NEWS & EVENTS
29.10.2009
The Bocoray river embankment which lies between Magalay and Gaafay 9kms on the North East of Jowhar town has flooded due to the heavy rains in Middle Shabelle...
Women and Child Care Organization (WOCCA)
WOCCA operates in Middle-Lower Shabelle and Banadir Region and due to a numerous requests would (in time) go beyond these borderlines to help women in Hiran and a section of Galgadud. With over 52 permanent staff (Women in Majority), including an Engineer, qualified Evaluator, SMS specialist, Monitors, Women Activist, HIV expert, Community Service Officers, and over 60 emergency staff, plus a continuous support in capacity building from EPARA (Oxfam Novib), WOCCA is qualified and capable of helping women and children in the country.
Areas of Intervention
Water and Sanitation
Women in Somalia are increasingly becoming vulnerable in all aspects of life in the human contest. Life in Middle Shabelle is becoming of inferior quality by the day for women and children (Girls and Boys) and the situation is treating them too unsympathetically. The above is a picture of a lady of 15 years old who lives in one of the village in Middle Shabelle. She was attacked by a crocodile, but luckily she is alive although the ordeal left her wounded seriously. She had gone to the river to fetch water because that was the only source of water available in village. In the process of fetching the water from the river, the crocodile attacked her.
In as much as she was rescued, her life can never be the same again because she has been left with glaring scars on her leg which is a very sensitive part of her body. She now lives with the problem since she experiences difficulties that may not allow her to go to the river again due to the injuries inflicted. This is but just an example of the challenges that are faced by women in this region as they go about their daily activities as they try to fed for themselves and their children.
SGBV Impact
Somali women are suffering in silence and have become “the moving dead”. The lady in the picture is a pregnant mother who was raped and crushed badly by her attackers. The perpetrators of this heinous crime were not known and even if they were, they would still not be punished for their offence; most likely, they would go free and the blame would be laid on the woman!
The Lady lives with her mother in-law in South Central Somalia. This incident happened when she was going to look for firewood in the wild as that is the only source of energy and it is not available near the homesteads, one has to travel some distance away from the homestead to acquire it. When this happened, she was five months pregnant! Essentially, this aggravated her problems and caused her unimaginable pain. Given the trauma that she underwent after the ordeal, it is strange to note that by the time we caught up with her, her child had not been born and the pregnancy had lasted 20 months. She doesn’t know when she will be free from this unfair life and worse still, she doesn’t know if she is infected with a deadly virus or other related infections. What a solemn status of life this is!
Emergency Education
Educational in Emergency is not only right but in the situations of emergencies it is a fundamental necessity. It provides physical, social and cognitive protection which can be both life saving and life sustaining. Education sustains life by offering individuals particularly children and adolescents safe space for living as well as the ability to identify and provide support for affected people. The above is a picture of school children being taught under a tree; this is obviously not conducive for effective teaching and learning. The village lacks classrooms, either permanent or temporary, to accommodate the young children who are definitely very eager to learn. During the rainy season studies can not be conducted and children are forced to remain at home. What is worse, a lot of parents have not embraced the idea of education, so there are a lot of children who have reached school going age but have not yet been enrolled into any kind of school. The Somali communities of the three districts (Jowhar, Ballad and Mahaday) have had adverse effects of ethnic strife and an absolute distraction of all amenities through the current and previous insurgency; these have deprived the majority of the middle shabelle children of their right to Education.
Agriculture
The Women and Child Care Organization (WOCCA), In partnership with Oxfam Novib (our lead partner) implements agriculture development support aiming at increasing agriculture crop production food security sector and provides recovery support for farmers, particularly women farmers in Shabelle Agriculture riverine areas in Middle Shabelle region.
Internally Displaced People (IDPs)
The most vulnerable women and children in Somalia today live in IDP camps across the country. In some areas its easy to access and reach IDP’s however in other areas such as Elasha is more difficult as its adjacent to Mogadishu where continuous fights had uprooted over half of the population in the capital.
