Ismail mohamed abdi's Posts - Young Partners in Development

A shocking story about my Mother’s Death

2013-03-16T13:29:18.000Z

I am Ismail Mohamed Abdi. I am living in Hargeisa, Somliland. I have been working for Save the Children International in Somali-land as a child protection coordinator. I am extremely happy working for Save the Children International for protecting children from all forms of violations and abuses. Before I joined to Save the Children in November 23, 2002, used to work Hargeisa Orphanage Center.

A shocking story about my Mother’s Death

My mother died at my age of 5 years old. The day that my mother died was a very sad moment. My mother became sick after she gave birth to my third sister. At that time I used to keep lambs near home and I used to come back home every afternoon for food/milk. When I came in the house I used to say to my mother how you are mama. A one day in the afternoon I returned to Home. When I entered into the house (Aqal Somali) my mother was lying where I left her in the morning and she was looking like smiling as her mouth was open. I felt so happy because I thought she has recovered well. With happiness I said mama give me food. Unfortunately, she did not reply. I touched her but she did not move her body. I amazed what happened with my loved mother. After a moment, I heard my aunt (sister) of my mother was screaming /mourning outside. Then I realized that my mother died. I never saw a dead person before sad moment.

A Few days after the death of my mother I faced a very harsh life in various problems and violations including separation from my family (father, sisters and brother), lack of food, lack of care, fears and insecurities, loneliness, discrimination and prejudice. In the first year, I stayed my camel herd cousins in the jungle to get enough milk as my father had not an alternative way to get enough food/milk otherwise in Somali life style its very rare that parents send their young children (boys) with camel herds during camel herds. Because camel herd life is very difficult situations where a young child can’t survive for various reasons including existence of different forms of abuses and violations against children including corporal punishment, hard work fear, lack of food except camel milk, water for draining and washing, separation of family and ongoing fudging over camel looting among camel herds in groups based on clans.

A few years after being a camel boy, my step uncle (brother of my foster mother) took me to help him for keeping his sheep. I have been sheep herds for a few years which was really much worse than during my time in camel herds. After years, I escaped and managed myself and came in Hargeisa to my uncle who was a police officer. My uncle took me to Children’s Home for vulnerable children where I lived until I completed my secondary education in 1985. Living in institutional care is another challenge which affects children in many ways either physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. Many violations against children happen in institutional care center. Either child abuse each other or staff abuse children or there are no adequate basic needs in the institutions.

I am happy now to work with save the children as child protection coordinator to promote protection rights of vulnerable children. I found Save the Children very important organizations to work with to save and protect children from violations and abuses which experienced through my childhood. Save the Children makes a significant change in the lives of vulnerable children across the world.

Tragic Incidence of two young brothers

2012-10-15T20:00:00.000Z

I would like to share with you about a tragic incidence of two young brothers(3 and 5 yrs old) who dead in burnt house in my town (Hargeisa) in Somali-land on 14/10/2012 ,at 2: 00 PM. the media and eye witness reported that the mother these innocent children was away when the house(hat) burnt on 14/10/2012, in Internally displaced village for minority community in Hargeisa, Somali-land.

I think it’s extremely important that international organizations, networks , individuals who work for child protection should take action and publish this case through international media. In my country , there is no child protection policy and government is not very aware about violations against children.

It needs to pressure the government of Somali-land to take an urgent action to prevent that similar tragic incidence to happen again and again to innocent children. At least government should make national funeral for these two innocent children so that the entire nation should aware about it.This needs international pressure and joint action of different child protection organization and networks as well as individual who have love and compassionate for children.

Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information related to this tragic incidence See the link below about photos of dead bodies of innocent children

http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0091009/photos/33299935@N05/8086211924/

Save The Children Launches Project

2012-09-06T21:59:36.000Z

To Help Street Kids Hargeysa, Somaliland, June 2, 2012 (SL Times) – Save the Children launched a new program to help homeless children. A ceremony to mark the occasion was held at Mansoor Hotel on May 24. The ceremony was attended by the chairman of Somaliland Supreme Court , the minister of resettlement, legislators, the Director of humanitarian assistance in the Presidency, the deputy head of the custodial forces, representatives from the ministry of justice, labor and community affairs, human rights organization, the director of the Mohammed Moge center for the rehabilitation of street children, and some street children. The ceremony’s program was opened by the Director of humanitarian assistance at Somaliland presidency Amina Mohamud who spoke on behalf of Somaliland’s first lady. Amina Mohamud emphasized the importance of this project and how the government has both short-term and long-term plans for improving the situation of children, especially those in dire need such as homeless children. She conveyed the first lady’s congratulations to Save the Children and stressed the first lady’s commitment to assisting children. She also reminded other government departments to work with Save the Children. Mr. Eric Kitsa, the head of child protection gave some details about the project whose formal name is Strengthening Community Based Responses for Improving Care and Protection of Vulnerable Children in Somaliland (SCORE). Mr Kista said the purpose of the project is to help street children and children from low income families who live in such neighborhoods as Dami and State House. Mr Kista also revealed that the genesis of the idea for the project and its content were based on information provided by homeless children and children who work in the market. That information had to do with the problems that plague street children and how they could be helped. Some of these children who helped in launching the program were Farah Muhyaddin (6 yrs old), Muhayadin Khadar (13 years old) and Hassan (15 yrs old). The head of Save the Children, Mohamoud Muhammad Hassan, also spoke on the occasion. He said Save the Children is dedicated to helping children and that it operates in 120 countries. He disclosed that the program was funded through Danish TV Collection. The Director of Mohammad Moge homeless children Center, Lul Hasan Matan addressed the audience and spoke of the urgency for helping needy children. The other speakers included legislators Abdiqadir (Indho-Indho), Sanweyne, Na’na’, Ibrahim Ka’an, the Deputy Head of the Custodial Corps, Hassan Ali Dheere, the Minister of Resettlement, Abdirizaq, and the Chairman of Somaliland Supreme Court, Dr. Yusuf Isma’il Ali. Towards the end of the ceremony, Save the Children announced that it will donate a vehicle to the homeless children Center. Children from Hargeysa’s Orphanage Center performed very sad songs that highlighted the troubles of homeless children and touched the hearts of the audience. The project will go on for two years (2012-2013).

two young children died

2012-05-09T15:07:21.000Z

I’m sorry to share with you two young children -brother and sister (13 years old girl and 10 yrs old boy) from Internally Displaced (IDP) State House camp in Hargeisa died in a water dam in Jigjiga yar Village in Hargeisa on 8 May 2012, at 4:30 PM. The young girl was washing clothes at the dam. The young brother brought lunch for his sister. Unfortunately, the young boy fallen into the dam. For her kindness, the young sister tried to protect him. Unluckily, both of them died. Each year during the rainy season many young children die in the dams either in this dam or others in Hargeisa and other towns of Somaliland. It’s the time that Somaliland as a whole to wake up and take collective and an urgent measures to protect the innocent children from preventable hazards and negligence.

Somaliland National Justice Reform Conference

2011-06-14T19:22:08.000Z

Somaliland- National Justice reform conference was started in Hargiesa on 14/6/2011 at AMBASADOR Hotel. A large number of delegates including international institutions were participated in the conference. H.E. The president of the Somaliland opened the conference. It was so wonderful that H.E. The president of Somaliland and former Minister of Justice have added and deeply expressed in their speeches about children’s justice. The former Minister of justice has requested the government and the president to enforce the juvenile justice law which was developed the Ministry of Justice in 2004-2005, with the financial and technical support of the Save the Children. Although the Juvenile justice Law was ratified by Somaliland Government in 2007, it was not applied at all. Its highly expecting that the Juvenile Justice Law will be enforced at the of the National Justice Reform
I personally admired and thank to H.E the president of Somaliland and former Minister of Justice for addressing of the justice of the children in the national justice reform conference.

