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Distribution of Supplies to IDP Camps in Puntland
In consultation with the Ministries of Education, Health and Youth and Sports, most the current consignment is planned be dispatched to a location that has been suffering from drought. This area is often neglected because of its remoteness as well as its disputed land. This has caused brief and politically intense conflicts, which have been both deadly and devastating.
“The reoccurrence of clan and political conflicts, periphery, prolonged droughts and population growth, as result of natural growth with limited resources has led poor condition to the people. According to the UN and INGOs reports, most of the people are living in significantly difficult circumstance. School enrolment rate is low comparing other towns and due to the absence of adequate teaching materials, facilities and skilled teachers. Although the town has several private clinics, the general hospital, which is the only public hospital in that area, is not equipped as needed.” – Staff who works and lives in country
In response to those circumstances, the aid was intended to benefit an estimated 700 students of different age groups two orphanage centers and schools, and for each student to receive a CarePack.
Also, each student received rice packs that would last each of them two months. We also gave one orphanage center 3 boxes of soccer balls, and the the other 5 boxes were turned over to the Ministry of Labour, Youth and Sports (MoLYS) and distributed throughout the region.
Other donations included 20 boxes of blankets that were donated to the same students as well as people in the neighborhood. Other items of the supplies included wheelchairs, mobility carts and mixed mobility supplies which benefited over 180 disabled people in two towns.
Nearly 273 of the drought-affected people in these towns and their families benefited from the used clothing and blankets. The other donations included nearly 5000 items of disposable medical supplies that went to health facilities in the same districts.
Planning the distribution of supplies with local authorities
Prior to the arrival of the supplies, the local NGO consulted with the Ministries of Education and Health and Youth and Sports in planning the distribution of the donated items. They agreed to undertake a joint distribution of items. The Ministries also advised to target the new supplies to the orphanage center and 6 schools, 2 community health centers in one town, and the general hospital and other 4 health clinics in the surrounding settlements. After the identification of the beneficiaries and distribution plan was agreed, the transport and the delivery of the supplies to the targeted schools/centers was conducted.
Distribution and supply delivery to the targeted centers
The supplies were disturbed at an orphanage center and the community health centers by a team composed of the local community, local authority, and field staff as per the agreed distribution plan. A launching event was held at the main orphanage center where representatives from the regional education ministries, religious scholars, and our NGO as well as other guests attended. The Mayor of the town officially launched the distribution handing out supplies to the orphanage. After 5 days of work, the team went to another town and distributed supplies to those families affected by drought living in IDP camps.
Beneficiaries were also able to express their appreciation towards the relief distribution stating that this was a much needed but unexpected humanitarian act. Particularly, the orphaned children who appreciated the distributed supplies. Also, the administration and teachers of the schools and health centers were very thankful. They said the bringing the supplies to the orphan center was very thoughtful and the children were indeed worthy and deserved to get these highly nutritious supplies.
Fartuun is a 47 year old single mother who has been greatly affected by the drought. She lost all of her animals in the drought and has migrated to the nearest city in hopes of finding a better place to live. She received used clothes, rice bags, and blankets.
“We were caught by surprise at just how quickly this drought has returned. The time for people to recover has been halved and has been continuing to decrease every single season,” she said. “Ultimately, it’s a climate crisis, but we are very grateful for this quick response/aid especially blankets, rice, and used clothes since I will be able to dress decently.”
The rice and beans she received will ensure that the herself and the kids can fight malnutrition.
Hassan is a 45-year-old man who is crippled and has been using his hands while dragging his body along the ground in order to move. He was given a Pet Cart and was overjoyed that he no longer had to crawl on the dirty, dusty roads. “There is no other day I’m happier than today and I’m grateful for the mobility cart you provided me in order to move.”
Eight year old Howa is an orphan and is a student at the orphanage school. She lives with her aunt is very old, but supports her in her life and encourages her to get an education. She received soccer balls and CarePacks and was so happy along with her other classmates to receive new items for school. “Me and my classmates are very grateful and morally happy.” She said.
