Israel ranks 2nd in 'world's most educated countries'

Study: 46% OF Israeli residents had a tertiary education versus 31% for the OECD 
By Viva Sarah Press
Israel ranked second in an international survey looking at the world’s Top 10 countries with the highest proportion of college-educated adult residents. Israel recorded 46 percent of its population completing a tertiary education, just five percent behind top-rated Canada.

Based on research conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 24/7 Wall St — a Delaware corporation set up to run a financial news and opinion operation with content delivered over the Internet – compiled a list of the 10 most educated countries in the world.

Canada was the only nation where more than half its residents – 51% — completed college degrees.

Israel slotted into an impressive second place on the list followed by Japan, United States, New Zealand, South Korea, United Kingdom, Finland, Australia and Ireland.

The list was based on the OECD’s Education at a Glance 2012 report which calculated the proportion of residents with a college or college equivalent degree in the group’s 34 member nations and other major economies.

The study showed that the best educated countries tended to spend the most on tertiary education as a percentage of gross domestic product.

The OECD revealed that in 2010 (the year Israel joined the organization) its GDP per capita was more than $7,000 below the group’s average. Yet, the country’s high school graduation rate was 92% in 2010 – far above the OECD’s 84% average.

Moreover, some 46% of Israeli residents had a tertiary education as opposed to 31% for the OECD average.

The report also showed that Israel spent 7.2% of GDP on educational institutions in 2009, the sixth most among all nations.
 
With spiking tuition costs, insurmountable loan balances, and the unemployment rate for recent college graduates hovering around 53%, it’s clear that a college education hasn’t gotten the best rap lately. Despite the ongoing financial woes across the globe, though, many think that college is still worth the investment. 

Snagging the number two most-educated spot was Israel, which trailed Canada by 5%. Japan, the U.S., 

New Zealand and South Korea all ranked with more than 40% of citizens having a higher-education degree. 

The top 10 most-educated countries are:

1. Canada
2. Israel
3. Japan
4. United States
5. New Zealand
6. South Korea
7. United Kingdom
8. Finland
9. Australia
10. Ireland

Djibouti Eyes Replicating Kenya's Geothermal Model

To enable Djiboutian population’s access to a reliable, renewable and affordable source of energy, the government of Djibouti eyes a new project supported by the African Development Group (AfDB) and the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA).

The AfDB  alone has mobilized 5.31 million US dollars grant from the African Development Fund (ADF), 400,000 US dollars loan from the African Development Fund (ADF), and USD 1.8 million US dollars from SEFA. The government of Djibouti will also make a contribution.

Currently Djibouti relies mostly on fossil fuels and some hydropower imports from Ethiopia. The majority of the country’s current generation capacity is situated in Djibouti City. The existing power stations are old, polluting and expensive to operate. In addition, fuel imports are expensive and require important foreign-currency expenditure.

As a consequence, only half the population of the country has access to electricity due to high tariffs. Djibouti is however blessed with substantial geothermal potential, capable of meeting the country’s energy needs and possibly exports to neighboring countries, while reduce CO2 emissions from thermal electricity generation.

The geothermal exploration project in the Lake Assal region is structured as Public Private Partnership, where the government of Djibouti is taking the lead on the first exploration and appraisal drilling phase. The private sector will be responsible for the production drilling, steam gathering system and electricity production and evacuation to the national grid.

In collaboration with the World Bank, the African Development Bank Group has structured the financing of this project.  The first phase will cost approximately 32 million US dollars. The AfDB Board approved 7.5 million US dollars financing from the African Development Fund and SEFA, a Danish funded initiative implemented by the AfDB.

The AfDB and the World Bank have jointly mobilized different donors to co-finance the project: the Global Environment Facility (GEF), OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Global Geothermal Development Plan (GGDP) through Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP).

The current project seeks to replicate the innovative model adopted in Kenya where the AfDB approved in 2011, the Menengai Geothermal Development Project.   For this project concessional funds were provided by development financing institutions, such as the AfDB and the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) hosted by the AfDB, to finance the drilling exploratory phase of the project.

Drawing from the Menengai experience and tapping into the East African Rift valley geothermal potential, the AfDB has also been working on a series of small-scale geothermal units, adapted to the specific context of each country.

In Ethiopia, the AfDB is playing a leading role in defining a geothermal roadmap. In Tanzania, it is leading the Scaling Up Renewable Energy Program which includes the financing of a geothermal development project.  In the Comoros, the AfDB is also working to develop a 20 MW geothermal plant matching the needs of the archipelago.

