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Protection, Sustainable Livelihoods and Improved Hygiene for IDPs A CASE STUDY P rotection, Sustainable Livelihoods and Improved Hygiene for IDPs Project targeted 2,820 internally- displaced persons’ in Kismayu, Somalia who had relocated from Middle Juba and those who had lost their livestock. The aim of the project was to improve access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), protection and improve livelihoods. The project’s activities include provision of donkeys and carts—main mode of transport in Kismayu to help generate income; distribution of non-food items (NFIs) and supporting the cottage industry by helping women in camps with skills they had acquired in refugee camps in Kenya to start income-generating activities. Twenty households will be supported to start small businesses to create self-employment. The project also sought to address gender–based violence (GBV) which is rampant in camps. The project built the capacity of communities and their leaders on prevention of GBV and subsequent follow- up after incidents. It was a challenge selecting a small number of beneficiaries from many deserving households in the IDP camps. Mr Abdiwahab Abdikadir Musse, 45, has resigned to the fact that Dalxis Refugee Camp is his home, at least for the foreseeable future. This father of 11 children relocated to Dalxis due to heavy taxes imposed by Al Shabaab. It was not easy settling in a new place without a source of income. “Life was difficult. I had no permanent source of income. I was a casual labourer and even casual jobs were scarce. On a good day I could come home with USD 10. But good days were rare,” he says. The donkey and the cart His life changed for better when WASDA offered him a donkey and a cart. “The donkey and cart is my family’s source of livelihood. I go out there, fetch water and sell it and come back home with a good sum of money. The income is enough to cater for my family’s needs.” Abdiwahab also uses the donkey and the cart to collect firewood and sell to people in the camp. Fetching firewood is normally a two-day activity. “I charge USD 20 for one firewood trip. I also collect waste from homes to the dumpsite. I make USD 20 on a good day.” Mr Abdiwahab Abdikadir Musse with his wife. Wajir office: Diif Road, P.O. Box 209-70200 E-mail address: [email protected] Website: www.wasda.or.ke Nairobi office: Flat 1D, AMCO Crystal Apartments, Limuru Road, opposite Total Petrol station P.O. Box 28409-00200 Telephone: +254 732 333301 Somalia offices: WASDA complex, Dhobley, Somalia Telephone: +252 61 6402641 Kismayo office Telephone: +252619270701

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Page 1: Protection, Sustainable Livelihoods and Improved …...Nairobi office: Flat 1D, AMCO Crystal Apartments, Limuru Road, opposite Total Petrol station P.O. Box 28409-00200 Telephone:

Protection, Sustainable Livelihoods and Improved Hygiene for IDPs

A CASE STUDY

Protection, Sustainable Livelihoods and Improved Hygiene for IDPs Project targeted 2,820 internally-displaced persons’ in Kismayu, Somalia who had

relocated from Middle Juba and those who had lost their livestock. The aim of the project was to improve access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), protection and improve livelihoods.

The project’s activities include provision of donkeys and carts—main mode of transport in Kismayu to help generate income; distribution of non-food items (NFIs) and supporting the cottage industry by helping women in camps with skills they had acquired in refugee camps in Kenya to start income-generating activities. Twenty households will be supported to start small businesses to create self-employment. The project also sought to address gender–based violence (GBV) which is rampant in camps. The

project built the capacity of communities and their leaders on prevention of GBV and subsequent follow-up after incidents.

It was a challenge selecting a small number of beneficiaries from many deserving households in the IDP camps.

Mr Abdiwahab Abdikadir Musse, 45, has resigned to the fact that Dalxis Refugee Camp is his home, at least for the foreseeable future. This father of 11 children relocated to Dalxis due to heavy taxes imposed by Al Shabaab. It was not easy settling in a new place without a source of income. “Life was difficult. I had no permanent source of income. I was a casual labourer and even casual jobs were scarce. On a good day I could come home with USD 10. But good days were rare,” he says.

The donkey and the cartHis life changed for better when WASDA offered him a donkey and a cart. “The donkey and cart is my family’s source of livelihood. I go out there, fetch water and sell it and come back home with a good sum of money. The income is enough to cater for my family’s needs.” Abdiwahab also uses the donkey and the cart to collect firewood and sell to people in the camp. Fetching firewood is normally a two-day activity. “I charge USD 20 for one firewood trip. I also collect waste from homes to the dumpsite. I make USD 20 on a good day.”

Mr Abdiwahab Abdikadir Musse with his wife.