Nutritious Food Distributions in Djibouti
In Djibouti we often give out nutritious food packs to refugees, athletes, schools, hospitals and other places where we have identified the biggest need. It takes a lot of work to move these boxes in 100+ degree Fahrenheit (40C) weather!
LIFE and Italian Military Distribute Aid
In collaboration with the Italian Military, LIFE did a distribution to a remote village in Djibouti. We gave out soccer balls, rice and bean packets, and school supply kits. This village is located 15-20 km from the nearest medical facility or school. There is not a lot to do there so handing out soccer balls provides the children (and adults) with something fun to do. People love soccer in Djibouti and by distributing the balls it gives them more than just food and clothing; we are trying to show that we care about all aspects of their life.
Blanket and Rice Distribution in Djibouti
We recently received a shipment of blankets and rice and bean packets. We distributed these among a rural area in Djibouti.
"Thank you for your help, we are so happy to get this help. We welcome any kind of help from you. Really we are desperate people because we live in a border area where no one helps us."
The girl (pictured right) lost her father in Yemen. Her mother works hard to sell material on the street of the village. Living as refugees she has not had the opportunity to go to school. She has to help her mother sell material so they can have money to live.
When we asked her what she would like to get in life, she responded, "I would like to go school to change the life of my family in the future."
As an organization we are working hard to create opportunities for children like this girl. By providing basic necessities like food and blankets we can help take the burden off of the children and give them an opportunity to get in school.
"Thank you for your help, I was wondering what I was going to do for my children to protect them from the cold. But now I have two blankets and 6 boxes of rice. This is the first time in my life to get help from somewhere and I was so surprised when I was given these blankets and rice!
I hope this is not the last time to get help, and I hope this will open doors for help of abandoned people like us. I would like my children to get better future than me. Thank you so much. You create us hope of life and we keep you eye on always."
"It is a big challenge to be born homeless and to grow up having children in the same condition—no job and no income, but begging in the streets with our children is our daily life! We are very thankful to those who sent us the rice. May God bless them."
"My name is Halimo and I am a mother of 6. I am very happy today, and I have no words to express it. Thank you so much for giving us the blanket to protect us from the cold."
"My name is Zahra and I am a grandmother of two. Their family separated when the youngest was 6 months old. Today he is two and half. Only Allah knows our situation and this blanket which you gave us is one of our main needs. Thank you so much for remembering us."
"I want to bring this blanket and rice to my mother. My mother is sick today and at home. I love this rice; I want to eat it and grow up quickly to help my family in the future. I want to be a doctor. If I were a doctor today I would help cure my mother."
"My name is Mona and I am 11 years old, and this is my brother Kalid. I help my mother at home, cooking food, washing clothes, and doing dishes. I do not attend school, but I do attend the local school where I learn religion. When I finish there I want to learn other languages like English or Arabic. In the future I want to help my family."
"I am a mother of two children and am happy to have this blanket to keep my children from the cold. This is my youngest daughter and she has been sick for two weeks. There is not a good hospital here, and we do not have enough money to get to the capital. We hope she will recover one day with the traditional medicine available in our village."
"We are so happy today! We got help from you and this is not what we expected. We didn't know if there were merciful people who knew our situation. You give us great happiness. Today we got rice and blankets and it is the perfect time for blankets because of the cold."
"I am a mother of four children and am very happy to get this blanket and rice to my children." Thank you for your unforgettable help and we hope to have more from you in the future. You are so dear to us for bringing the blankets and rice into our village. I think tonight my children will not be cold when I put this blanket them. Thank you again. I very appreciate with your gift."
"We are very happy to get this wonderful gift from people who love to support weak people like us. Today is unforgettable day for us because we now have blankets for our children.. We would like to thank those merciful people who brought us blankets and rice into our village."