Dozens reported killed in Egypt

Egyptian army soldiers take their positions near armored vehicles to guard the entrances of Tahrir square, in Cairo, Egypt, on July 8, 2013.(Photo: Hassan Ammar, AP)

Sarah Lynch, Special for USA TODAY

CAIRO — Deadly violence erupted before the sun rose over Cairo on Monday morning at a sit-in by supporters of former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, leaving many dead.

Egypt's health ministry said at least 42 people were killed. A Muslim Brotherhood spokesman said that the death toll included five children.

Egyptian military officials said only five supporters of the now-deposed president were killed, the Associated Press reported, but hundreds — Egypt's health ministry said 322 — are believed to be injured.

The exact course of events Monday morning remains unclear.

The military said people tried to storm a Republican Guard facility in Cairo's Nasr City, according to the Associated Press. But Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad, who was at a sit-in with his family near the violence, said security forces fired on peaceful demonstrators.

Police and military attacked people outside the Republic Guard facility as people were praying, firing rounds of live ammunition and shotgun pellets, El-Haddad said on his Twitter account. Many shots were aimed at the feet, resulting in a lot of leg wounds, he said, and security forces fired tear gas into the crowd in an attempt to disperse protesters.

The wounded were taken to a field hospital set up in the area.

"This is a crime against humanity," said Hesham Al Ashry, an ultraconservative Islamist who was protesting but left the area before violence broke out.

Last week, military officers killed four Brotherhood demonstrators, who were unarmed, in the same location as Monday's violence.

The military has a history of using excessive force to quell demonstrations. One of the most brutal cases took place in October 2011 in an area of Cairo called Maspero. The military ran over some demonstrators with massive military vehicles at a mainly Coptic Christian rally. Twenty-seven people were killed, including a military officer.

Monday's violence heightens the conflict between military and Morsi supporters, who call the military's move to oust Morsi a "military coup." They have refused to stop protesting until Morsi is released from detention and reinstated as president.

Egypt's opposition believes the army's move to set the nation on a new transitional path — suspending the constitution, dissolving the legislature and appointing a new interim president and government —were justified and backed by popular support.

But many in the pro-Morsi political camp believe all the votes they cast over the past two-and-a-half years have been stolen. They have been staging a sit-in since last week.

"We only came here to defend our vote," said Nassser Ibrahim, a teacher, at a pro-Morsi rally Sunday afternoon not far from where Monday's violence later erupted.

The shootings come at a fragile time in Egypt's transition after Morsi was ousted from power last Wednesday and threaten to unhinge a delicate political system.

Egypt's Nour Party — a hardline Islamist group — said Monday that it was withdrawing from negotiations over who will be named to the new government in response to the "massacre."

Prior to Monday's violence, the party recently rejected the appointment of liberal figure Mohamed ElBaradei as prime minister. The group's recent withdrawal from talks threatens to further stall, or even paralyze, the new transition.

As tension between opposing political camps rose over the last week, dozens have been killed in clashes. One of the highest death tolls came after clashes broke out last Friday nationwide without much interference from security forces.

"Neither the police nor the military effectively intervened in deadly clashes between pro- and anti-Muslim Brotherhood supporters that left 36 people dead on July 5, 2013," Human Rights Watch said.

Djibouti: Construction At Nagad Railway Station in Djibouti Officially Launched

In a groundbreaking ceremony held Sunday (July 7) in Djibouti, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and President Ismail Omar Guelleh launched construction of the new Nagad Railway Station. Construction of the station, which will form part of the 800km Addis Ababa - Dewele - Djibouti route, was also inaugurated in the presence of Ethiopia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Tedros Adhanom.

Following the groundbreaking, Prime Minister Hailemariam stated that the railway will have a significant impact on the region, namely in bolstering regional economic integration. Similarly, President Guelleh said "the infrastructure will advance economic cooperation and social connections between the two sisterly countries". Both leaders described the occasion as a historic day for the region.

On his part, Dr. Tedros explained that the $4.5 billion USD railway project exemplifies Ethiopia's foreign policy which aims to fight poverty and build a prosperous nation and region. He went on to explain via his twitter account that the costs of the massive rail project would be shared by both governments and that, on the Ethiopian side, 20% of the construction had already been completed. He expressed his happiness that everything was ready on the Djiboutian side, including all necessary equipment, in order to begin construction of the Nagad Station. He concluded by emphasizing that July 7 was a great and historic day for both countries.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s plane ‘catches fire’

A plane carrying the Somali president has been forced to make an emergency landing in Mogadishu after one of its engines reportedly caught fire.