WOCCA has completed 16 temporary classes for Jowhar IDPs with the help of Intersos/Italian Cooperation. Each class is attended by an average of 32 IDP students. With the help of our partner we have provided basic school materials and 6 months incentives for the teachers. For maintenance purposes, WOCCA would like to continue incentives payment to the 16 teachers. The teachers are currently desperate for the support of UN organisations, INGO’s, individuals, Somalis in diaspora and/or local companies for the coming school academic year.
Would you like to support, please contact us!!
An interesting story of a child called Hassan in Biyaasa IDP camp in Middle Shabelle
Hassan Muse Nor is a seven years old boy. He is a member of one of the IDP families in Biyaasa Camp consisting of six children and a widowed mother. They fled from the widespread shelling and the blind bombardments exchanged by the warring parties in Mogadishu that have claimed the lives of many people. Sometimes the death of an entire family.
The continuous flying bullets and the killings have forced civilians to flee from their homes and remained without education, shelter, clean water for survival as well as lack of nutrition for their beloved children. Like many families on the run, Hassan and his family have lost their father who used to be the breadwinner of the family.
The father was killed by a mortar shell in Mogadishu that forced them to flee to Jowhar and settle at Biyaasa IDP Camp. That tragic and painful happening made all the responsibilities of this family to remain on the hands of the mother of Hassan.
Fatma Yusuf Maney is the mother of the family. She is helpless mother, thinking for not only the raising of her children but also the educational opportunity for them. Fatima arrived in the camp with her children for seeking a saver place for her family. The living condition of this family is worsening every other day.
For this reason, Fatima is the only breadwinner for the children and fills the position that was left behind by her deceased husband as a supportive role for her children. She goes every morning to the outskirt of Jowhar district to cut grass and bring it to the city as she is a grass-seller. It is difficult enough to bring back money from the market that can provide a single meal for the family
In this regard, Fatima and her children are happy that Hassan is one of the students for emergence education in biyasa camp, and they hope that this educational opportunity for their boy will be a moral support for them.
Hassan is a clever child who can already read and write Somali. He has amazed people around him and those who teach him. Having seen by many, including his teachers and those around him witnessed his learning capacity as way ahead compared to the others of his age. His hand writing and the level of understanding is some what attractive to every one. Though, Hassan has lost his father yes he keeps a good spirit and exceeds expectations.
Hasan is fresh for a new development. If he is kept in the field of education, equipped with education necessities and with his talent, He will succeed in education, refrain from befriending with militia and becoming part of the when he grows up. If Hassan keeps on this track he will mean something to himself, his family and the society.
WOCCA’s current Emergency Education funded by Intersos/Italian Cooperation has given education opportunity to 512 IDP student who are currently studying at the schools. The education programme is coming to an end and the incentives to the teachers will dry up in the coming month. This will be a disappoint to the IDP community as whole and to the family of Hassan.
Hassan Muse and the like in the IDPs could not afford the discontinuation of their education since their families have little or no income whatsoever.
Success Story
This child in the picture is the most precious success story of the emergency education funded by Intersos/Italian Cooperation. His name is Abdulkadir Isaaq Mohame. He is seven years old. He is a refugee whose family fled from Mogadishu conflicts. Abdulkadir could not read or write prior to the implementation of the programme. Abdulkadir can today read and write Somali language! He is one of the smartest kids in the Biasa IDP camps in Jowhar. Abdukadir’s parents also live in Biasa IDP camp and are struggling with life. Abdukadir’s father struggles with life as he collects firewood from the woods, sells them in the market or burns the wood to create charcoal. Abdulkadir’s mum was one of our labourers for our Employment Generated Early Recovery (EGER) funded by UNDP. Prior the Eger programme she worked in the farms for the host communities.
The constructed schools in the IDP camps have transformed the lives of children like Abdulkadir and his family. If it wasn’t the schools, Abdulkadir would ended up in working (child labour) and generate income for the family as mum and dad cannt cope with daily meals. Poor families like Abdulkadir’s are the centre of the programme we run in Middle Shabelle. The families can hardly support their children in education even in livelihood therefore children are forced to help parents in their quest of food.
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