Looking for a better life and many other reasons irregular migrants from Ethiopia and South Central Somalia cross the Gulf of Aden into Yemen while a large number of migrants from Somaliland go through Ethiopia and Sudan to reach Libya and Mediterranean Sea to Italy through. As both routes are dangerous and risk-full, robbery, rape, detention, torture and human rights abuses. On the journey, some of the migrants die in the sea, others disappear while few saved migrants face hazardous working conditions, refused promised wages and physical abuse.
In participating and responding to this serious unattended problem, Ubah Social Welfare Organization (USWO) approached International Organization for Migration (IOM) with a project proposal to conduct awareness raising campaigns towards the risk of irregular migration on the one hand and the protection of migrants’ rights on the other through participatory theater awareness raising project. On 3rd, August 2009, the proposal was granted and the agreement was signed by the two parties (IOM and USWO).
Accordingly, USWO commenced to implement the main components of the project, which were:
· Three drama stages: rehearsal/practice, practice and live performance stages
· Production/editing of drama/documentary film stage and
· The outreach advocacy campaign.
· Get audiences feedback and drama impact by using questionnaires
The drama team rehearsed and practiced the play on for 24 days, 5th – 29th. Then, USWO organized two drama live performances; one in Tima-ade Stadium on 5th September for public audience, particularly youth, and the other in Ambassador Hotel for stakeholders. 600 participants attended both performances. Following the projects work plan, USWO recorded and finished editing the play and a shorter documentary film on 10th October.
Then, the re-play of the recorded play for the outreach and advocacy campaign was launched in four main migrants’ route areas; Wajaale, Borama, Lowya’ado, Berbera, Burao and Lasanod from 14th October to 30th November. Through out the out reach, USWO drama team targeted youth groups, women NGOs, traditional leaders and stakeholders. More than 2190 participants of the target groups directly received the drama message while other thousands of viewers benefited it through the media.
To measure the drama impact on audiences/participants, USWO drama organizers collected audiences’ feedback by using a developed questionnaire. 46% of the audiences said that the risks exit in their areas and needs immediate response and 93% agreed that protection of migrants rights it is the responsibly of everyone. 79% percent said the themes in the play can influence both irregular migrants and communities if it is screened through media, and.
As a result of the drama show, great number of the target people has been reached and the immediate and long term drama impact are:
· during the outreach campaign, 13.3% of the participants made up their mind after watching the drama and dropped the idea of taking the risk, many others are expected to do so and share the message with their colleagues and families
· many people realized the dangers and risks of irregular and promised to share the messages to others
· the outreach advocacy campaign has changed the attitudes of many migrants around all Somaliland migration routes and as result of this 52 irregular migrants including youth, women and children in Lawya’ado, during awareness campaign have been influenced and decided to go back home
· The media smoothly submitted the message of the documentary film to the doors of thousands in Somaliland and impacted them to be aware of the problem.
1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
The overall objective of the projectis totackle and diminish the double risk of undocumented migrants going through Somaliland communities and Somaliland youth who are running away from home and to protect their rights while on route through awareness raising campaign theatre shown on both stage performances and projector drama documentary film dissemination.
The project was intended to endeavor to reduce the risk and the influx of migration obsessed by youth community through awareness raising campaigns and performing drama plays both on stages and outreach recorded versions of documentary film will be disseminated and replayed in all main migration roots in Somaliland and USWO has successfully realized the following implementation of the following specific objectives of the project.
Specific Objectives
The project proposal aims at achieving three specific objectives:-
Expected Output
· Implement the project monitoring scheme which matches the duration of the project life span
· Submission of the final report and recorded full play and 30 min documentary to IOM
2. PROJECT ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT
a) Rehearsing and practice stage of the play
USWO office secretariat developed and signed contract documents with the drama team and directly entered in to their real work of the play practice on Migration Protection Awareness Project in Somaliland.