A spokesman for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said it was not clear why the engine stopped working.

The president was not hurt but firefighters scrambled to put out the flames, local reports say.

Mr Mohamud was chosen as president last year in a UN-backed move to end decades of conflict.

The BBC’s Mohamed Mwalimu says the plane’s tyres were damaged in the incident.

The president was flying to the South Sudan capital, Juba, when it was forced to turn round.

One of the first reports of the incident came from a Twitter feed run by the al-Shabab militant group but it did not say it had attacked the plane.

African Union and Somali forces backing Mr Mohamud have driven al-Shabab from the country’s main cities in the past year but the al-Qaeda-linked group still stages occasional attacks.

The new government is the first one in more than two decades to be recognised by the US and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Source: BBC News

Secretary of State's wife hospitalized in Mass.

BOSTON (AP) — Teresa Heinz Kerry, the wife of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, is in critical but stable condition in a hospital in Nantucket, Mass.

Heinz Kerry, 74, was admitted into the emergency room at Nantucket Cottage Hospital after 3:30 p.m. Sunday, hospital spokesman Noah Brown said

Heinz Kerry arrived at the facility in critical condition, and remained that way early Sunday evening, although doctors had stabilized her, Brown said.

Brown said he could not immediately release any more details about the patient's condition or her illness.

Nantucket Police Lt. Jerry Adams said a call requesting medical aid was received just after 3:30 p.m. for a home on Hulbert Avenue, and an ambulance was dispatched. Online records show the property is connected to Heinz Kerry's family.

Heinz Kerry is the widow of former U.S. Senator John Heinz, heir to the Heinz ketchup fortune. She married John Kerry in 1995.

Doctors treated her for breast cancer in December 2009.

She previously has said she found in late September that year that she had cancer in her left breast after having her annual mammogram.

A month later, she underwent lumpectomies on both breasts at a Washington hospital after doctors also discovered what they thought was a benign growth on her right breast.

That diagnosis was initially confirmed in postoperative pathology, but two other doctors later found it to be malignant.

In November 2009, Heinz Kerry had another pair of lumpectomies performed at Massachusetts General Hospital.

John Kerry has been at the Nantucket home since returning from a nearly two-week around-the-world diplomatic trip to the Mideast and Southeast Asia in the pre-dawn hours of July 3.

Before his wife's medical problem, he had planned to return to Washington on Monday and then co-host with Treasury Secretary Jack Lew high-level strategic and economic talks with senior Chinese officials on Wednesday and Thursday.

Kerry had also spoken of his desire to make his sixth trip to Israel as secretary starting at the end of the week. State Department officials said Kerry's schedule may now change pending developments with his wife's health.
___

Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

Prof. Samatar Oo Shaaciyay Inuu Go’aansaday Inuu La Shaqeeyo Dalkiisa Somaliland

Prof. Ahmed Ismail Samatar

Prof . Axmed Ismaaciil Samter, ayaa sheegay inuu garwaaqsaday go’aanka shacbiga Somaliland iyo iraadadooda oo uu wax badan ka fahmay isla markaana doonayo inuu dhinac ka raaco oo uu la shaqeeyo waxna la qabto.

Prof. Samatar oo ku sugan Magaalada London ee dalka Ingiriiska waxa tafaasiil ka bixiyay arrimihii farxad geliyay ee uu Somaliland ku soo arkay dhawaan markii uu socdaal ku yimid. Waxa uu ku dooday in xukuumadda Somaliland dedaal badan muujinayso inkasta oo tamarteeda dhaqaale aad u hooseyso.

Axmed Ismaaciil oo waxa uu ugu horayn ka hadlay waxyaabihii uu kala kulmay Somaliland, waxaanu yidhi “waxaan kala kulmay wax yaalo badan oo ku farxad galinaya oo mooralkaaga kor u soo qaadaya haddii aad tahay qof u dhashay oo rajo ka qaba inay wanaagsanaato, Somaliland waxa ka muuqda waa wax lagu farxi karo oo rajo weyn kugalin kara . Waxa ka mida raad dawladeed anigu waxaan soo marey Saylac ilaa Ceerigabo inta ka dhaxeysa meel kasta waa nalagu soo dhaweeyay, waan joogsanay waaxan arkey maagalo yar oo kasta dawlada raadkeedii iyo xafiisyadeedii oo ka jira oo ay shaqeynayaan, burburkii ka dib waa meesha qudha ee kartidaas la timid markaa waa wax lagu faano oo mudan in adduunyadana loo sheego.”

