Garowe: Women at Work!
Door: Sahro Ahmed
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Sahro Ahmed Koshin
20 Februari 2008 | Somalië, Mogadishu
Last week was the official opening of an important bridge construction project entirely initiated and run by Garowe women within the framework of a four-layered social development program the women have embarked on.
It all started when Garowe women became dissatisfied and concerned about the growing dependency syndrome that was engulfing their beloved country like wild fire. It seemed as if everyone depended on an NGO to do all that needed to be done in the country; from the provision of Aid to the construction of important roads and institutions, from law enforcement to the building of important social and economic infrastructures such as bridges. The bridge or the puntadha, as Puntlanders call it here is a Somali term for the piece of land that connects the academic heart of Garowe town with the rest of the town. In order to cross, one has to ascend from a steep slope in order to get down into the valley and descend on another steep slope again when going up and out of the sandy valley.
“Many women have had horrendous miscarriages because they slipped and lost their unborn babies”, explained Luul Feerayere, one of the iron women behind this initiative I had the opportunity of meeting. Additionally, many cars slip on the steep slopes and bounce back into the valley. This is a continuing risk to innocent men and women puntadha-crossers everyday. But now some iron women of Puntland have organized and mobilized themselves in order to form an important ingredient of the social fabric of Garowe town and indeed of entire Puntland. These determined women, can not be stopped and they want to transform all destructive aspects in the town into constructive ones that the entire public can productively use and collectively benefit from.
Even the mayor of Garowe, Abdulkadir Fod'Adde, came and encouragingly explained that the important work the women of Garowe are fulfilling is a pivotal and exemplary one. He continued to praise the initiative and emphasized on its need and urgency in the town, as he laid the first stone as a foundation to a new beginning. Indeed the work of the women of Garowe town can be duplicated elsewhere throughout Puntland and Somalia. It pinpoints to and underscores the important issues of ownership and personal empowerment. Ordinary Garowe inhabitants also wholeheartedly welcome the idea of working for one’s own development-personal or otherwise. Earlier, the women of the community were invited to an awareness-and fundraising meeting by the initiators. There it was collectively decided that all women present would contribute an amount of money towards the maintenance on a monthly basis towards the project.
“This is the start of a long and on-going process”, argued Luul Feerayere, “we have three more projects to work on and implement in the near future”. From the tone of the voices of these women, one can easily detect the urgency and indeed social relevance for the thematic projects that these phenomenal women have single-handedly initiated and are determined to execute. The topics include habitat and education for orphaned/street children, community security and crime prevention, the establishment of mother and child centers and the construction of the bridge in question on the puntadha.
I am very proud of these iron Puntland women!
They deserve a medal of the highest distinction!
See the pictures of the bridge construction, mayor and iron women and feel proud too!!
Sahro Ahmed Koshin,
Kaalo Relief and Development Organisation and Somali Women Vision (SWV),
Garowe, Puntland State of Somalia
It all started when Garowe women became dissatisfied and concerned about the growing dependency syndrome that was engulfing their beloved country like wild fire. It seemed as if everyone depended on an NGO to do all that needed to be done in the country; from the provision of Aid to the construction of important roads and institutions, from law enforcement to the building of important social and economic infrastructures such as bridges. The bridge or the puntadha, as Puntlanders call it here is a Somali term for the piece of land that connects the academic heart of Garowe town with the rest of the town. In order to cross, one has to ascend from a steep slope in order to get down into the valley and descend on another steep slope again when going up and out of the sandy valley.
“Many women have had horrendous miscarriages because they slipped and lost their unborn babies”, explained Luul Feerayere, one of the iron women behind this initiative I had the opportunity of meeting. Additionally, many cars slip on the steep slopes and bounce back into the valley. This is a continuing risk to innocent men and women puntadha-crossers everyday. But now some iron women of Puntland have organized and mobilized themselves in order to form an important ingredient of the social fabric of Garowe town and indeed of entire Puntland. These determined women, can not be stopped and they want to transform all destructive aspects in the town into constructive ones that the entire public can productively use and collectively benefit from.
Even the mayor of Garowe, Abdulkadir Fod'Adde, came and encouragingly explained that the important work the women of Garowe are fulfilling is a pivotal and exemplary one. He continued to praise the initiative and emphasized on its need and urgency in the town, as he laid the first stone as a foundation to a new beginning. Indeed the work of the women of Garowe town can be duplicated elsewhere throughout Puntland and Somalia. It pinpoints to and underscores the important issues of ownership and personal empowerment. Ordinary Garowe inhabitants also wholeheartedly welcome the idea of working for one’s own development-personal or otherwise. Earlier, the women of the community were invited to an awareness-and fundraising meeting by the initiators. There it was collectively decided that all women present would contribute an amount of money towards the maintenance on a monthly basis towards the project.
