LIVELIHOOD GRANTS FOR VULNERABLE MINORITY FAMILIES IN HARGEISA

USWO ORG – Hargeisa, Somaliland: On 12 September 2013, USWO in collaboration with Save the Children International (SCI) and Child Right Community Committees (CRCCs) launched the second income generation livelihood grant provision to 37 vulnerable families in the IDP camp of Daami A and B. The main objective to support these families is to sustain their household economy and to provide protection concerns to their children against abuse such as child laboring in the streets, child not going to school including ensuring children’s physical fitness on health matters.

PRIMARY PROTECTION CONCERN OF TWO UNACCOMPANIED YOUNG CHILDREN TWIN BROTHERS

Hassan and Hussein Khadar are two young brother twins of 12 years old. Their mother is dead during their birth period. The death of their mother has left their father to be mentally ill. They used to live with their old and weak grandmother in Qandahaar village of Hargeisa. Their mentally ill father has always violated, bothered, frightened and threatened them to death. About ten days ago, their mentally ill father has driven them from grandmother’s home to Hargeisa centeral streets to beg people; in order to, get some money for their father to buy Khat to chew and they have been doing this for the last ten days and nights. On September 14th 2013, they have been lost from their mentally ill father and were found somewhere in Hero-Awr village being very hungry and sick by the neighboring villagers there.

IMPROVING CARE AND PROTECTION OF VULNERABLE CHILDREN

USWO, considering child reintegration exercise so far accomplished and fully registered 198 labor and street children for providing protection concern support, USWO in collaboration with CRCCs and MoLSA promoted child reintegration exercise in Hargeisa. This is approached in collaboration with Save the Children International in Hargeisa Somaliland office with the support funds of Danish TV collection. The age group registered varies from 7 – 16 years old. The main focus was child labor working on the streets. Those are mostly children working on the streets. USWO; in collaboration with CRCCs and SCI, has completed selection, documenting, photographing and provided support grant to 66 eligible family household beneficiaries to have an access to livelihoods development and income generation activities; in order to, save the lives of their vulnerable children and enable them to be at school for safe learning.

USWO ORGANIZATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE PROFILE

Ubah Social Welfare Organization better is known widely as ‘USWO’ was found in 2004. USWO is non-political, non-profit making minority right based Organization, which concerned minority activists. USWO is the local NGO of its kind established by members of minority individuals working in the area to voice out range persisted problems of discrimination and isolation that deprived minority societies in Somaliland from their social, economic and political rights. USWO envision working with and addressing the needs of the minority group/society through promotion of their human rights and socioeconomic development by strengthening their capacities, skills and knowledge to enable them attain sustainable development.

JOURNALISM AND ACCOUNTING FREE COURSES OFFERED TO VULNERABLE YOUTH

High levels of unemployment and widespread poverty characterize most regions of Somalia. While in SCZ poverty is driven mainly by the overbearing conflict, in PL and SL inadequate economic opportunities are a predominant cause. Oxfam Novib believes that within the framework of this Action, responding to the lack of economic opportunities in SL and PL will yield positive results, whereas the space of work in SCZ is too limited. This means that inevitably, the geographical focus will lie on Punt-land and Somaliland only. 

This unemployment could be reduced through providing quality, marketable and relevant skills to the unemployed so that they can be easily placed in the relevant potential employs interested in utilizing their skills and knowledge. Moreover, life skills such as leadership courses should be provided to the youth in order to enhance their career development. The final beneficiaries will be the youth in general. The training will create momentum through peer-to-peer exposure and more youths will become interested in participation.