Prof. Axmed Ismaaciil Samatar waxa uu sheegay inuu la amakaagay jawigii loogu soo dhaweeyay Saylac illaa Ceerigaabo, isagoo arrintaas ka hadlayayna waxa uu yidhi “Waxaan soo arkey dad deeeqsinamadooda aan la qiyaasi karin, raxmad iyo jaceyl aan la qiyaasi karin leh oo aniga la i tusay, meel kasta oo aan tagnay. Boorame oo kale boqol kun oo qof ayaa meel ku soo ururey, Gabiley meel aan ka joogsado dadkii ayaan weynay 2ml meel u jirta ayaan magaalada ka soo baxay magaalada Berbera, Hargeysa, Burco, Ceerigaabo Ceel-Afweyn, Saylac iyo Lughaya iyagana sidaasi si le’eg. Meel aanan marin Somaliland oo si aad kuu taabnaynin majirto markaas taasna waan kala kulmay waxay ku galinaysaa kalsooni dheeraad ah inaad dadkaagii ku qabto.”

“Waxaa soo arkay dawlada Somaliland oo Hargeysa fadhida oo dedaal samaynaysa, wakhtigu wuu adag yahay laakiin doonaysa inuu wadanku dhismo oo aad ku arkeyso calaamadaheedii meelo badan, dhanka kale marka aad ka eegtana waxaa soo arkay Hargeysa way weynaatay , Gabiley iyana la mid, Boorame hadalkeeda daa, Burco oo warshado ku yaalaan. markaa wadan koraya ayaad arkeysaa,’ayuu yidhi Axmed Ismaaciil Samatar oo HCTV ugu waramayay caawa Magaaladda London.

Prof. Samatar waxa uu sheegay inuu Somaliland ku soo arkay in qiyaastii 72 ay dhalinyaradu shaqo la’aani haysato, waxaanu ku baaqay in wax laga qabto, waxaanu yidhi “Waxaan soo arkey dhalinyaro shaqo la’aani hayso oo 72% ayaan shaqayn, oo ay tahay in wax laga qabto, waxaa soo arkay oo kale biyo la’aan dad badan haysata, waxaan soo arkey wadooyin laga cawdu-bilaysto oo maridoodu tahay khatar weyn wakhti badanna kaa cunaya, wado xumidu waxay shakaal u noqonaysaa inuu kor u koco dhaqaalihii wadanka ta ugu dambeysa waxay tahay aan soo arkey xaga dhibtaada a in tamartu (Energy) wadanka ku yar tahay oo korontadu qaali ay tahay dadka intiisa badana aaney korontaba haysan arrintaasi hawl weyn ayay u baahan tahay in laga qabto.”

“Somaliland waxay ila tahay inay u baahan tahay cadaalad iyo wada jir, cadaaladdu waxay keentaa wada jirka, wada jirka dhawac ayaa ku dhici haddii aanay cadaaladi jirin,’ayuu yidhi Prof. Axmed Ismaaciil,”ayuu yidhi Profesarku.

Prof . Samater, oo la weydiiyay maqifkiisa siyaasadeed, waxa uu ku jawaabay, “Hadii aanan Somaliland iyo taariikhdayda halka ay taagan tahay qalbiga aanan ku haynin maan imaadeen. laakiin waxa weeye kalgacal inaan dadkaygii isa soo ursano, is warsano wada doodno ayaan u imid, ummadda aan ka dhashay go’aanka ay goosatey intii karaankayga ah inaan fahmo ayaan u imid, waanan fahmay markaa inaan dhinaca ka raaco oo waxaan la qab karo aan la qabto oo aan la shaqeeyo waa waajib, taasina waxay ku xidhan tahay waxa miiska yaala ee laguula yimaado ayay xidhan tahay.”

