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The Voice of Malawle IDP Community

Países
Somalia
Fuentes
ACTED
Fecha de publicación
Origen
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With over 2.6 million displaced persons and the natural humanitarian crisis faced in Somaliland. Most of the IPDs (Internally Displaced Persons) have settled in sub-standard IDP site and repeatedly identified as the most vulnérable often with limited local acceptance due to their social background ACTED supports 11 IDP sites in Hargeisa with funding from Somalia Humanitarian Fund (SHF) and provides camp coordination and camp management support with key focus on enhancing coordination, improved information management and promoting inclusive community participation & ownership with the aim of ensuring equitable access to services and protection and improving the living conditions and livelihoods of the displaced population in communal settlements.

ACTED promote community participation, self-management and work towards community ownership and resilience. ACTED in close cooperation with the community living in the targeted sites identified and selected 22 youth drawn from 11 IDP camps in Hargeisa to begin a small-scale community- led projects. Such an initiative addresses some of the lacking services within the camps. ACTED organized workshops for the youth and procured the materials required for successful implementation of community-led projects in Hargeisa IDP sites aiming to strengthen community self-management and create more sustainable solutions for the internally displaced persons living in settlements.

Strengthening community self-management through sustainable community-led projects

Somaliland experienced a massive surge in internal displacement following the 2016/2017 drought and continues and complex series of natural and manmade humanitarian crises are drivers to displacement in Somaliland. With the funds given by Somali Humanitarian Fund (SHF), ACTED assisted 11 IPDs sites in Hargeisa by providing camp management through giving capacity building for the camp committees, installation of solar light as well as fire extinguished to increase the safety. ACTED also gave them operational and maintenance tools that helped them to do repairs in the camp.

Encouraging community ownership and self-management

ACTED in supporting 11 IDP camps in Hargeisa, had established and trained camp management committees that will ensure proper management of the camp. ACTED also installed solar lights and fire extinguishers cross the 11 sites to safeguard the safety of women and girls, conducted safety audit and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to identify safety risks and related needs with the communities in all the sites, installation of information boars together with mass information camping that provided the beneficiaries with all the necessary tools to voice their concerns/needs to ACTED for further referral. Also, design a community led project that was specifically targeted youth groups across the sites.

"Before ACTED donated these sewing machines to us, the community used to travel to Hargeisa town which is approximately 10 KM away from the camp. We are internally displaced persons who are vulnerable and therefore found it increasingly difficult to meet the financial costs involved in having our damaged clothes sewn in Hargeisa town. This unavailability of this much-needed service gravely affected women and girls due to financial inability and the fear of being abused. They felt excluded and helpless. ACTED came to our rescue by helping us to help ourselves. We, particularly women and girls now feel empowered and dignified as we are able to have access to tailoring services within the site at no costs and risks."- NIMA IBRAHIM, ONE OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AT MALAWLE IDP CAMP IN HARGEISA

The women in the community through this initiative have become self-reliant and now have a source of income. This initiative has drastically reduced the costs the women used to pay to travel to Hargeisa town in need of tailoring services, now it is all within their residence. The women in the camp now feel safer because this has reduced their vulnerability to violence and sexual abuse since they were not independent in the first place.