our Bossaso project brings clean water and appropriate sanitation, and teaches safe hygiene practices, to people living in camps. We first gained the cooperation of those who own the land where the camps are located, because they must approve any construction. Our team successfully negotiated with the landowners to allow the camp community to access the new water and sanitation facilities.

We then hired local people to build and maintain five beerkads – 10,000 liter concrete-lined water-holding tanks with taps – and 50 family or communal latrines. We established five waste disposal sites and, after developing and translating educational materials into the local language, taught safe hygiene and sanitation practices to 4,000 households. These projects will ultimately serve 20,000 people living in camps.

Posted May 22, 2008

Helping Somalis Endure Hardship

Country: Somalia

Topics: Water/Sanitation, Hunger, Emergencies, Conflict & War, Children

As Somalia slides closer to famine, Mercy Corps continues to drill boreholes, build schools and offer short-term jobs in an area where few global relief agencies will tread.

Mercy Corps has been working since last year to support livelihoods in southern Somalia, home to many of the 2.6 million Somalis who need food assistance because of the deteriorating humanitarian situation, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Skyrocketing food prices, the country's weak currency and worsening drought are among the factors.

A front-page New York Times story on May 17 described the crisis in wretched detail: children chewing on their lips, people eating a gruel made from tree branches and a mother inhaling her last breath before succumbing to hunger — situations all too familiar to Mercy Corps staff there.

"It's a life or death situation right now," agreed Abdikadir Mohamed, Mercy Corps' country director in Somalia. "Right now, the best we can do is continue putting money in people's pockets through our cash-for-work programmes."

In the first three months of the year, 648 people — each representing a estimated household of six — participated in Mercy Corps cash-for-work programmes that provided wages in exchange for community work. Roughly 450 people shored up riverbanks susceptible to breaches, while more than 200 cleared sections of a road vital for ferrying supplies, livestock and people to markets and health facilities.

Over the same period, six new shallow wells were constructed, which provide clean drinking water to more 18,600 people. We also taught hygiene and sanitation training to members of more than 500 households.

South-central Somalia is the poorest region of one of the world's poorest countries. It is in this area where competing clans struggle for control, where kids only dream of attending school, and where infrastructure is crumbling from 15 years of war and neglect.

A dozen aid workers have been killed in Somalia this year. Mercy Corps is one of only a handful of global relief agencies still operating in the southern part of the country.

Recently, inflation has caused prices of food and other household consumables to double in some areas. Cereal prices have surged by as much as 375 per cent in the past year, reaching historic levels, according to FAO.

Half of Somalia's population of 7 million could face an acute food and livelihood crisis by the end of the year if the rains are greatly below normal, food prices continue to soar and civil insecurity worsens, FAO's Chief Technical Adviser for Somalia warned recently.

The UN doesn't have a precise definition of famine, but the term is applied only when malnutrition and starvation are extreme and widespread. In Somalia, some of those factors used to gauge such crises "are closing in on famine range," the Times reported.

Before then, Mercy Corps hopes to secure funding to expand its assistance to Somalis, both in number and in geographic scope.

"More resources are sorely needed to avoid a full-scale humanitarian emergency," Mohamed says. "The world must act."

Posted January 23, 2008 by Jeremy Barnicle

Helping a Failed State Succeed

Country: Somalia

Topics: Displacement, Peaceful Change, Governance, Emergencies, Conflict & War, Civil Society

Mercy Corps' work in Somalia ranges from helping fishermen increase their yields to teaching new conflict-management skills to building vital transportation links. In three districts of southern Somalia, a major Mercy Corps "cash-for-work" programme is giving people the opportunity to earn money; helping communities build and repair infrastructure; and teaching local groups to set priorities, make plans and implement projects in the absence of strong government support.

Inherent in all this work is a fundamental question for all international actors in Somalia: How do you help a failed state succeed?