On the 4th of August, 2009, USWO mobilized high qualified drama team and prepared pre-rented hall and made all necessary materials for practicing and rehearsing the drama scripts. The first day of rehearsal started on the 5th of August.
On 6th August, monitoring and evaluation team led by Mr. Husham Halim, IOM officer with Ayan and shukri visited USWO office. IOM monitoring and evaluation team supervised USWO organizational capacity, previous project implementation track record, planned humanitarian intervention activities and deeply inquired USWO project coordinator and executive director about the implementation process and time frame of the Migration Protection Awareness Project currently funded by IOM. Mr. Husham expressed his feedback and suggested his comments and recommendations to USWO project secretariat.
Consequently, Mr. Husham requested to meet the drama team and spent the next two days visiting with the drama actors, singers and musicians. Mr. Husham himself operated the practice as a musician and improved some gabs over the musicians’ experience by pointing the musical sound variety such as ‘emotional sadness, happiness and shocking picture sounds’ required during the play presentation performances.
USWO drama team had permanently continued their play practice for 24 days after the IOM monitoring and evaluation. Mr. Dayib, IOM, very often was closely working with us during the practice stage. In addition, USWO secretariat invited very important and expert people for watching in order to improve the show while in practice stage. With this exercise, USWO drama team achieved effective techniques to accurately deliver drama message.
a) Performance of public play in Timo-Ade stadium
On the 4th of September, 2009, USWO planned, organized and mobilized Hargeisa youth community for the attendance of irregular migration public play performance through mobile car and newspaper method.
On the 5th of September, 2009, the performance was held in Tima-Ade public stadium and lasted for 2 consecutive hours. An estimated number of 400 people were already there for the participation of the drama.
USWO play team dressed in especial costumes, acted the performance within real emotional and delivered the message to the population through songs, talks and short verses of poems describing of the risks and future phenomenon of irregular migration. The play evoked the emotion and left grievance against irregular migration in the heart of everyone in the stadium.
At the end of the performance, USWO staff distributed assessment impact questionnaires to a number of 20 randomly selected people and recoded the feedback.
b) Play Performance for stakeholders
Opening remarks
Immediately after implementing the performance of the play in Tima-Acde public stadium for the community in Hargeisa, on the 6th of September, 2009, USWO invited 200 selected participants from the state authority, civil society organizations, mainly youth groups, traditional and stakeholders to the realistic theatre play performance and honorable remarks at Ambassador Hotel Hargeisa.
The day started with the opening remarks from, Mr. Abdulla Hassan Digalle – the chairman of USWO. In his introductory and well coming speech he thanked the participants for their acceptance to his organization’s invitation to attend this important play performance by expressing particular thanks to International Organization for Migration for the support and funding this project; not last, but least Mr. Digalle thanked Dayib Askar for his talent of composing the play and his novel “People on the Move” and strongly encouraged Mr. Askar to continue writing such an inspiring stories and plays.
Mr. Digale added “this play performance is a part of three months Migration Protection Awareness Project activities, which was started 3rd August 2009, other activities of this project including designing and editing documentary film, replay the film through outreach advocacy campaign in the six regions of Somaliland and broadcast it in Somaliland media (National and Private TV channels) at the end of the project.
Official opening remarks
In her official opening remarks, the Head Sub-Office IOM Hargeisa Miss. Lisa Mackey thanked USWO organization for its’ hard work and participants for spending their time sharing this Memorial Day. Miss Mackey also gave her thanks and appreciation to Mr. Dayib Askar who has actually had the idea, creativity and composition of this play.
Miss Mackey added “I have read the English version of the novel People on the Move by Dayib Askar in one single night before I came to IOM, it was really very interesting. I felt Dayib Askar as much honesty while writing these stories in his book and expected this will do much more about to stop people from the risks of irregular migration, I am again endorsing IOM to support and fund such matters… at the end she hoped that friends will tell the story to the other friends and other friends”
Mr. Dayib Askar, in his speech, expressed his appreciation to all varies participants, drama group, musicians, IOM for its funding of the project and USWO for its outstanding implementation.
