ACTIVITY TITLE: Mogadishu oldest slum dwellers plight portrayed

Date : 19 Jan. – 7 August 2007

Coverage area : Aw Aweiska Village in Hamar Weine District

Participants : Over 100 householders were interviewed

Focus : Poverty alleviation

Overview of Aw Aweiska

•  Aw Aweiska area is a small strip of a rocky coastal land, overlooking Mogadishu main seaport.

•  It is one of the oldest slums of the city and is home to mainly impoverished fishing community. It has also been for many years and still remains the hiding out place for drug addicts

Reasons for selection

According to Cotonou agreement framework, there is an intrinsic element that points out poverty alleviation specifically, on the basis of this, we selected this area for several reasons:

•  We observed first that there was a real need to do something about the plight of this marginalized community

•  Compared to other places in the city there were several factors that made us possible to carryout this kind of research properly in this area i.e. it was relatively peaceful, manageable site in size, timing, accessibility and resources at our disposal both manpower and material.

Objectives

To gather and analyse Aw Aweiska community data including population size, density, occupation, shelter, tenancy, income, education, health, water and sanitation.

PROCESS OF THE RESEARCH
19th July – 7th August 2007

•  Annual cultural celebrations (19 – 21/07/07 )

•  Dab-shidka

•  A group of people throwing themselves into the sea in a jubilation mode (Bad-galka)

•  Animal feast

•  Special Traditional street party for such occasion (shirta)

•  Training for the new enumerators ( 23rd July 2007 )

•  Actual field research (24 – 29 July 2007 )

•  Focus group discussion ( 31st July 2007 )

•  Field research data validation brainstorming workshop ( 7th August 2007 )

•  Compiling a comprehensive report which is under process

As an example of the findings about how they make their daily livings

Outcome

A comprehensive report on the findings of the research is still in process

CHALLENGES

•  Insecurity prevailing throughout the zone

•  Recurrent conflicts within the TFG and opposing groups

OUTCOME OF THE PROGRAM

•  Identified 140 NSAs organizations throughout south central Somalia through extensive zonal mapping

•  Formation of 26 all inclusive WG members

•  WG members trained the role of NSAs on cotonou partnership agreement

•  WG members started having a dialogue meetings with MPs and TFG prime minister

•  Participated CSP/RDP consultation meetings both in Somalia and Uganda

•  WG members participated Saferworld sponsored two-day capacity institution building in Kampala

•  Drafted South Central NSAs bylaw

A quote from CRD about Saferworld partnership with the NSA project

‘'SW HAS PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR NSAs TO BE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE COUNTRY'S DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES''