40 CHILDREN TRAINED ON PROBLEM SOLVING, CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND SELF-HELP PROTECTION INITIATIVES IN HARGEISA.

USWO organization - Hargeisa, Somaliland: On October 3, 2013, Ubah Social Welfare Organization (USWO) in cooperation with Save the Children International (SCI) has conducted one day training for problem solving, conflict management and self-help initiatives through child to child and youth to youth groups in Strengthening Community Based Responses for Improving Care and Protection of Vulnerable Children in Daami A and B (SCORE)” for their valuable presence, active participation and acceptance of our 40 invited children.

Acknowledgment

On behalf of the Ubah Social Welfare Organization (USWO), based in Hargeisa with the mandate of socioeconomic development for Somaliland marginalized and vulnerable minority groups

I would like to convey my best thanks to the Save Children, the participants of one day training session from Daami A and B in the Child to Child training in Strengthening Community Based Responses for Improving Care and Protection of Vulnerable Children in Daami A and B (SCORE)” for their valuable presence, active participation and acceptance of our invitation 

Once again my best gratitude expressed to the Save Children for their financial support in this project activity.

Abshir Ibrahim

Executive Director, USWO 

1. Introduction

On May 26th 2012 collaboration partner agreement has been signed between Save the Children and USWO for the implementation of the project entitled “Strengthening Community Based Responses for Improving Care and Protection of Vulnerable Children in Somaliland (SCORE)”.

Ubah Social Welfare Organization better is known widely ‘USWO’ is non-political, non-profit making Developmental Voluntary Organization for Minority Groups in Somaliland, which professional individuals have found it and officially registered with the Somaliland National Planning and Coordination Ministry as a local NGO in early 2004.

USWO is the L NGO of its kind established by members of minority groups working in the area to voice out range persisted problems of discrimination and isolations against minority groups in Somaliland based on social, economic and political rights. USWO envision working with and addressing the needs of the minority group/society through the protection of child/human rights, and promotion of socioeconomic development by strengthening communities’ capacities, skills and knowledge to enable them attain sustainable development.

On the basis of the finding of Somaliland Child Right Situational Analysis (CRSA), SC- has secured funding for two years from Danish TV collection to undertake  a child protection project “ Strengthen Community Based Responses to improve care and protection for vulnerable children in Somaliland”(SCORE). The main target group of SCORE project is street children and internally displaced children in two IDP camps namely; Hargeisa State House and Daami (A+B). These two groups are most vulnerable children in Somaliland as revealed in CRSA. These children's exposure all forms of abuse including sexual abuse.

To improve the care and protection of these children, SCORE project has planned to successfully establish and promote 100 children into their communities/families (as operationally defined) through implementation of different activities and services. Child right clubs will also be formed to facilitate children to meet and discuss the matters concerned. It requires concentration and concert strategy with effective child friendly process in the line with principles of child right convention. One of the first steps is to identify the number of children involved in the child to child training from DAAMI (A+B).

This report narrates on the conduction of one day Workshop for Problem Solving, Conflict Management and Self-help Initiatives through Child to Child Groups in Somaliland-Hargeisa  in Strengthening Community Based Responses for Improving Care and Protection of Vulnerable Children in (SCORE)” in Daami A+B villages – Hargeisa, Somaliland.

The report also delineates the impact (through output) challenges and recommendations during the conduct of the training.

2. Background

In generally, children are lacked the techniques of problem solving. When children encounter a problem and/or go into conflict they immediately react rather looking the proper management of the matter. It is common that children conflict each other. They sometimes oppose their parents and disregard teachers’ instructions. Children are the ones who suffer at most when family is in conflict and when there is a disagreement between family neighbors, and when there is a nationwide internal conflict.

Considering children as tomorrow’s leaders, the need to train children on child to child training to the best possible way of solving problems and seeking its management is very essential. There is a need to prepare children to grow an environment free from conflict and promote their thinking ability to be able to manage conflicts. There is a need to make follow up and support children to carry out their work plan (meetings, reporting violation against children to us as an USWO organization, disseminating training skills with peer).

As part of Strengthening Community Based Responses for Improving Care and Protection of Vulnerable Children, SCORE Project, Ubah Social and Welfare Organization (USWO) in collaboration with Save the Children International (SCI) undertook a one day workshop on to streamline Problem Solving, Conflict Management and Self-help Initiatives through Child to Child Groups in the IDP camp of Daami A and B in Hargeisa, Somaliland. The target reach to train was 100 children consecutively. Today, on 3rd October 2013, the first patch of the composing 30 (15 each) children went through child to child training. These initiatives shall include formation of Child Right Clubs for the children in the IDP of Dami A and B. 

The main aim of the one day workshop was to train children  on important things to know about "conflict" and "conflict management", stages of conflict, how to minimize the possibility of conflict through cooperation and team work, how to manage and resolve conflict situations, how to outline for a mediation practice session s, and practice mediation guidelines. 

SCORE project will build capacities of different stakeholders in different skills. At the present time, as part of the SCORE project activities two groups of children from Dami A and B will be given a one day training workshop to equip them on problem solving and conflict management. 

3. The Aim and Objective of the Training

Overall Objectives 

The overall goal is to avoid conflict among children, families, etc. where possible and organizing to resolve conflict where it does happen, as rapidly and smoothly as possible.

4. The Specific Objectives

• Recognize the stage of growth for the children groups and the stage in which children have more conflicts; 

• Understand the four stages of conflict;

• Know the major sources of conflict between organizations, children, children and parents, children and teacher;

• Recognize types of conflicts occur in the society, schools and families;

• Know and have ability on how to solve the conflict between children groups. 