Since the collapse of President Siad Barre's government in 1991, Somalia has been seen as the quintessential failed state. The country, a boomerang-shaped rim along the Horn of Africa, has struggled to establish a stable government, maintain law and order, and improve the difficult living conditions most of its inhabitants endure. Economic growth is anemic outside the country's surprisingly strong service sector in urban areas. Infrastructure has been decimated. Only about one in 10 Somali children attend school.

For many Americans, mention of Somalia conjures up images of "Black Hawk Down," the 1993 incident — chronicled in Mark Bowden's bestselling book and later adapted into a Hollywood movie — where Mogadishu militias killed 18 U.S. soldiers who were part of a multinational peacekeeping operation. International attention went elsewhere, but the chaos continued. Today Somalia can be considered one of the world's "silent disasters."

What is labeled "Somalia" on today's world map is actually composed of three relatively autonomous regions:

• Somaliland, a former British colony in the northwest of Somalia, has declared that it considers itself distinct from the rest of Somalia. The region has its own system of governance and is seeking recognition from the international community as an independent nation.
• Puntland, in the northeast of the country, has also established its own political system, though it considers itself part of a federated Somalia and its elected leader serves as part of the country's Transitional Federal Government.
• Then there's the rest of Somalia, the south and south-central parts of the country. It is this area where competing clans struggle for control, where kids only dream of attending school, where infrastructure is crumbling from 15 years of war and neglect.

And this is where this story of Mercy Corps' newest project in Somalia begins.

In a Failed State, Small Successes:

Posted January 22, 2008

Q&A with Abdikadir Mohamed

Country: Somalia

Topics: Civil Society, Conflict & War, Emergencies, Peaceful Change

Abdikadir Mohamed has served as Mercy Corps' top representative in Somalia since June 2006. The 33-year-old Kenya native is an ethnic Somali who's worked in the country before, as a researcher for a health nonprofit in 2003 and 2004.

Mohamed has a master's degree in public health and epidemiology. His previous experience includes jobs for Kenya's Ministry of Health and for Mercy Corps, organising health and sanitation programmes in Sudan's troubled Darfur region. He is fluent in Swahili and Somali as well as English.

Mohamed sat down for an interview with Marketing and Communications Director Jeremy Barnicle during his recent visit to Somalia.

Jeremy Barnicle: Somalia is known as the quintessential "failed state." A semi-functioning government. No coherent military force. Limited control of its borders. What does Mercy Corps hope to accomplish there?

Abdikadir Mohamed: The conditions you mention present a big challenge to any organisation, and have created a huge gap between basic needs of communities — in particular those affected by insecurity — and the absence of a strong central government that can reliably provide essential services.

It's also the case that communities don't have a safety net when they're affected by either natural or man-made disasters. This makes them even more vulnerable.

Humanitarian access remains critical. There are an estimated 2.1 million Somalis in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and protection. The effect of war, floods, drought, sporadic governance, and roaming militias all have compounded the already fragile situation.

What we want to do is help communities restore some of the livelihoods they've lost due to war, which would provide a chance to lead a dignified life. We also want to be part of the peace initiative in Somalia, particularly in Puntland, where we're training people how to mitigate conflict. We'd like to expand that to other part of Somalia.

What are some of Mercy Corps' specific achievements?

We've helped resolve a long-standing conflict in Puntland between two major clans. Through our conflict-mitigation programme, we've also helped the communities in the Kaarkar district of Puntland to ban charcoal making to curb environmental degradation, and distributed seedlings for tree planting.

We've also been the first international relief and development agency to assist the Somali Bantus in the area west of the Juba River.

And in Bender Beyla, a coastal community hit hard by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, we helped restart fishing livelihoods by providing tools and equipment such as boats and gear, and by paying locals to help construct 40 kilometers of washed-out road that they needed to sell their fish.

How do see the prospects for peace and progress in Somalia?

