CHILD RIGHTS AND PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY APPROACHES TO PROTECTION

USWO Organization - Hargeisa, Somaliland: On October 8th 2013,  Ubah Social Welfare Organization (USWO) in Collaboration with Save the Children International (SCI), has conducted one day community sensitization, mobilization, and awareness on child rights and promotion of community approaches to protection with the participation of 500 individuals from the communities living at Daami A&B minority IDP camps in Hargeisa.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Ubah Social Welfare Organization (USWO), which is one of the implementing partners of this Save the Children’s SCORE project Daami A+B and Statehouse IDP camps in Gacanlibaah and Ibrahim Koodbuur districts of Hargeisa Somaliland, would like to acknowledge individuals and institutions that contributed to the overall success of the project funded by DANMARKS INDSAMLING and Save the Children who made possible both finances and technical.

Many thanks to Save the Children staff in Hargeisa, especially to Mr. Ismail Mohamed Abdi who provided us regular consultations, technical support and guidance since the start of the SC SCORE project. The coordination mechanisms, supervision and the efforts paid by Mr. Ismail to SCORE Project is really very tremendous.

Special thanks to Miss. Filsan from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MOLSA), for her unusual collaboration of SCORE Project activity.  

USWO cannot leave without mentioning project target groups, Daami A+B established Child Rights Community Committees (CRCCs), parent support groups (PSGs) and participants, representing a wide spectrum in Daami A+B IDP camp, representatives of District local authorities, traditional and religious leaders, women and youth groups and civil society organizations for their active participation on the event of the Community Sensitization, Mobilization, and Awareness on Child Rights and Promotion of Community Approaches to Protection held on 8th October 2013.

Regards,

Abshir Ibrahim Hassan
USWO E.D/SCORE Coordinator


1. Introduction

As per the Terms of Reference (ToR), Ubah Social Welfare Organization ‘USWO’ in collaboration with Save the Children International (SCI) had commissioned a day community sensitization, mobilization, and awareness on child rights and promotion of community approaches to protection to some 500 individuals from the IDP camps of Daami A and B in Hargeisa. USWO conducted the following activities:
 Organization/mobilization of the community to  familiarize  the problems of the children  mainly violations against children and root cause, in particular children living  and working in   street; 
 Increasing community  awareness on understanding the  rights and needs of the vulnerable children; 
 Sharing the community on the violations, abuses, neglecting and explorations against children occur in Daami A and B and protection remedy practice; 
 Increasing awareness of existing and previous community structures; 
 Practicing effective methods for starting a dialogue with community members and conducting sensitization activities; 
 Identification of the best practices that contribute to finding community-based child protection. 

The community sensitization and awareness raising activities focused children’s violation and protection measures taken for the past months by the CRCCs, religious leaders, community elders, teachers and parents in Daami A and B. It was also raised in the event on the gaps and violations, strengthening mechanisms for child protection and strengthening communities’ capacity to support child protection.  
The intention was to empower, strengthen the community and families involvement in child protection. Community involvement in child protection is vital, even when adequate protection services and structures don’t exist and are not operating effectively. Adults and children in a community are best placed to identify local protection issues and to develop the most appropriate solutions in cooperation with service providers. The attitude and behavior of communities towards children can also lie at the heart of protection violations; for example, through their attitudes towards the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. In order to fulfill children’s rights to protection, the gathering agreed that an effective child protection system must engage and transform such community perspectives, working with the community itself.

As revealed Somaliland Child Right Situational Analysis (CRSA), there is little or no local or national government capacity and commitment to protecting children and, as a result, children’s rights are violated on a daily basis. This lack of commitment is reflected through inadequate resources, a poorly qualified workforce, and limited local services to meet children’s needs. Save the children believes and have experience that   community-based child protection groups are therefore at the forefront of efforts to address child protection in many places in neighboring countries.

As per the SCORE Project work plan, USWO has conducted on 8th October 2013 a one day community sensitization, mobilization, and awareness on child rights and promotion of community approaches to protection for the community in the IDP camp of Daami A and B in Hargeisa.

2. Objectives 
 To organize/mobilize the community to  familiarize  the problems and bad situations of the children  mainly violations against children and root cause  children become living  and working in   streets and IDP camps;
- Child Trafficking: address protection methods of children against trafficking, because child trafficking is a new phenomenon in Daami A&B IDPs camps and generally in Somaliland;
- FGM: Sensitize community on the risks Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) against vulnerable children; 
 To  increase community  awareness on understanding   the  rights and needs of the vulnerable children; 
 To share the community the violations, abuses, neglecting and exploitations against children;
 To enable the community to develop plan of action to prevent, respond violations against children.