Training Children;s police of Somaliland

2010-09-22T18:17:13.000Z

Save the Children in collaboration with Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior and Attorney General of Somali-land conducted three days training for police officers on child rights, investigation violations of the children and psychosocial and counseling skills.. 65 officers from different police stations of the children police were the training. In addition to that, construction of four child friendly victim examination units started in four police stations ( two in Maroodjijeex/Hargeisa region, one in Sahil region and one in Adwdal region). The training will continue in Awdal and Sahil regions in the next week to training children's police officers of those regions.

ATEA Support to Hargeisa Orphanage Centre

2010-03-18T16:00:00.000Z

ATEA members provided various valuable items for Hargeisa Orphanage Center through Ismail Mohamed Abdi March 16,2010. This is not the first that ATEA have donated an essential support. ATEA provided help to these children a number of times, but this news covers the recent support as stated below';

1. 41 pairs(long trouser and shirt) of primary school uniform
2. exercise books
3. pens
4. shoes
5. hair oil and combs
6. Combs
7. mosquito spray

1.Background Of Hargeisa Orphanage Center
Hargeisa Orphanage Center was built in 1985, by Swedish and Switzerland organization called Christian Refugee Aid (CRA). The main purpose of the HOC is to care abandoned children who have unknown parents and relatives. HOC located on the west side of Hargeisa the capital of Somali-land country.

2. Present Situation of Hargeisa Orphanage Center
At the present time 200 children and grown up (17 girls and 183 boys )of different age brackets are living in the HOC. Many of these children are war orphans, children from poor families, Refugees.
ages of the children

No	Age bracket	Sex
No	Age bracket	Male	Female	Total
1	0-5 years	19	11	30
2	6-10 years	30	3	33
3	11-15 years	44	3	47
4	16-20 years	90	0	90
5	Grand Total			200

I Thank ATEA members for their humanitarian support which they regularly grant to these children. Special thanks to Lisa and Per for organizing and coordination of ATEA support to Hargeisa Orphanage Center.

Please contact to Ismail Mohamed Abdi.for further information on Hargeisa Orphanage Center.

Email. [email protected]

Child protection meeting

2010-01-27T15:14:53.000Z

Child Protection Meeting

Somaliland Ministry of Justice organized meeting for UN, INGOs and local organization involving in Child protection issues.

The meeting was held in Ministry of Justice on 27/1/2010, at 9:00 AM-10:30 AM.

Agenda of the meeting was to develop concrete strategy plan for coordinating child protection activities in the country under Ministry of Justice.

The meeting was chaired by Vice Minister of Ministry of justice

A Seniors officers from various organizations attended the meeting. Also, director general of Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and Child rights officer of MOJ attended the meeting.

It has been agreed that each organizations to submit their plan of actions on child protection to MOJ ASAP, so that MOJ will understand clearly who is doing what, where and when.

It has been agreed to meeting again after each organization sends their plan to MOJ.

Involvement of top politician government officers in the meeting shows the commitment and in-depth interest of Somaliland government for promotion and protection the rights of the children regardless any form of discrimination

Children's Amnesty

2009-12-18T13:27:23.000Z

57 children were released from prisons through Somaliland president amnesty on 17/12/2009. Save children Denmark and Ministry of Justice , UNICEF and local partners named CCBRS organized the release of the children. Save the children Denmark provided cloths and medical , transportation from prison to Hargeisa and cost for transportation to join to families . CCBRS also conducted check up during the release of the children at the prisons. In addition to that, Save the children Denmark and Ministry of Justice conducted ceremony for release of the children at Hargeisa, KAAH HOTEL. The purpose of the ceremony was to provide psychosocial counseling and encourage children and provide life skills. Save the Children Denmark provided transportation cost for children to their families . Save the children also arranged reintegration program for children