Mr. Dayib briefly talked about how this idea came into his mind and the development of the story into this stage. He said “this is the best way to convey the tragic Tahrib messages that I want to deliver to the people obsessed and thinking about Tahrib… I hope through the media the message will go to every door …..”
Finally, Mr. Ahmed, Direct General, of the Ministry of Information and national guidance, has delivered a remarkable speech. After thanking all the participants, particularly IOM and USWO play team and the author of the play, he said that the responsibility of irregular migrants is the duty everybody and the local authority. And if we work together, against this devastating phenomenon we will overcome and save many lives.
Play performance start-up
After a brief introduction of the program and remarks, the day started with an amusing session on the play performance start-up acted and represented by the play team and musicians.
The play was launched the with emotional songs session narrating the risks and consequences of irregular migration:
Among the play team there were some actors as students who were smart and did not want to take the risk – while some were failure and interested to go on Tahrib. Mr. Samiir, who was the first major actor and singer of the play, acted as committed and smart student, but could not afford to get job for earning luxury life and not having enough property to be close to the girl he had loved so much; in terms and conditions of poverty Mr. Samiir finally determines to take the wrong way….
The performance was transmitted (in the news headlines) to the public during the night through Somaliland National TV and Space Channel TV and it was also put as an article in the Hadhwanaag web site and Maalmaha Newspaper.
Beneficiaries’ feedback on the questionnaireafter the play
USWO organizing staff distributed assessment impact questionnaire written both in Somali and English language to randomly selected 30 members of the participants.
The following are the summary of their feedback by percentage
S#
|
Questions
|
% rate
|
1
|
Risks and dangers of irregular migration exist in my area and needs immediate response
|
46 %
|
2
|
Messages of the play can reduce the dangers of the irregular migration
|
79%
|
3
|
The protection of migrants’ rights is the responsibility of everyone
|
93%
|
4
|
I can now convey the dangers of irregular migration to relative’s friends, neighbors
|
86%
|
5
|
I was thinking to migrate and this play changed my mind
|
13.3%
|
6
|
If the play is screened on TVs both national and international it can help the reduction of irregular migration and increase the protection of migrants crossing borders
|
79%
|
Participants also commented verbally
- For effective impact, the play requires to be recorded, disseminated and broadcasted in the TV channels. ( USWO told them that is their second activity)
- If the play could be turned into a movie, it can reach so many people and the impact will be greater.
c) Editing version of the play
On the 8th of October, 2009, an agreement was signed between USWO and Madar Advertisement & Film Design Service Center to re-edit recorded version of the play.
The service center, with the consultations and suggestions from USWO project staff, finished the production of the play full version for duration of 2 days from the earlier recorded versions of the play performances on the reduction of the risks of irregular migrations in Somaliland.
d) Outreach Advocacy Campaign
On the 10th of October 2009, USWO has reviewed the project work plan in particular of the outreach advocacy campaign activities and prepared all necessary travelling materials, asset and services. On the 12th of October 2009, USWO project staff launched their trip from Hargeisa to three earlier selected locations - Wajale, Boramma and Lowyacado in order to replay the drama video through system projector screaming.
I. Wajaale outreach event
On the 14th of October 2009, USWO arrived in Wajaale district – 98km away from Hargiesa city. Wajaale is the border between Somaliland and Ethiopia which is one of the main roots to irregular migration. Mr. Sa’ad Omer Ali NRC representative in Wajale arranged meeting for USWO and Mr. Mohamud Muhumed Mohamed - the chairman of Wajaale district along with the vice chairman Mr. Abdi Hussein.
The meeting has taken for 2hrs and discussed the vulnerability of the border control and flux irregular migration and together decided to increase the level of awareness rising for the community and protect the rights of irregular migrants.