Wajir office: Diif Road, P.O. Box 209-70200E-mail address: [email protected]: www.wasda.or.ke

Nairobi office: Flat 1D, AMCO Crystal Apartments, Limuru Road,opposite Total Petrol stationP.O. Box 28409-00200 Telephone: +254 732 333301

Somalia offices: WASDA complex, Dhobley, Somalia Telephone: +252 61 6402641 Kismayo office Telephone: +252619270701

Page 2: Protection, Sustainable Livelihoods and Improved …...Nairobi office: Flat 1D, AMCO Crystal Apartments, Limuru Road, opposite Total Petrol station P.O. Box 28409-00200 Telephone:

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He uses around USD 16 on essential family expenses daily. He laments that food and vegetables are very expensive in the camp. Abdiwahab’s wife is Nuno Abdulwahab Musse, 25. The couple have two boys in school.

Another beneficiary of the donkey and cart is Iftiin Awayle Ibrahim, 52. Running two houses (two wives)

with a total of 12 children requires a steady income. This steady income came in the form of a donkey and a cart. Iftiin relocated from Buale due to insecurity. Like other beneficiaries who have been provided with a donkey and a cart, he fetches water, firewood, and waste to earn a living. “Transport is a challenge in this camp. There are times when my cart is hired as an ‘ambulance’ to take the sick to hospital,” he says. Iftiin makes about USD 11 per day. “The money I make is mainly spent on foodstuffs, school fees and hospital bills.”

According to Mr Ahmed Nur Billow, Project Officer, WASDA, the project targeted households with a large number of members. “Fifty donkey carts were given out in Dalxis IDP Camp. This has supported income generation, created employment and eased supply of commodities in the camp,” he says.

Iftiin Awayle Ibrahim fetches water from a borehole to sale.

Non-food items (NFIs)

The project sought to provide non-food items to 200 households with the aim of improving household hygiene to decrease water-borne

diseases. The NFIs distributed included cooking items; blankets; bathing soap; kitchen items and mosquito nets.

Halima Noor Ibrahim, 34, is a mother of eight children and a resident of Dalxis IDP camp. She fled Buale due to insecurity. “I lacked cookware sets, my family did not have mosquito nets and were therefore prone to malaria, “she says.

Due to the project intervention, Halima has been provided with utensils for cooking and serving food, jerry cans for storing water, a mosquito net to protect her family from malaria and mats to sleep on. “The support from WASDA was invaluable and it arrived at the opportune moment of need,” Halima says.

WADSA officials hand over non-food items to Halima Noor Ibrahim.

Page 3: Protection, Sustainable Livelihoods and Improved …...Nairobi office: Flat 1D, AMCO Crystal Apartments, Limuru Road, opposite Total Petrol station P.O. Box 28409-00200 Telephone:

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Ten hygiene promotion campaigns were undertaken and targeted 200 IDP households. The camps have suffered from acute water

diarrhoea (AWD) before.

Hassan Muktar Abdi, 32, is married and is a father of eight children. He has participated in several hygiene promotion campaigns at Camp Sahal (Dalxis). He explained the importance of a simple act of hand washing thus: “Hand washing should always be done using soap or ash after using the latrine; before preparing food; before eating food and after eating food,” he advises. He says this hygienic practice is good for health.

Hygiene promotion campaign

“ Hand washing should always be done using

soap or ash after using the latrine; before preparing

food; before eating food and after eating food.”

A girl demonstrates the act of hand washing.

WASDA mounts a hygiene promotion campaign at Camp Sahal (Dalxis).

Page 4: Protection, Sustainable Livelihoods and Improved …...Nairobi office: Flat 1D, AMCO Crystal Apartments, Limuru Road, opposite Total Petrol station P.O. Box 28409-00200 Telephone:

“Hand washing is very important. Diarrhoea

is rampant in this camp and it is mainly

caused by flies from the dirty toilets and

lack of proper hand washing. It is good for

children to wash their hands every morning

with soap, and also be given clean food.”—Halwo Muktar Abdi

Mr Mohammed Adan Ahmed, JRIA and Repatriation Focal Point Officer.

Halwo Muktar Abdi who also lives at Sahal Camp is grateful to WASDA for the campaigns. “Hand washing is very important. Diarrhoea is rampant in this camp and it is mainly caused by flies from the dirty toilets and lack of proper hand washing. It is good for children to wash their hands every morning with soap, and also be given clean food,” she states.

Mr Mohammed Adan Ahmed is the Jubaland Refugee and IDPs Affairs Liaison Officer and Repatriation Focal Point Officer. “WASDA has covered some of the critical needs of the IDPs. Their interventions have always been timely. Key among these critical interventions are income generating activities,” he stated.

The successful implementation of this project is mainly attributable to the support WASDA received from its Dutch partner —Stichting Vluchteling (SV).

FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE HORN OF AFRICA