Burao, June 30, 2007 (SL Times) – Committees from eleven districts of Somaliland’s regions, local governments, officials from the ministry of health, officials from the ministry of planning, and officials from the International Labor Organization (ILO) held a meeting at Kosar neighborhood in Burao.

This meeting was the first of its kind that was organized by joint efforts of the ILO, the ministry of health and the ministry of labor and planning, and it showcased various projects that are funded by the ILO and implemented by the community organizations in various districts. The meeting also highlighted the fact that the communities play a major role in the conception, planning and implementation of the projects. The committees gave presentations about their projects and the experiences they gained from these projects that were funded and supported by the ILO since 2002.

The projects were the result of an agreement between the ILO and committees that represent citizens. Sanaag, Awdal, Togdheer and Hargeisa community organizations are engaged in projects for fixing roads and constructing low income housing that help people and at the same time generate employment.

Mr. Abdi Hussein Dheere, the Governor of Togdheer Region, opened the meeting and spoke about the many ILO projects in Somaliland. He also pointed out areas where assistance is urgently needed. Mr. Abdi Hussein Dheere said: "I am honored to take part in this occasion where the ILO is putting forth the projects that it successfully carried out. The ILO deserves accolades for its tangible achievements and for linking the community and the agencies. Projects like these, will put an end to hearsay because the ILO ran the projects efficiently and put them in the hands of the communities."

Mr. Abdi Hussein Dheere called on the other agencies to learn from the ILO and present worthy projects. He continued, "Our people's needs are many. I say to the agencies who have performed poorly to either do something worthwhile or leave. I also say to the ILO please increase your assistance."

The director of these projects, Mr. Abdi-Karin Ege Ahmed spoke on behalf of the ILO and said, "This project is being carried out in Hargeisa, Togdheer, Awdal and Sanag. Sitting here are eleven individuals from the various communities where the project is being implemented. In the beginning we did some investigation to get enough information and we became convinced that the old ways in which NGOs did business would not work, and we should follow a different path which was based on first asking the community to tell us the areas where they need help; second, to train people from the community so they can execute the project; third, to give the financing to a committee from the community itself. This will ensure that both management and labor will come from the community which will maximize the benefits to the community. We have built seventy houses in Koosar and Ali Hussein neighborhoods, part two will be the local government."

The Deputy Minister of Planning, Mr. Ahmed Hashi Abdi said that people welcome whoever wants to assist them and will work with them. Mr. Ahmed Hashi Abdi explained, “First of all, this sort of thing is an additional knowledge that is to your benefit, and you should benefit from it and welcome those behind it. We as a ministry also benefit from it in that it has made our work easier, and we thank the ILO for this. Our ministry intends to evaluate the performance of each NGO and where it stands."

Mr Abdi Abokor Yusuf, an official with the ILO described the ILO project as one that, if understood well by the community, will bring a lot of good results for the community. He also emphasized how this project has tightened the links between the community and showed true achievement.

Ismail Hussein Aynanshe (representing the project's Awdal committees), Ismail Yusuf Hussein (representing the project's Salahley committees), Muhammad Ahmad Hirad (representing the project's Togdheer committees), Ahmed Hussein Muse (representing the project's Sanag committees) as well as other community members spoke about how important these projects are and the benefits that can accrue from them.

Source: Somaliland Times

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