In the afternoon, USWO project staff and wajaale authority members have mobilized the community to attend watch the documentary play through mobile car. At 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm, replay version of the play started up in Wajaale Municipality Building. The head of the police station promoted to protect the security of the USWO team, authority members and other communal attendees.
Official opening remarks and re-play start up
In his official opening remarks, the chairman of Wajaale district Mr. Mahamud Muhumed thanked USWO organization and IOM for their humanitarian efforts and hard work. Mr. Mahamud added “Welcome, Wajaale population is ready to give you cordial endorsement not only the time, but forever. We expect this will do much more about to stop people from the risks of irregular migration,
An estimated number of 320 populations gathered to participate in the event, majority of the attended people consisted of youth, women, disabilities and children from IDP camps and public centers; included people from the border – Ethiopian origins. At the end of the event, USWO staff launched the distribution of impact assessment questionnaire to 32 randomly selected members and gained to record their feedbacks.
II. Boramma outreach event
On the 16th of October 2009, USWO outreach advocacy team arrived in Boramma town of Awadal region – 58km away from Wajaale district and took one night for accommodation in the guest house of Awdal Youth Development Organization (AYODO).
Immediately after conducted meetings with concern stakeholders and representatives from the state authority, USWO team with Mr. Soloman – chairman of AYODO carried out all the necessary arrangements and preparations for the replay event performance in Boramma Basket ball Stadium and mobilized Boramma population through public note mobile car.
Official opening remarks and replay start up
The night event for the replay version of the play started up with the opening remarks from, Mr. Abdulla Hassan Digalle – the chairman of USWO. In his introductory and welcoming speech, he thanked the participants for their acceptance to spend time and attend to the participation of this awareness raising event on protection of irregular migration.
An estimated number of approximately 400 people have gathered for the participation of the replay performance event – among them were youth, women, children, disabilities, both traditional and religious leaders and official individuals from the civil society organizations in Boramma.
At the end of the replay event, USWO team distributed impact assessment questionnaire to the 39 randomly selected participants and have received precise feedback answers about the events.
N.B: The images might not appear clearly, because most of the event photos were taken at nights and all the lights were switched off in order to see the project shot wall clearly.
III. Lawyaado outreach event
On the 19th of October 2009, USWO team arrived in the immigration building center of Somaliland in Lawyacado district of Awdal region – 276km away from Boramma town; consequently, USWO team contacted with the chairman of the district Mr. Ali Omer for meeting and accepted request on the spot night to meet USWO.
During the meeting, USWO briefly updated him about the goals and objectives of USWO program campaign on the migration protection awareness project. In addition to that, the district chairman extremely endorsed the importance beyond this mission and thanked both USWO and IOM for their humanitarian support commitments.
During our discussion, Mr. Ali Omer pledged suggestions for IOM to make extension to this kind of awareness activity by declaring the following points that;
On the 20th of October 2009, USWO organizing team along with the support logistics of Mr. Mohamud Barkhad – high officer from the immigration center of Somaliland in Lawyacado, organized and arranged the suit main public park for the display of the play and mobilized the community for full day through message mobile car.
On the 21st of October 2009, USWO received an urgent message from Mr. Awale Ismael – Somaliland governor in Saylac. The governor has urged USWO stop the operation and ordered to come before him in Saylac within 4hrs in order to discuss the mission for approval, or disapproval.
Immediately USWO organizing team drove the way to Saylac – 39km away from Lawyacado and reached there and met Mr. Awale Ismael. During our meeting Mr. Awale informed us that USWO made mistake to directly go to Lawyacado without passing Saylac governor for approval and security issues. Finally, the governor accepted USWO mission on the play migration protection awareness activity and approved for go ahead.
On the 22nd of October 2009, USWO came back to Lawyacado and re-mobilized the community to participate in the replay performance event on the risks of irregular migration.
Official opening remarks and replay start up
On the 22nd of October 2009 at 6:30 pm, park for the display of the replay version of the drama was already occupied with youth, women, children and other irregular migrants for participation. The night event started up with the opening remarks from, Mr. Abdulla Hassan Digalle – the chairman of USWO. In his introductory and welcoming speech, he thanked IOM for supporting this project as well as the participants for their acceptance to spend time and attend to the participation of this event. He also mentioned the risks of irregular migration and pledged the community to protect the rights of migrants and submit the message of the play to the neighborhood; in order, to reduce this action of ideological superstition.
Meanwhile, the replay of the drama started up. An estimated number of approximately 340 people have gathered to participate in the event – among them were youth, women and children including irregular migrants who were abnormally residing there to migrate to Yemen for short time of chance.
At the end of the replay event, USWO team distributed impact assessment questionnaire to the 34 randomly selected participants and have received precise feedback answers about the events.
IV. Berbera Outreach Event
On the 31st of October 2009, USWO team arrived in Berbera of Saaxil region over their outreach advocacy mission for the replay of the documentary drama on the risks and danger of irregular migration. Within the day, USWO visited some schools and IDP camps for supervision and found that most irregular migrants from parts of the country and Ethiopia temporarily reside in the IDP settlements for accommodation and arrangement of their migration missions in terms of cheap life. Also USWO team found out that there are very high extreme cases of human trafficking in Berbera IDP camps than other areas in Somaliland.
Therefore, USWO initiated to replay the documentary drama in one main selected IDP settlements (Jaama-Laaye IDP camp) in Berbera and planned to arrange meetings with committee members from Jaama-Laaye. Mr. Hussein Farah Elmi – member of Jaama-Laaye IDP committee extended great hospitality and expressed that the community in Jaama-Laaye are in risk and more vulnerable for irregular migration. In his speech, Mr. Hussien declared that poverty; bad conditions of health and unemployment existed and officially straightened to the people in the IDP camp.
In the afternoon, USWO project staff and Jaama-Laaye IDP committee members have mobilized the community to attend watch the documentary replay drama through mobile car.
Official opening remarks and replay start up
In his official opening remarks, the chairman of camp Mr. Hussein spoke to the participants and thanked USWO organization and IOM for their humanitarian efforts and hard work. At 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm, replay version of the play started up in Jaama-Laaye IDP children school.
An estimated number of 240 populations gathered to participate in the event, majority of the attended people consisted of youth, women, disabilities and children from IDP camps and other areas in Berbera. At the end of the event, USWO staff launched the distribution of impact assessment questionnaire to 24 randomly selected members and gained to record their feedbacks.
V. Burao Outreach Event;
On the 4th of November 2009, USWO outreach advocacy team was already there in Buroa town of Togdheer region. Members from SOVYO organization and SONYO regional coordinator have welcomed USWO team for accommodation assistance and information sharing.
On the 5th of November 2009, USWO conducted meetings with concern stakeholders and representatives from the state authority and finally planned to display the replay drama video in Urayso IDP camp where most irregular migration cases are reported to begin according to Burao town and mobilized population for note announcement of the event performance through public note mobile car.
Official opening remarks and replay start up
The night event for the replay version of the play started up with the opening remarks from, Mr. Abdulla Hassan Digalle – the chairman of USWO. In his introductory and welcoming speech, he thanked the participants for their acceptance to spend time and attend to the participation of this awareness raising event on protection of irregular migration.
An estimated number of approximately 280 people have gathered for the participation of the replay performance event – among them were youth, women, children, disabilities, and traditional leaders in Burao.
At the end of the replay event, USWO team distributed impact assessment questionnaire to the 38 randomly selected participants and have received precise feedback answers about the events.
- Laas-aanod
On the 7th of November 2009, USWO team moved their campaign from Burao and reached to Laas-aanod town Sool region in Somaliland. USWO did not conduct deep and heavy community mobilization (e.g. mobile cars) for security reasons and replayed the play versions in Sh. Yousuf Primary School while an estimated number of 180 people (youth, women and children) gathered for the participation of the event within the start up the replay video.