Somali Nursing Students Distribution Nutritious Rice in Somaliland
The nursing students from the Amoud Health Science faculty conduct family visits in the community. This semester they have been going to an area where people have returned to live after being in Ethiopia. During the war they fled from Somaliland to Ethiopia and now they have come back. In this specific area are the poorest of the poor.
In the initial visit from the nursing students they took a family health assessment where they assessed the nutritional status (MUAC assessment tool) of the children under five. In this specific area they found that some of the families who had children were malnourished or in danger of malnutrition. Some of the families could not provide three meals a day for their children. The students brought nutritious rice packages to give out to the families.
In Borma there is an orphanage with about 90 children between the of 3 and 16. The students went there to talk about health education and spend time with the children. They delivered also delivered one box of nutritious rice for the children.
Somaliland Distribution
Gargarra is a village in North West Somaliland, that has begun to pursue agricultural development. They have fields outside the village, and have begun growing a variety of crops. The Minister of Agriculture asked LIFE to aid Gargarra in preventing flooding in their fields. When the rain comes it goes directly into their fields and destroys the crops, and then heads straight to the ocean. This means that they are unable to conserve the water, and their crops are destroyed. We at LIFE, in coordination with the Minister of Agriculture, decided to give them 80 gabions, and aid them in the installation process. The gabions will divert the flow of water into their irrigation canals, allowing them to save the crops, and conserve water. Water is a commodity in these regions of Somaliland, and so anything done to preserve it is well worth it.
Distribution:
On August 10th 2014, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture, LIFE supplied 80 gabions to the village of Gargarra. In order for the workers installing the gabions to be paid, we brought two tons (145 boxes) of rice as well, and used it as Food for Work. As an added kindness LIFE also supplied them with one hundred pairs of Tom’s shoes, which were distributed mainly amongst the children.
The Minister of Agriculture went on this trip as well, because he believed it to be extremely important. Agricultural development is a slow growing sector in the Somaliland economy, and fields getting destroyed by rain would severely hamper its growth. That being said, we at LIFE were very happy to supply gabions to Gargarra, being as it is a project that will have long term implications.
Inside an IDP camp: Food Relief
The needs in the Internally Displaced People (IDP) camp in Mohammed Morge, just outside of Hargeisa, are extreme.
The needs in the Internally Displaced People (IDP) camp in Mohammed Morge, just outside of Hargeisa, are extreme. The camp was established due to the drought in Somaliland. Officially the camp has 1600 families. There are 5-7 people per family of which 4-5 of these members are children under the age of 15. Most often the inhabitants are thus elderly, widowed, or children. The camp is growing with more than 100 new families arriving per month. The major needs in the camp are food, clean water, shelter, proper sanitation, and medicine.
The camp has a functional committee that has registered themselves as a CBO (Community Based Organization) with the Somaliland government. It is divided in groups of 20 families with leaders that were appointed by the groups themselves. There is a makeshift clinic with a nurse from Southern Somalia volunteering her services. Some small kiosks have been opened, a small vegetable market exists, and there are some places that sell water. Some of the inhabitants who are strong
enough go to Hargeisa to beg or look for jobs.
LIFE International (with the help of donors) gave 1500 14kg boxes of MannaPack Rice to the camp. The LIFE International team went to the camp and distributed the 1500 food coupons door-to-door to the inhabitants of the camp. We gave a box for every food coupon received. Although there has been a bit of insecurity caused by the large crowd of people, the day proceeded as planned and the distribution was successfully completed. Some ‘mamas’ cried for joy while many of them were not even able to carry their own boxes. One lady even collapsed due to hunger.
Khadija is a 60-year-old Somalilander who has lost her husband a couple of years ago. She has 10 children. “I pray to Allah for help each day. I have nothing and am only begging for my daily bread! This is the first food I have for more than a month,” she said while kissing my hand (as a sign of appreciation).
Sulecha Ismael is barely 20-years-old and already a mother of two. Her husband (30 years old) is with her in the camp and jobless. They fled the fighting in Mogadishu and now she moves from house to house, looking for some washing to do. Life is difficult with her two small children. Many
times they have to go to bed hungry. She appreciated the Manna rice very much!