5. Expected outcomes:

• The trainees would have an increased their knowledge in defining conflict management; 

• The trainees would have fully understood in identifying stages of conflict;

• The trainees would have to assess the situations in resolving conflicts and its management; vulnerability of a child and not necessarily define vulnerability based on a targeted group 

• The trainees would have an strengthened capacity ability of the team work building and cooperation aspects and mediation practices;  

6. Content of the Training  for Child Protection Committee on Child Protection

• What do organizations use conflict management for?

• Important things to know about "conflict" and "conflict management"

• How to identify signs and stages of conflict

• How to build teamwork and co-operation (…and so minimize the possibility of conflict)

• How to manage and resolve conflict situations

• Outline for a Mediation Practice Session

7. Methodology 

• Presentation and plenary discussion

• Group work

• Role play  

• Brainstorming 

• Debates 

• Question and answers 

8. Training Framework/Time 

• The duration of the training was one day held from 3rd October 2013 and ended on same date.

7a. Target audiences: 

• Number of participants was 30 children from Dami A & B (15 each). Participants of the training are drawn from the IDP families in Dami A and B villages

7b. Training Venue: 

• The training was conducted at Dalxiis Restaurant Hargeisa.

8. Opening Ceremony

Mr. Abshir Ibrahim of USWO local NGO made official opening remarks.  He welcomed the participants of the training and thanked for the time they sacrificed to materialize the success of this training. He also had underlined the commitment of the participants for their attendance in this important occasion. He then thanked Save the Children for the financial support and appreciated the continued cooperation to USWO. In his speech, Mr. Abshir finally thanked to the CRCC members of Daami A+B for their organization of the one day workshop. He encouraged CRCCs to never get tired for their roles and responsibilities in order to promote the project’s sustainability including their full participation of the overall project activities. 

9. Principles used in Child to Child Training Session

It was one of the trainer’s major emphases to have sought to understand the committee learners and their learning problems before mounted the training activity for them. Followings were the key issues to bear in mind while conducting the child to child training:

• Children were allowed to express their views;

• Experience oriented with high sense of self-respect 

• All children were voluntary learners;

• Content of the training for Child to Child. 

10. Results of the Training

As a result of this activity, it has so far reached and gained the abilities to enhance their knowledge on the protection of child rights at the end of the training and is as followings:

• 30 Child to Child participants were trained in the subject matter.

• Violations, abuse and negligence of the children reduced  through the child to child training;

• Violations and abuses of the child protection reported  and measures are taken timely; 

• Children’s meeting conducted through formation of child right clubs and information sharing is explored in different ways of dealing with children challenges and everyday problems encountered;

• There should be an increased skills and knowledge of the participants through child to child training;

• The marginalized efforts in child protection in the IDP children of Dami A & B strengthened;

11.     Challenges

• Dami A and B children were un-organized. However, USWO worked closely with committee and made intact of their existence.

Annexes

Annex 1

Program Schedule

Workshop for Child to Child Training

Date: 3/10/2013

Day	Session Topics	Presentation and plenary discussion, Group work, Role play, Brainstorming, Debates, and Question and answers.
Day 1
3/10 (8:00am)	Opening session	·         Registration,  Attendance the trainees and material distribution
	Qur’an Reciting
	Opening Remarks	·         Speeches
	Workshop norms	·         Introduction to each other, ·         Setting norms and values, ·         group formation and ·          expectation leveling
	Getting to Start:	·         What do organizations use conflict management for? ·         Important things to know about "conflict" and "conflict management" ·         How to identify signs and stages of conflict ·         How to build teamwork and co-operation (…and so minimize the possibility of conflict) ·         Group discussion/debating/
		Tea Break
		·         How to manage and resolve conflict situations ·         Outline for a Mediation Practice Session
		·         Mediation Guideline: Code of Conduct for Participants
12:30PM	Closing session

Annex 2

Attendance List for Child to Child Training

List of trainees of Dami A &B                  Date:3/10/2013.

No	Name of Children	Village	Gender
1	Aydarus Ahmed Muhumed	Daami  B	M
2	Yasin Abdi Omer	Daami  A	M
3	Abdishakur Hassan Mohamed	Daami  B	M
4	Khadar Mohamed Botan	Daami  B	M
5	Ramadan Abdi Ahmed	Daami  B	M
6	Mustafe Ahmed Ibrahim	Daami  B	M
7	Ibrahim Dahir Omer	Daami  A	M
8	Hamse Matan Abdi	Daami  A	M
9	Khalid Mukhtar	Daami  A	M
10	Guleid Abdi Ahmed	Daami  A	M
11	Suldan Khadar Omer	Daami A	M
12	Nur Sahardid Omer	Daami A	M
13	Adnan Abdiqani Mohamed	Daami B	M
14	Abdiwali Hassan Ahmed	Daami A	M
15	Abshir Ali Abdi	Daami A	F
16	Hinda Mohamed Said	Daami B	F
17	Istar Khadar Omer	Daami B	F
18	Hana Mohamed Jama	Daami B	F
19	Hoda Matan Abdi	Daami A	F
20	Nimo Muse Abdi	Daami A	F
21	Ayan Abdi Ali	Daami A	F
22	Asma Muse Abdi	Daami A	F
23	Nimo Mohamed Abdilahi	Daami B	F
24	Kalga’al Muhyadin Mohamed	Daami A	F
25	Hibo Hassan Mohamed	Daami A	F
26	Istarlin Ahmed Abdi	Daami A	F
27	Gudon Hasi Muse	Daami B	F
28	Gudon dayib Muhumed	Daami A	F
29	Siman aydarus Ahmed	Daami B	F
30	Jima’le Abdi Muhumed	Daami A	M