At the end of the replay event, USWO team distributed impact assessment questionnaire to the 18 randomly selected participants and have received precise feedback answers about the event.
Outreach beneficiaries’ comments on the questionnaire
USWO organizing staff distributed assessment impact questionnaire written both in Somali and English to randomly selected total of 185 member participants in these visited sites. The following are the summary of participants’ feedback by percentage
S#
|
Questions
|
% rate
|
1
|
Risks and dangers of irregular migration exist in my area and needs immediate response
|
90 %
|
2
|
Messages of the play can reduce the dangers of the irregular migration
|
94%
|
3
|
The protection of migrants’ rights is the responsibility of everyone
|
91%
|
4
|
I can now convey the dangers of irregular migration to relative’s friends, neighbors
|
77.5%
|
5
|
I was thinking to migrate and this play changed my mind
|
43%
|
6
|
If the play is screened on TVs both national and international it can help the reduction of irregular migration and increase the protection of migrants crossing borders
|
96.9%
|
e) Mobilization of unexpected and stranded migrants
During the outreach advocacy campaign, USWO team encountered 52 irregular migrants in Lawyaado district deported from Djibouti. USWO interviewed them and recorded the interview audio visually. All of them were from South Somalis. Then, USWO explained to them other alternative options by telling them that UN agencies like IOM can help them if they want to go back. All of them declared that they want to go back home.
USWO promoted live communication to Mr. Dayib Askar – IOM, Hargeisa office through mobile connection call as an evident indicator and recorded safe supporting documentation.
Mr. Bashiir Cade Muhumed 24 year’s old Somali migrant from Muqdisho to Lawyacado was one of them. He was in Lawyacado for period of three months; so far as he aimed to migrate to Yemen crossing the sea, but now he decided and is committed to go back home after USWO team had met, mobilized and made him understand the risks of irregular migration. In addition to watching the replay version video of the play and USWO’s mobilization, he decided to go back home.
Mr. Bashiir and his friends gave USWO effective and sufficient information about the worse suffering conditions and risks they encountered during their mission to migrate.
USWO interviewed and mobilized other irregular migrants including youth, mothers and children after the display event by using methodological guidance and advices from IOM staff.
1. MEDIA COVERAGE
On the 4th of November 2009, USWO signed an agreement documents with Somaliland National Television (local) on the dissemination and airing migration play documentary film; in order to expand an extensive awareness message of the project and broadcast it via TV program.
On the 5th of November 2009, the program directly stated on the TV and was watched most of the towns in Somaliland which have access to television. The film had been aired at night - local time for duration of 10 minutes in period of 15 nights. The film was recorded in Somali language and the result of this caused the message to leave an extreme impact by creating awareness on the risks and dangers of irregular migration at grass root level among communities in Somaliland regions.
Although USWO did not do assessment on the impact of this documentary film as there is no an appropriate tool to do, yet there has been messages and contacts from some colleagues all over Somaliland to USWO office – requesting USWO to make extension of airing the film through the national television again and again and also requested if USWO could distribute CD copies of the film.
1. CONCLUSION AND FOLLOW UP
The road to irregular migration will be a long and devastating one if the level of awareness and changing peoples’ attitudes towards migration is not expanded extensively.
According to USWO’s migrant interview feedback during the advocacy mission, the pull and bush factors that mostly inspire youth to emigrate from home into other destinations include;
In this sense, during the mission USWO experienced and learned that undocumented migrants and communities go through other communities while they are unaware both risks involved during the trip and their protection rights. To decrease such hazardous trips, plays like this can expose real and untold stories to wider audiences would be of the benefit of not only Somaliland but the neighboring countries as well.
2. RECOMMONDATIONS
Report Written By:
Abshir Ibrahim Hassan
Executive Director of USWO
Mob: +252 63440 2499
Email: uswo.ed@gmail.com,
Website: www.uswosom.org/,
Blogger:uswosom.blogspot.com
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