“This is the start of a long and on-going process”, argued Luul Feerayere, “we have three more projects to work on and implement in the near future”. From the tone of the voices of these women, one can easily detect the urgency and indeed social relevance for the thematic projects that these phenomenal women have single-handedly initiated and are determined to execute. The topics include habitat and education for orphaned/street children, community security and crime prevention, the establishment of mother and child centers and the construction of the bridge in question on the puntadha.
I am very proud of these iron Puntland women!
They deserve a medal of the highest distinction!
See the pictures of the bridge construction, mayor and iron women and feel proud too!!
Sahro Ahmed Koshin,
Kaalo Relief and Development Organisation and Somali Women Vision (SWV),
Garowe, Puntland State of Somalia
-
20 Februari 2008 - 14:09
Nynke:
This is wonderfull!!! Can't wait to read more of your stories. -
20 Februari 2008 - 14:09
Karen Munk:
Dear Sahro,
It sounds amazing what you are experiencing there!
Your cup of tea I would say!
Keep on enjoying and keep on contributing your import work!
Groetjes, Karen -
20 Februari 2008 - 14:25
Shukri:
Viva Puntland!!!!
Viva Puntland Iron Women!!!
Sahro, thanks for being the *bridge* -
20 Februari 2008 - 14:37
Ali:
Abaayo, Sahro
I am so proud of our sisters in Puntland.
We have to follow their example and contribute.
Thanks -
20 Februari 2008 - 14:42
Warsame:
Manshallah!
You are all iron women Sahriee!
manshallah!! manshallah!! -
23 Februari 2008 - 02:32
Maxameddaahir :
thx you hawo maxmud thank you sahro and luul -
23 Februari 2008 - 02:38
Maxamed:
i am very very happy today
luul sahro xaawo thanks -
24 Februari 2008 - 06:23
Faiza:
WOOOW i love strong somali women.
this is great news ad we have to spread it all over the world.
faiza, copenhagen.... -
24 Februari 2008 - 06:31
Sicido:
Somali women are the leaders we need, at least what they do is visible.
S, London -
25 Februari 2008 - 14:07
Caaabdisalam:
am very happy to c this fantastic performance -
26 Februari 2008 - 09:50
Mo:
Wow, keep on the good work
go garowe -
26 Februari 2008 - 17:50
Mohamed:
Dear all,
Iam very happy to appreciate the iron women whose stand to do this great job for their perfomence,
thanks alot for your job and insha laah u will have seen after what u did,
Mohamed -
28 Februari 2008 - 09:42
Mustafee:
Hi sister !
we are of our society specially our women in Puntland/Somali
Garowe -
06 Maart 2008 - 14:48
Khadra Ali:
hi sister
i am so happy to see you picture so keep doing sister i love you all the bast kisxxxxxxxxxxx -
06 Maart 2008 - 14:53
Khadra Xxxxxxxxxx:
hey Sahro
i am so proud
of our sisters in Puntland.
thaks i love u keep doing sister. -
06 Maart 2008 - 14:58
Lucky Ali:
wow wow
my sisters i love u -
07 Maart 2008 - 10:42
Karin Weber:
Dear Sahro,
So great to read your stories and to see how happy you are over there! Here in The Netherlands everything is well. I wish we could go for dinner with Kim and the group and catch up on the last few months!
Miss you. Please take care. All the best.
Love,
Karin -
18 Maart 2008 - 19:38
Omari:
am very happy what our sisters done -
16 April 2008 - 06:12
Faiza:
It is great, My big thanks to LUUL, Zahra and Hawa. "Keep up the good work you are doing for your community" it is wonderfull
Regards,
Fai -
25 April 2008 - 21:12
Abdi:
hisahro
iam so happy that you are in your beleoved country veel sucess -
25 April 2008 - 21:15
Amin :
hi zahro
walaal sheey waxaan filayaa in eey riyADAADII KUU RUMOODay good luck -
08 Mei 2008 - 08:42
Hashi:
my sister sahro, we are congulatulating with best congulatulation, wonderfull job, you have done, i am very happy to see your pictures in this wonderful job, you are doing, my sister keep doing this job for your beloved country,i like see our sisters doing good job for their country, i am saying sahra became paineer and this will pave the way for future brogress,and siccesfull job.
this job worths nobil Peace and promation. hi! sahro! good sister!good periotic! good paineer!nice to see you doing good job in our motherland
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