HCI-HICDA Somali visit
(Galkayo and surroundings)
Background information:
HCI in partnership with HIMILO has been supporting ongoing projects in Galkayo and Bandiiradlay. These projects that were established and going for the last 4 years consist of:
1. Al-Sha’ab school
2. Galkayo orphanage
3. Galkayo university
4. Bandiiradlay orphanage
The delegation who visited Galkayo area from November 6 – November 27 was led by Mohamed Ali Aden; HIMILO president and Abdullahi Shire and Hassan Kaarshe who are Himilo board members.
The delegation got a very warm and friendly welcome in Galkayo and the surrounding areas visited. Community leaders, members of the local administration, students, teachers and parents were very happy to finally put faces to those people who were instrumental in assisting them with education, health and orphanage care. The delegation were surrounded by people who were appreciative and admire the work HCI and HICDA are implementing in these areas.
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Activities carried during the visit:
The delegation spent quite amount of time in the ongoing projects and have carried the following activities:
1. Meetings
2. Evaluation
3. Trainings
During the visit the delegation had many meetings with project managers, community leaders, local administration, teachers, parents and students. In all of these meetings the delegation heard about the progress and challenges faced by the ongoing projects. The host community also presented many other needs the community was facing and discussed how HCI-HICDA and the local community can work together to fulfill these needs. The delegation messages to all of these groups were; that HCI-HICDA can not resolve all of their problems but will continue to work with them especially in the areas of education, Orphans, health and water system. But in some situation the delegation needed to make quick decisions to help the local communities.
Evaluation of the ongoing projects:1. Al-Sha’ab School:
The state of the school building, administration and education quality of Al- Sha’ab School has exceeded the delegation’s expectation. The school is one of the best schools in Central Regions of Somalia; the two storey building gives good learning environment. The class size is small and conducive for learning, the third floor auditorium is a good venue currently used for meetings and seminars.
Challenges:
• The school policy is that no child should be denied education because of school fees. This led to the difficult situation that now there are over 189 students in the school that can not afford paying the school fees; HICDA currently sponsors 250 students and many of the rest of the students pay what they can afford. This also led that the school is carrying deficit budget and needs outside help to eliminate this deficit.
• HICDA also plans to sponsor 200 Internally Displaced People (IDP - Children) and also plans to create two continued education classes for adults.
• There is a big space in the school compound but because it is not finished the student have no place to play basketball or other sport activities.
The orphans in these centers looked healthy and beautiful. Their living standard and education is very high compared to the other orphans that could not make to an orphanage centre. The centre was very clean and well taken care. There are 62 orphans and kids from poor families that are supported by HCI/HICDA.
HCI/HICDA supports 106 school age kids of Galkayo orphanage. There are 147 very young orphans that do not go to school and have no sponsors and receive no ongoing funds. They sometimes get help from different places but most of the time they fall short in what their needs.
The delegation sat down with Galkayo HICDA representatives and with Al-Sha’ab school administrators for three days. It was a great opportunity to get to know each other and develop common perspectives. The focus of the training was
• How to improve the communications
• Reporting format
• Best ways of collecting and keeping data
• How to reduce the school deficit; at the end of this session we were able to resolve the existing deficit
The vice principal of Al-Sha’ab school Mr. Abdirahman who was one of the three volunteers HICDA has sent to the water purification training in Hargeisa, gave us a brief report about his training and showed us photos taken during that training. We decided that after the instruments arrive in Galkayo that we start using in Al-Sha’ab school.
The needs of the ongoing projects:
| Name | Assistance Needed |
|---|---|
| Al-Sha’ab School | School fees for 250 students |
| Bandiiradlay Orphanage | 62 orphans children from poor families |
| Interally Displaced People (IDP) | 200 Students |
| Continue Education | Two Classroomss |
3. Other projects visited:
Many local communities with the help of some Diaspora communities started many development projects but unfortunately many of them still need more help to finish these projects. Some of these projects are:
| Name | Assistance Needed |
|---|---|
| Ceel Guula Secondary School | Finish washrooms, roof and salaaxid |
| Mudug Secondary School | The school is currently renting and applied for funds to build their own school. The project of building the new school was approved on the condition that they get their own land |
| Budbud Primary School | Needs the construction of a fence surroudning the school perimeter |
| Qarsonay Primary School | Complete the construction of the school |
| Haaro Primary School | Chairs and tables for all classrooms |
| Qodaxtole Boarding | Needs the construction of a fence surroudning the school perimeter |
| Hingod | Needs the construction of a fence surroudning the school perimeter |
