Community Empowerment
Through
Local ABC4All
Saturday 31st March 2007
State House IDP
Organized by ABC4All Mentoring Team Members together
with Solvoy
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FOREWORD This is an interim
report of the Local ABC4All awareness campaign held at state house Community
in Hargeisa. This is the first type of ABC4All campaign locally held in
Somalia. The campaign was attended by a larger number of people than was
originally expected or planned. For instance, a lot of participants from the
five sections of the statehouse IDP camp attended the event. In fact, more
than 200 people -- children, youth, women, men, traditional leaders, leaders
of CSOs and key figures from Somaliland government and political parties
attended the event. Such kind of active participation shows the popularity
and the positive outcome that the Local ABC4All effort can produce. One of
the memorable outcomes of this local ABC4All event is that 22 students from
statehouse are offered education scholarships every year. The purpose of the
event is to publicize the Good News of ABC4All in aspects of community
development and empowerment, mobilize local resources for statehouse
Community and encourage them to maximize efforts to meet their overall needs Introduction This campaign
highlighted powerful contributions that can be done to help the neediest
people of the country. As an initial starting point, the local ABC4All
Mentoring Team, together with
Somaliland Voice of Youth (SOLVOY) and Statehouse Youth Development
Organization (SHAYDO) launched the ABC4All event under the theme of “Community
Empowerment Through Local ABC4All” at the statehouse area. The
community of the statehouse is estimated at about 4000 to 4500 extended
families, who have been internally displaced as a result of the civil wars in
1988 and 1994. As a result of Focus group discussions (FGD) conducted by the
Mentoring team from Solvoy prior to this event in the statehouse, it is known
that these people suffer severe Poverty. In addition, the main problems which
exist in the statehouse are: Inadequate Education or nearly lack of
education, Lack of Health facilities and centers, Shortage of Shelter and
food, Lack of Recreational centers , Poor sanitation, Lack of security and
electricity. Launching ABC4All
locally will enable and empower the community itself to stand for their
rights and also to discuss, address and publicize their needs to the funding
communities. Create opportunities that the young people can be mobilized to
work for their development. |
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PROGRAMME
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Prayer and WELCOME
Mustafe Farah Migane,
from SOLVOY and a member of the ABC4All Mentoring Team Project welcomed the
participants. He invited SHOYDA members to come up and say the prayer for the
day.
Opening Speech
A statehouse community
leader was invited and given the microphone to officially open the event and
welcome the other delegates. Mr.
Mohmoud Ali, the state house community leader, officially opened the event. He
acknowledged the organizers of the event and encouraged his community to
participate in development activities for a better community for all. He warmly
welcomed the official delegates and stated that those people, who attended this
event, are waiting to hear the words of their government, CSOs, political
parties. He concluded his speech by saying’ we are waiting to hear nice voices
of what are government, CSOs and political parties will do for statehouse
community.
Introduction of ABC4ALL
Mrs. Fosia made a
brief introduction about ABC4All. She, in her speech of thanks, mentioned that
this local ABC4All is following a focus group discussion that was conducted in
the community on 23rd of March 2007. There were several discussion
questions and ideas raised during the community discussion for making the
ABC4All plan. She remarked that she was excited about the event and the
interest it had generated and expressed her delight at the regeneration that
created ABC4All.
Fosia mentioned the
urgent issue facing the state house IDP community due to the season that these
people are worried about the rains since they do not have strong coverage for
their shelters to safely protect them from the rain, and the garbage that the
surrounding communities are discarding in the area that can cause disease out
break during the season. She also included the children and the youth of this
community who are more then 4500 families do not get access for education
opportunities.
She placed her will
for the local ABC4All to bring change, and this change will be globally heard
today. What we do here will not stay
inside this community but it will be something that can be heard and learned
about from a distance. We can see the
local media here with us and ABC4All will be our Global Media to make us an
example to see what people can do internally. The term, “ABC4All” is making
change from a distance and creating sustainable opportunities (a better
community for all). I wish that ABC4All will continue to inspire the rest of
the world
Word of Honor and Community Encouragement
Prof. Abdi Ali, Hargeisa
local government council member, said the honor word of the event. He said that
world is becoming one room because of the internet. He explained that people
communicate with each other as if they are living in the same villages. He
appreciated the local ABC4All initiative and promised to support. For instance,
Abdi Ali stated that community development starts from local resource
mobilization to empower poor people. He suggested that behavior and attitude
change is first step to challenge poverty and maintain development initiatives.
