This
editorial is an original publication of the Hornnewspaper.com
It is disgusting to see children from poor families and those of Internally
Displaced Persons-IDPs and refugee communities suffer through want while
purported humanitarian and development workers continue to grow fat on funds
donated for the welfare of these children.
During two days activities briefing to the public by donor organizations held
at a Hargeisa hotel last week, revelations were galore as pertains to both the
external and internal workings of humanitarian and donor agencies registered in
the country including UN agencies, international and local Non-Governmental
Organizations.
While all and sundry were in accord that these agencies have for 21 years had a
positive impact on the fast paced country's reconstruction and ongoing
development phase, the exorbitant salaries earned by staff of these
organizations and their personal expenditure raised eyebrows.
The effect of these huge payments to staff thus entails the agencies to utilize
70% of their respective budgets on internal expenditures while their numerous
programs are allocated the remaining 30%. "How can you justify the payment
of salaries worth $20,000 while those you purportedly serving live on less than
a dollar?." quipped Vice president Sayli.
Another anomaly that was because of the briefing concerned the implementation
of never ending assessment surveys and workshops whose result is never availed.
Most briefings had a semblance of clarity but the one by save the children fund
Alliance
Left a sour taste not because of what they SCF have done/are doing but because
of what THEY ARE NOT DOING.
The streets of Hargeisa that exemplify the rest of the towns in Somaliland
abound with glue sniffing children who sleep in unmentionable conditions at
street corners devoid of basic materials.
Dubbed XABAGLEYAL-Glue sniffers the kids of both genders survive through
rummaging garbage, shoe shinning and other menial work that are not only
inhuman but against the fundamentals of the rights of children.
The kids who also engage in child Labour in order to earn bread for their
destitute families are thus in the process of becoming future destitute
themselves owing to their lack of education opportunities.
The sorry state of the XABAGLAYAASHA weakened by poor diets (irregular) coupled
with unhygienic living is most sorry when they fall sick.
The suffering of the street children and other vulnerable children is further
amplified by the tragic death of a number of them through drowning while
drawing dirty water for family consumption at a dam in Jigjiga yar estate in
Hargeisa.
The irony of this incidence is that it happened at the doorsteps of the
internationally acclaimed Save the Children Fund whose main mission in the
country is child welfare. To add salt to injury SCF ignored the incident and
went deaf to the pleas of the bereaved families whose poverty made it
impossible for them to afford burial costs.
SAVE THE CHILDREN FUND, have you forgotten loud cries of sadness from city
residents after the Jigjiga yar dam drowning incident? If so
Is it possible that the SAVE THE CHILDREN FUND is blind, having not seen the
drowning that happened next door? In addition, is it possible that deafness
prevails at SCF since they never heard the families' pleas for help nor the
citizen's cries of sadness and helplessness?
The main question is, in 20 years of operations how has the SAVE THE CHILDREN
FUND, with its millions of dollars budget, failed to facilitate a perimeter
fence for the dangerous dam that continues to wreak havoc on the lives of
destitute children?
It is worth to mention that the only memorable contribution the SCF Alliance to
children welfare to date is the construction of special cells for delinquent
children thus their separate confinement in police stations and prisons. How
convenient, Clear them off the streets, make them comfy in custody while we
grow fat!!!
It is therefore imperative that the save the Children fund Alliance rethink its
mission, expend 70% of their budget on projects with tangible benefits for the
vulnerable children who are their charges or leave the country all together.
Save the Children Fund Alliance PULL up, YOUR PROGRAMATIC SOCKS for the problem
is HOW MUCH YOU SPEND on YOURSELVES thus, WHAT YOU ARE NOT DOING
For the sake of humanity change the EARN BIG AND MAY THE CHILDREN SUFFER dogma
to EARN LESS and MAY the CHILDREN FLOURISH
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Somaliland: How Can Save the Children Alliance justify its Operations in the Country?
- Who Cares about Children, They are here to build special cells for holding them in police stations and prisons while Earning Big time. EDITORIAL