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“This place holds both some of my worst and some of my greatest memories,” Aisha Mohamed says as she reflects on her last 18 years in Garowe’s informal settlements. “Life in the bush has been a fearful one, but it was also here that I met my husband and raised my eight children.”
Civil war, violent clashes between the Somali government and militant groups, floods and droughts have displaced thousands of people since the 1990s, and the trend continue today. In 2001, Aisha fled from the violent conflicts in Mogadishu to Garowe, a city almost 1,000 km north of Somalia’s capital. As she escaped the fears of conflict, she encountered a different set of problems.
“In the settlements, I was vulnerable to everything. As a woman, my greatest fear was to be raped. After that came the fear of fire outbreaks, hunger, thieves and heavy rain, among other things.” After giving birth to her eldest son, Asad, her worries increased.
The nights got cold. Without a door on her home, which was built from sticks with recycled clothing for cover, her family didn’t have privacy and the sun would beam through fiercely every day. Heavy rains would topple her home. High winds meant that it was too dangerous to cook.
“Most of us in the settlement didn’t know one another either, so it was hard to trust each other.”
Integrated approaches provide durable solutions
After spending 18 years of her life in these conditions, it was only in May of this year that Aisha and her family became fully integrated members of the host community, along with 149 other households. With funding support from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), we implemented an integrated approach so families like Aisha’s can realise a long-lasting solution to their displacement limbo.
“An integrated approach limits the possibilities for vulnerabilities to relapse. This approach directs assistance in multiple ways, which enhances the household’s capability to sustainably manage shocks as they are felt,” according to our Head of Programmes, Barnabas Asora.
With support from UNHCR and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), we are constructing a school in Aisha’s newly created neighbourhood that will cater to children aged nine to fourteen.
“I plan to enrol my children in this school. My eldest two, Asad (11) and Ahmad (8), hope to go to college someday and become teachers.”
Owner-driven approach encourages local market growth
Coupled with the integrated approach, when aid is owner-driven, people can feel a sense of ownership over their lives.
“I have long relied on assistance to sustain my life,” says Aisha, “but this is the only time that I felt that my opinion mattered.”
As part of this project, Aisha benefitted from the construction of a permanent shelter and latrines. However, unlike traditional projects that follow a certain blueprint, Aisha dictated how her home would look. Buying local material and hiring local contractors, she oversaw the whole operation.
It was empowering to be able to do that.Aisha Mohamed
Aisha also received training about housing, land, and property rights and will soon receive land tenure documentation that will secure her property. Lastly, Aisha received USD 300 cash aid and undertook a business development course.
“With the USD 300, I’m planning to expand my home and open a small shop to create extra income for my family,” says Aisha. Her husband currently earns about USD 5 a day as a casual labourer, and Aisha herself often goes to town to collect garbage or wash clothes for families as a means of earning some income.
A safe place to call home
After being without a proper home for 18 years, Aisha optimistically looks forward to the years to come. She plans to continue working on improving her home, and hopes to put all of her children through school. “I feel more secure now,” she says.
Displaced people, returnees, and especially women, are often the most discriminated members of society. They are typically treated as outcasts, facing abuse and daily violence.
Much like the anti-immigration sentiments plaguing the world, internally displaced people are often wrongly seen by host communities as lazy, occupying space and not offering anything positive to society.
“Displaced people will be able to better themselves and the surrounding communities they live in when they have a safe place to call home. We didn’t choose this life, and people need to understand that.”