This is a tough question. Optimistically speaking, the prospects for peace in Somalia are good, especially in Puntland and Somaliland. Puntland has enjoyed relative peace compared to the southern part of the country. We've seen progress firsthand through our conflict-mitigation programme — several peace committees were formed and this opened forums for dialogue between different communities.

For a lasting peace to take hold, all stakeholders in Somalia need to embrace an all-inclusive approach. We will continue to work toward that goal.

The Horn of Africa is a turbulent, complicated, and important part of the world. The issues all seem to cross national borders. How does Somalia fit into a broader regional strategy for Mercy Corps?

Somalia borders three other countries — Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti — all of which are home to Somali people. I envision Mercy Corps working with border communities to help people on both sides mitigate conflict and live together peacefully. You'll find many instances in which two families with very close ties are living on opposite sides of the border. And pastoralist communities of Somalia have long migratory routes that also cross borders. So regional integration of our activities is the way forward, to help develop the communities in Somalia integrate economically with communities across borders.

You have worked in emergencies all over Africa. Does the fact that you're an ethnic Somali make this experience any different?

Absolutely. I think it gives me an advantage, because I have an intimate understanding of the landscape. With my knowledge of the community's culture and traditional systems, I think I'm able to get things done that would be difficult for an outsider. One is recognizing the politics within a clan, and knowing the roles of certain people in Somali society. This is essentially for culturally and politically appropriate relations between international actors like Mercy Corps and the communities we're trying to assist.

What's the most interesting thing about Somalia that people need to know?

I think that it's the determination of ordinary Somalis to have peace and stability, and their incredible resilience to all the crises they have been and are still going through. Their suffering has been immense.

I'd also say that it is how Somalis live and do a thriving business in places where you and I would not think to stay for an hour, let alone invest in. For Somalis there is always a bright side, and always a way. For instance, Internet access and mobile phones — these you can get in the most remote areas, but hardly at all in neighboring countries. It's an entrepreneurial culture that knows a thing or two about survival.

In a Failed State, Small Successes:

Posted December 13, 2007 by Jeremy Barnicle

The Ladies of Mercy Corps Somalia

Country: Somalia

Topics: Women's Empowerment

I assumed Somali women would be quiet and shy — a little tough to engage in an interview.

Maybe that wasn't very thoughtful or culturally aware of me, but Somalia is a conservative Muslim country with a rural lifestyle that has suffered years of violent conflict and desperate poverty. Our three Somali female staff all wear a full hijab, the traditional head covering and full-length dress worn in many Muslim communities. People even warned me not to wear short sleeves and not to try to shake hands with a woman. So hopefully readers can understand my assumptions, if not forgive them.

I spent an hour with the three women of Mercy Corps' Jamame office to get a better idea of what it means to be a Somali woman, and realized that all my assumptions were wrong. As the ladies walked in, the first thing Mulki, our finance officer, did was look me in the eye, extend her hand, and give me a good firm shake.

Let's get some basics out of the way. Where are you from, what's your educational background, what's your marital status?

Mulki Ali Mohammed, finance officer, 18: I am from Kismayo [a city about 25 miles from here] but I live here in Jamame for the job. I finished secondary school and had additional training in accountancy. I was also trained in HIV/AIDS counselling and human rights, through non-profits. I'm not married.

Asha Adbdulle, finance assistant, 24: I'm from Jamame and I graduated from secondary school here, specializing in agriculture. I'm also not married.

Fausiya Omar, administrative assistant, 22: I am also from Kismayo, but my family was in Uganda during the war, so I did my secondary school there. I am not married either.

What do you think are the biggest challenges for Somali women?

Mulki: Rape. Kidnapping. Torture. Threats, in general.

Fausiya: Men abuse women. Even in the city there is no difference — it's like that everywhere.

Asha: Everywhere in Somalia, women don't participate in meetings and things. Men say women are nothing, only housewives. There are some opportunities for women, but not much.

Fausiya: In other countries women give speeches and attend meetings — they have a voice — but that's not really the case here in Somalia.