Mar uu ka jawaabayay su’aal ahayd inuu tilmaan ka bixiyo sida ay Somaliland u heli karto aqoonsi dublamaasiyadeed, waxa uu yidhi “Siyaasada dibadda iyo qufulkaa culus sida loo furayo inteeda badan innaga (Somaliland) ayay innagu xidhan tahay, su’ aashu waa inay noqotaa sidee nalagu aqoonsan karaa? Markaa waxay u baahan tahay farsamo, cilmi iyo farsamo. Adduunyadu waxay leedahay mafaatiix waaweyn, kuwo yar yar iyo kuwo dhexe. Markaa haddii aad ku mashquusho kuwa yar yar 100 sano cidi ku soo eegi mayso.”

Bank’s move could strangle Somalia’s economy, force ‘hawala’ underground

In Summary

• Last month, a group of researchers and aid workers sent a letter to Mark Simmonds, the UK’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Africa, urging him to persuade Barclays not to withdraw its services to the money transfer companies

• Shutting down money transfer services in the UK will, in effect, strangle a significant player in Somalia’s economy

• As the UK-based Somali Money Services Association pointed out, the decision by Barclays could have the unintended consequence of pushing the money transfer service underground into the hands of unlicensed, unregulated and illegal providers, thereby exacerbating money laundering and other vices, the very vices that led to the Barclays directive in the first place.

By RASNA WARAH

The announcement by Barclays Bank Plc of the UK that it will from this week withdraw banking services from some 250 money transfer companies has caused panic among Somalis in the diaspora who use these companies to send money to family members back home.

Explaining the move, Barclays stated: “It is recognised that some money service businesses don’t have the proper checks in place to spot criminal activity and could, therefore, unwittingly be facilitating money laundering and terrorist financing.”

Critics of the decision say that remittances are a “lifeline” for the millions of Somalis who are not served by formal banking institutions and that thousands will not be able to pay for food, education and medical expenses. Some researchers have suggested that Somalis operate and even thrive in a largely unregulated and informal economy because of remittances.

Last month, a group of researchers and aid workers sent a letter to Mark Simmonds, the UK’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Africa, urging him to persuade Barclays not to withdraw its services to the money transfer companies (also known as hawala), adding that these companies not only provide essential services to the global Somali community, they also make it possible for aid agencies, such as UNDP and Oxfam, to pay their staff and procure services in Somalia.

It seems remittances have proved to be a much more effective coping mechanism than aid in Somalia.

It is estimated that hawalas remit between $1 to $3 billion to Somalia every year – more than the total amount of international aid the country receives.

The hawala system is the backbone of the Somali economy, and has played a critical role in ensuring that the war-ravaged country’s unbanked population gains access to funds.

These remittances not only allow families to survive, they are also used to conduct business. Shutting down money transfer services in the UK will, in effect, strangle a significant player in Somalia’s economy. Forcing money transfer companies to shut down is the equivalent of closing down M-Pesa in Kenya, which transacted a staggering Sh129 billion last year.

Dahabshiil, the largest and most successful of these money transfer companies, has more than 300 branches across the length and breadth of Somalia and has agents in over 150 countries.

More than a quarter of Dahabshiil and other money transfer companies’ business comes from their customer base in the UK. Money transfer companies based in the country adhere to regulations set by the UK’s banking sector.

The decision by Barclays could be a strategy by Britain to force Somalia to adopt a more regulated banking system that adheres to international standards, and which can serve the aid agencies that will soon set up base in Mogadishu.

Nations eager to exploit Somalia’s untapped natural resources, such as oil, will also need banking services in Somalia that they can rely on. That is perhaps why the European Union is holding talks with the Somali Government on introducing “a new financial architecture based on mutual accountability and partnership”.

There is clearly an urgent need for a regulated banking sector and sound monetary policies in Somalia. Without them, the government cannot conduct its operations efficiently. The government still uses cash to pay salaries, a practice that is subject to abuse.

A Reuters report last week stated that Somalia’s Central Bank is being used as a “slush fund” by politicians and that cash withdrawals amounting to millions of dollars are largely unaccounted for.

However, replacing hawala with a regulated banking system is not feasible at the moment, as there is no regulatory framework guiding the banking sector. Slowing down money transfer services, which have proved to be more reliable and efficient than banks, could lead to the proliferation of unregulated banks in Somalia and harm the economy.

As the UK-based Somali Money Services Association pointed out, the decision by Barclays could have the unintended consequence of pushing the money transfer service underground into the hands of unlicensed, unregulated and illegal providers, thereby exacerbating money laundering and other vices, the very vices that led to the Barclays directive in the first place.

rasna.warah@gmail.com

Source: 

US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman said Gen. Martin Dempsey "Snowden has hurt US ties with others nations"

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman says NSA leaker Edward Snowden's disclosures about U.S. surveillance programs have undermined U.S. relationships with other countries and affected what he calls "the importance of trust."