Habiba clung to to her box of food as she agreed to talk to us. She never took her hand off the box during the
interview, as if it is her only possession. She is a 70-year-old from a rural area in Somaliland. There are 5 of her children with her in the camp. She also has a child in the hospital. The pain in her face tells the story of her 3 children and husband who have died. She has been in the camp for the last 5 months and this is the first relief food she has received!
Somaliland Development: Food For Work
Small villages often lack communication with larger centers and cannot evacuate casualties or get in aid.
Small villages often lack communication with larger centers and cannot evacuate casualties or get in aid. Food and other supplies are expensive because of transport costs.
This village is benefiting from a Food for Work program which is building a road to the nearest town as well as providing basic food and clothes distribution.
In the last 10 years in this area, 16 women have lost their lives in childbirth because of the inability to evacuate them to a medical facility.
An elderly lady, Amran, is taking care of her five grandchildren, who were orphaned when their parents died of hunger. She has no source of income, but has the burden of caring for the children, the youngest being nine months old. When the LIFE team gave her 10 packets of rice-soy food, she was overwhelmed with joy and cried. The children gathered and hugged their grandmother and the packs of food.
the route
the road under construction
A School in AShekh Awareh built when a road connected the village to a small town 45km away; Immunization vehicles can now get through and camels are no longer the only transport.
Food Distribution in Puntland
Shabelle Camp had 700 families in September when LIFE International staff arrived to distribute food.
Shabelle Camp had 700 families in September when LIFE International staff arrived to distribute food. The families came from North of the UN-assisted areas of Southern Somalia and could not reach camps around Mogadishu.
These people from the Hobyo, Xarardher, Dusamareb, and Beledweyne groups are use to hard work but through fighting and drought they have lost all their animals and homes.
Our staff worked with camp authorities to identify the most needy families and form them into groups of 12-15 who each received 50 kg of rice and a container of oil, enough for one month.
Only 250 families could be supplied from the resources we had. There is a critical need to continue supplies and to supply the remaining families. The only major supporters of this camp are the Islamic Relief and rich pilgrims returning from the Haj.
We made a second visit in October and supplied food for 400 families. The camp is made of cardboard homes, not sustainable for rainy weather. Plastic sheeting costs about 10 dollars per home. Right after we visited we found out 200 homes were burned down in one incident.
Many refugees have little clothing and the children get sick, due to the lack of medical facilities and doctors. For now we have provided four pit latrines (to serve 5-600 families) and started two wells.
Southern Somalia Relief Efforts
In response to the drought that wreaked havoc in the Horn of Africa
In response to the drought that wreaked havoc in the Horn of Africa, we have donated 40 boxes of medical supplies, 20 boxes of assorted clothes and shoes, and 500 boxes of MannaPack Fortified Rice, while SCC/UNICEF donated 500 buckets of 20 litres of capacity and soap. Each beneficiary was given one box of MannaPack Fortified Rice, three pieces of soap, a bucket for water, and shoes and clothing.
With our partners, we distributed 6.95 metric tons of food relief consisting of cereal, pulses, vegetable oil and corn soya blend and distributed it to 500 children living in IDP camps in the Hodon district.
Halima Ayow Abbow, a 38-year-old mother with four children displaced from Dedmay village of Barava district is a widow whose husband was murdered in 2010. As she told us in tears, armed groups belonging to Alshabab Militia that controlled the area took him from his home to an unknown prison. The group accused him of being spy and after two months in their custody they sentenced him to be beheaded and his body thrown in the street.
Halima had eight children with no one to assist her in raising them. She said that she recently lost one of her sons on the way to Mogadishu due to famine. “I didn’t have anything to feed him and we were lacking food for six consecutive days so I took my children here to Mogadishu but we still didn’t eat for over 24 hours.”
In a mixed mood of sadness and relief of the past ordeals, Halima expressed her gratitude to those who donated the nutritious food and other items for her children.
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