Mulki: Women can participate, but they don't really have the education and knowledge for the men to listen to them. The lack of education is really the big obstacle.

What could you do about the lack of education?

Mulki: I think it could be solved with better government.

Fausiya: Better schools.

Mulki: Better security.

Fausiya: I think it really is about security — that's the big one.

Asha: We — women like us — can advise the other women and teach something to the ladies.

Mulki: It's hard because even if we advocate for women, lots of women will tell us, "No, we can't do that."

Fausiya: Yes, lots of women wouldn't want to hear the advice we give.

Fausiya: There is some hope though. There are women's groups in Kismayo who set up women's schools and study groups, so I am glad to see that at least in the city, the situation is moving in the right direction.

You all have good jobs at Mercy Corps. As a Somali woman, what are your prospects for having a career?

Mulki: Before I get married, my partner would have to accept my working. Only if he accepts that will I agree to get married.

Fausiya: They used to say that girls needed to stay inside — that God said we could never go outside. But it's different now. I agree [with Mulki] that you need to make it clear to [a potential husband] from the start.

Asha: About 80 percent of Somali girls don't go to school. They get married young, and if they don't finish school they wash dishes and sit around the house.

Fausiya: My mother runs a business transporting wood, so I see a woman doing business.

Mulki: And because of the war, there are no universities and bad schools, so it's hard for lots of girls.

What's so special about having a job?

Mulki: When I saw the job announcement for this job at Mercy Corps, it said that hiring women was a priority. That made me know this would be a great place to work. When I found out I passed the application's exam, I was very happy — and I have already had additional training.

I also had to move from Kismayo [her hometown] to take the job, so I am living on my own as well. My family was a little concerned, but I call my family every day and tell them I am OK.

Who do you admire?

Asha: I admire myself — I want to see the Somali ladies become more like us.

Fausiya: I admire people who are modern and well-educated — I want to be an educated woman.

Mulki: I want to be like the Somalia women who abroad. I can leave this situation — where nothing is suitable — but elsewhere I can get a great education, good security and get good jobs. Even if I stay in Somalia, I want to be like those girls.

What do you do for fun?

Fausiya: I listen to music — usually slow American music. I like reading novels. I watch Mexican telenovelas on satellite TV. When I am in Kismayo, I love to go sit on the beach for a few hours and go swimming with my sisters. We go on Fridays for a few hours.

The beach? What do you wear? Do you have a hijab for the water?

Fausiya: We don't have to wear the hijab because there are few men on the beach on Fridays — they are usually at the mosque. It used to be that girls would get kidnapped, but it's better now.

Mulki: That's interesting because I spent my whole life in Kismayo but I've only been in the ocean twice. I am kind of afraid of the sea; I don't really know how to swim.

Asha: I like to watch TV — mostly the news.

Mulki: I listen to the news on the radio. I love to watch football — I'm a Liverpool fan. I also attend football games in Kismayo. I even play football at my brother's house. When I go into the house, I throw my hijab off and then I can play. I also read history books and romance novels. It's one way to learn something about love, too. We all listen to radio call-in shows when they are talking about love. When I can, I like to go on the Internet and do instant messaging with Fausiya.

What do you see yourself accomplishing in your career? Do you want to run a business or a non-profit or be president?

Fausiya: I don't care much about politics. I just want to keep my job and become the admin officer for this Mercy Corps office. I always encourage myself to keep at it.

I want to advocate for other Somali women and girls. I want them to be able to carry themselves in a proud way, and if they see women doing important work here, they'll want to go to school more badly.

I want to be a big shot in Somalia!

Mulki: Saying you want to be president of this country is like digging your grave, so I'd like to be some kind of manager.

Asha: Now I am the finance assistant. Next I want to be finance officer, then I want to be a finance manager, here or somewhere else. We have a saying here:

If money is lost, nothing is lost.
If time is lost, something is lost.
If hope is lost, everything is lost.

I have hope — I have lots of hope about the future!