He concluded his speech that Human beings are responsible for the overall
development of the world so it is important for every society to study, analyze
and adopt its surrounding environment to live positively.
Word of community contribution and Empowerment
Hassan Awale Aynan,
member of Somaliland parliament and owner of 17 May school, was welcomed to the
microphone to say the words of community contribution. Hassan said Somaliland
Parliament are those directly elected by the community to represent them. He
said he will take this message to other members of the Parliament to discuss
how to contribute to this local ABC4All to empower our community in the areas
of health, education, shelter, food, electricity, and sanitation. In conclusion
Hassan, declared that he personally offered scholarships for 22 students from
statehouse community every year. He said these students will learn from school
called 17 May in Hargeisa. This opportunity is one of the interesting outcomes
of the local ABC4All. Lastly, Hassan encouraged the community, the founders of
ABC4All, the ABC4All Mentoring Team
Project, SOLVOY and SHAYDO to continue this effort until we reach the vision of
ABC4All.
Words of Encouragement
Hassan sultan, the
chairperson of UCID party in Hargeisa region, was given the chance to say his
words, which were entitle, “Community Empowerment.” He thanked everybody who
attended this beautiful and attractive event. Hassan said that justice and
welfare are the basis of community empowerment so, it’s important to encourage
justice whenever development projects are being implemented. He said that UCID
envisions that all Somaliland people are in justice and welfare, which means
poverty and injustice are eradicated from the country. He pointed out that
Somaliland would be a role model for African countries if the local business
companies, the government and the CSOs come together to initiate and implement
sustainable development projects for their people especially those who
internally displaced. Need we say more!
Word of CSOs (Civil Society
Organizations)
Mr.
Mohamed Yousuf Aw-Ali (Ulimo), chairperson of Somaliland National Youth
Organization (SONYO umbrella) welcomed to say the word of CSOs in Somaliland
especially youth development activities in the country. Mr. Ulimo said that
SONYO umbrella which coordinates 30 youth organizations from all the SBC
regions of Somaliland undertakes youth development programs to empower them for
a better future. He said SONYO is ready to offer development programs for
statehouse community, especially youth through the local ABC4All. He appreciated
this initiative of local ABC4All and, for instance, will encourage other youth
groups in Somaliland. Ulimo stated that children are those needed to focus and
target in the near future because they are fathers, mothers and leaders of
tomorrow. He concluded his speech by promising that he will take this message
to SONYO in order to discuss how and in what way they can take part this
initiative as well as to provide youth development programs to statehouse
community.
History of the state House
History of the state
house was made by the leader of state house youth who stated that this
community is internally displaced; they are refugees within their country due
to the wars. There are 4500 families and yet there is plenty of food for
everyone. The problem is that IDP
people are trapped in severe poverty. They lack the money to buy enough food
and they also lack opportunities to learn life skills and acceptance from the
rest of the communities to employ them. This makes them increasingly less able
to work, which then makes them even poorer and hungrier. This downward spiral
often continues causing isolation for them and their families.
The
children of these community lack proper education, recreational centers, and
acceptance from the other communities. We hope to hear and see the rest of the
other communities contributing to make such days, and we hope to see you people
working with us. We promise that the
state house community will be an example, leading the way for community
development.
We
don’t want the ABC4All effort to do like the rest of the people -- they just
come and watch us like if we are films but we want to see ABC4All continue
doing like the good news we heard from this event.
Closing of the Event
Event
Drama
The event was closed with a beautiful drama organized by statehouse youth members with the help of SHAYDO. This drama focused on the attitude of the people towards the development. It encourages how best they can utilize their available resources as well as to seek education opportunity in order to get people who have skills and knowledge. This drama says people should help themselves instead of asking other people what they can do them selves. Finally, when drama finished, people started to clean the school and its surroundings where the event takes place.