Child sponsor update from Mogadishu
25/01/2008
Update from Summer 2007
Dear Sponsors,
Once again it is mid year and we at the SOS Children’s Village, Mogadishu wish to pass our greetings as we update you about the village and the progress of other projects affiliated to it. You must be hearing a lot of news regarding Somalia in the media.
General situation
The fighting in the Somalia capital, Mogadishu, is continuing for the sixth month now, but with less magnitude - as sporadic gunfire and artillery shells can be heard throughout the city. Heavy shelling has shaken the capital as Ethiopian forces continue to battle fighters opposed to Somalia's Transitional Government.
SOS Children’s Village Mogadishu
Being part of the larger Somali community, the SOS Children's Village was also affected by the happenings in Somalia. All activities this year were carried out as planned except for new admissions, which couldn’t be effected due to the security situation. Nonetheless, the village programmes went on well and measures were undertaken for the good of the children. Workshops were organised for the village staff to equip them with better guidance and counselling skills in order to be able to handle the emotional well being of the children and the trauma caused by the fighting.
The village is currently taking care of 84 children (41 male and 43 female) and 68 youth. They are all in good health and doing well in school.
Fighting
The heavy fighting experienced during the first quarter of this year penetrated the SOS Children's Village. Measures were taken to shield the village from the crossfire. However, cases of bombshells landing in the village’s playground were encountered in April. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but the village suffered some repairable damage. This led to a decision to evacuate the children and the mothers to safety. The evacuation was further hastened by the taking over of the SOS Medical Centre by the opposition of the Transitional Federal Government leading to its temporary closure. The process of evacuation was challenging as it caused emotional distress to the children, but it was necessary for their safety and wellbeing. Both the hospital and the village resumed normal operations on Saturday 12 May after some calm returned.
Students Abroad: Good progress was noted for the students who study abroad especially moving from one stage to another. There was a remarkable performance from Jamad Hersi who passed her A Level examinations and qualified to do a Bachelor of Arts degree at Monash University in South Africa. The youth in Malaysia, Kenya and Ghana are also doing well.
Schools
The SOS schools this year, as in any other, came up with a determination to improve the educational standards of not only the students, but of the community at large by implementing the programmes planned. All the syllabuses were completed in time and a total of 43 form four students sat for their IGCSE examinations in June at the SOS Secondary School in Sheikh. This is the second group of students to sit for the exams. The school also saw the finishing of the construction of the ladies hostel and relocation of the girls to the new facility.
Extra Curriculum Activities.
In the SOS Primary and Secondary School Mogadishu, a special programme was introduced where the classes in the secondary section engage in a competition in different subjects. This programme has boosted the students' performance in education and in social skills. Guidance and counselling sessions are also underway to improve students’ problem solving skills
The sports committee worked hand in hand with the Somali Football Federation (SFF) to organise an inter-class football competition. The tournament was attended by SFF referees who made the day interesting for the students.
Medical Centres
The SOS Mother and Child Clinic: Great assistance continued to be provided to the mothers and children of Somalia. Though some sections of the clinic were caught in the fighting, no major damage or injuries were reported. The clinic has since resumed normal operations and continues to provide much needed health care, especially in obstetric and gynecological problems.
SOS Mother Child Health Clinic. Vaccines against tuberculosis, polio, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and measles are still being carried out. Pregnant women attending the clinic continue to receive iron-folic acid supplementation. The clinic also distributes free mosquito nets to pregnant women to protect them against malaria, a common condition in pregnant mothers.
The Emergency Paediatric Clinic. It continues to save women's and children’s lives. Recently, the clinic has been dealing with cases of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) which worsened with the new outbreak of war.
The TB and supplementary feeding programme. This quarter, 97 beneficiaries were discharged from the programme after recovery. Only seven deaths were reported while 17 people were reported to have defaulted. UNICEF continues to contribute to the programme.
The SOS School of Community Nursing
The admission of students to the nursing school was carried out as usual. Learning continued without any major incidents. There is a new principal and the school is set to achieve great success in producing first class medics.
Dear sponsor, we appreciate your monetary support to the SOS Children's Village and its affiliated projects in Mogadishu, which has been of great help to our family and the community at large. We are really grateful that you continue to touch the lives of so many people in need.
With warm regards,
Osman Shukri
Village Director
SOS Children’s Villages Somalia
Relevant Countries: Somalia.