3. Expected Outcomes 
 Violations and problems against children minimized; 
 Sense of community  ownership  from grassroots level  will be in place to protect the children from violations, abuses, negligence;
 Community  awareness on understanding the protection of  rights and needs of the vulnerable children increased;
 Increased understanding and commitment of the stakeholders to the cause of protecting the rights of IDPs, Street children and minority groups as a way of enhancing an effective protective environment for children in Somaliland.

4. The Event of Community Sensitization, Mobilization and Awareness on Child Rights Protection:

The event of community sensitization, mobilization and awareness on child rights protection started on 8th October 2013 at 10:00 am. USWO Social Worker, Mr. Abdikadir Omer was responsible in carrying the event’s schedule. He read thoroughly the events’ schedule. He then mentioned the objectives of the gathering. He requested all gathering participants to specifically highlight the violations against children and protection concerns done. Mr Abdikadir then began by calling Sheikh Suleiman to recite some verse of Quran. Then he welcomed the Executive Director of USWO for the opening speech. 
The Speech of Mr. Abshir Ibrahim 

In his opening remarks Mr. Abshir said “I want to thank the officials from Somaliland government including Head of the Child Right Department of Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Mrs Filsan, and Mr. Abdullah Digalle, Mayor of the District of Mo’allin Harun. Also, I would like to welcome the respectfully religious leader, community elders, children and their parents, and CRCCs in Daami A and B. 

Mr. Abshir added that the most important to discuss herein today’s event is the violations happen against children and measures to prevent. We are all aware that many children violations occur every day and night. Children in Daami A and B have become victims of violation, abuse and neglect. Children in Daami A and B are seen in the streets of Hargeisa as child labour and exploitation abuse. They are given the most menace jobs with less and/or no pay. He pointed out the need to report children’ violence to the concerned bodies not to hide it is very vital. Violence against children should be reported on time. This is a very crucial message to CRCCs, parents, children, community elders, religious leaders, local authorities, etc.  Then Mr. Abshir thanked the funding agency Save the Children and the organizer from USWO, who make possible for the holding of this event.

Mr. Mohamud Mohamed Dahir, Chairman of CRCCs in Daami B strongly stressed the need to stop girls on working household chorus jobs and not to send them to schools. As CRCCs, we notice most of the parents do use girls to care siblings. Parents are also requested to look after their children in any business involved. Parents are required to report us if any violations come against their children. We need parents and communities to cooperate us and to give us full hand when working with children affairs rather than criticizing us. 
 Mrs Fosia Osman Kadaf (member of Daami B child rights committee) has also been welcomed to say something on children’s violation. In her speech, she thanked all participants, officials from government, USWO; as well as, Save the Children International. Mrs Fosia mentioned the importance of protecting children’s rights and encouraged parents, mothers and fathers and the whole community to be good guardians. Reporting children’ violation in any case is very crucial. It is us to take the immediate protection measures against our children, she said. There was no major violation occurred in our IDP camp, in the past months, she added. 

Miss. Filsan from Child Right Department of MoLSA gave a concise explanatory speech on the Children Violation and Protection Concerns. She highlighted the Somaliland Government committed to support all Somaliland children including minority children who are under violation and who need protection concerns. Our government decided to suspend all school fees so that it is necessary that parents send their children to schools. We also want CRCCs, parents, children and any other volunteers to report us if found violations against children.

Miss Hodan Mohamed Aden from Dami B children clearly mentioned that she wasn’t been a school and left it for unaffordable of school fees. Today, she joined back to school after Save the Children International provided livelihood grant to her family. This is a good protection for me, Hodan said and I like it.

Finally, Mr. Abdullah Digalle the District commissionaire of Mo’allin Harun took the speech. He thanked CRCCs, Traditional leaders, Religious elders, Children and MoLSA representatives who participated this important occasion. Mr. Abdullah pointed out that we are all serving children of Daami A and B. We are supposed to report the daily occurrences of our children be it violation, abuse, neglect and abandoned. We are her to be committed of such services to reach the target goals. USWO is here to assist us through the funds of SCI. USWO will not be with us forever. We should think to depend on our resources, on our thinking and our management to tackle the problem always face against our children. It is for sure that we shall succeed if we collaborate with one another and think positively. He again thanks all participants and the session closed. 


4. Constraints/Challenges:

• It rained during the planned date set to conduct community sensitization on 7th October 2013 at 3:30-5:30 PM and later it is agreed to shift to next morning 8th October 2013 at 9:00 am where we met less participants.

5. Recommendation:

 As most of the communities are busy of their own service, it is recommending that such session should be conducted at the evenings where most of the people have spare time to the gathering places.