Gen. Martin Dempsey told CNN's "State of the Union" in an interview broadcast Sunday that the U.S. will "work our way back. But it has set us back temporarily."

Russian officials say Snowden has been stuck in the transit area of a Moscow airport since arriving on a flight from Hong Kong two weeks ago.

Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua have offered asylum.

The head of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Mike Rogers, told he "absolutely" thinks that one of the countries will give Snowden travel documents.

Rogers, R-Mich., said the U.S. should look at trade agreements with the nations that are offering asylum "to send a very clear message that we won't put up with this kind of behavior."

Sen. Robert Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he wasn't surprised that those nations were offering asylum. "They like sticking it to the United States," Mendendez, D-N.J., told NBC's "Meet the Press."

He also mentioned re-examining U.S. trade policies and foreign aid to any country that might take in Snowden.

"Clearly such acceptance of Snowden to any country ... is going to put them directly against the United States, and they need to know that," he said.

Hargeisa Minority Street Children received Reintegaration support from Save Children and USWO

Today, 7 July 7, 2013 USWO minority right based NGO with precence Minister of Labour and Familiy Affairs, Child Rights Community Committees (CRCCs) from Dami A and B villages, and Ismail Yahya-Coordinator of Child Protection of Save the Children International (SCI) has begun the distribution package of support to the 60 Hargeisa minority street children in Dami A and B settelments in Hargeisa. Today, the first group of 20 street children had received one package of support containing 1 mattress plus 1 bed sheet for each every child.

During the street children sleeping package distribution event, the USWO chairman Mr. Abdilahi Hassan Digaale requested the parents of these minority street children to commit that their children shall no more continue staying and working in the streets. He also thanked to SCI and the Somaliland government for their continue keen consideration on child protection issues particularly to the most vulenarable minority street children. Mr. Digaale added “this support is not the first of it’s kind provided by Save Children Internation, but also it has provided direct family support including income generation and livelihood to families from minority communities in Hargeisa.

Ismail Yahya, the Coordinator of Child Protection of SCI in his words at event he welcome the hard working of USWO management team, togather with the Child Rights Community Committees members and Ministery of Labor and Socail Affaires, for their organization of the package distribution event, he underlined that the SCI is committed to continue to work with this project with USWO and other stakeholders including the parent committees and government concened agencies. Mr. Yahye called to the parents whom their children has received the sleeping package today, keep their children in all times. 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION OF THE PROJECT

USWO in collaburation with Save The Children International (SCI) are jointly implementing a re-integrate 125 children into their families program in vulnerable minority settlements of Daami A and B in Hargeisa. These children currently live and work in the streets of Hargeisa town. These children exposure all forms of abuse including sexual abuse, child laboring; etc. USWO in collaboration with CRCCs, MoLSA and SC shall undertake the reintegration exercise.

Reintegrating on street children into their families and community is, however, no straightforward task. It requires concentration and concret strategy with effective child friendly process in the line with principles of child right convention. One of the first steps is to indentify number of street children from DAAMI (A+B).

The main objectives is:

• To reunify street children from DAAMI (A+B) with their families;
• To re-establish children’s normal life with their parents/care givers;
• To regain the normal behavior of the child by establishing Parent Child relationship and better understanding of each other’s rights  and responsibilities.

(left) Identification of street children at Jajabka.                         (Right) identification of street children at Red Sea.          

USWO Child Protection Officer and CRCCs mobilizer doing individual registration and interview of street children

The total children registered and interview range 111 so far. Generally, the physical appearance of the children interviewed seem despair including family livelihoods. About 80% of the children are found not completed lower primary schools due to poverty and/or do family support child laboring tasks. The average age of the children assessed ranges between 8 to 14 years old. About 60 % of the children interviewed have no primary protection concern, in particular those who live alone in street and have no contacts with their parents or relatives. About 48% of the children assessed need to have urgent intervention and join education and/or have skill to work for. It has been noted also that the child reintegration assessement revealed the following findings:

• 32 of children rejected to have family reunion;
• 60 of the children accepted reunion to their families; and
• 19 of the children are found unable to decide to make family reunion neither from their families nor children’s say.