CANADAVILLE CENTRE
Introduction
After the implosion of the Somali state over 20 years ago, the Somali people faced many atrocities resulting from the breakdown of peace and order. Human rights violation became so prevalent. This, needless to say, has particularly impacted the vulnerable majority of the society (women, children, and the aged population.)
The inculcation of the survival of the fittest attitude became the order of the day, thus creating divisions within families and kinfolk. Armed confrontations, torture, killing, rape, abduction, kidnapping caused an escalation of human rights abuses among the community.
Increased number of traumatized civilians has been showing a wide range of mental disorder such as depression, acute anxiety, bi-polar, hypertension, and psychosis. Other health related issues such as malnutrition, and communicable diseases such TB and HIV/AIDS have also been on the increase.
Today, Somalia is soaring with a great number of victims; of violated women, girls, and radicalized young men without education who have no means to generate legitimate income to feed themselves and their families.
In this context, it is not hard to understand the negative effect that the ever-present lawlessness and violence in war-torn countries like Somalia may have on child development and future.
The number of orphans and the destitute children with no one to take care of them has increased dramatically. As a desperate alternative, school age boys have taken guns, either as a ragtag militia for hire or as foot soldiers of the warring factions. To these dangerously delinquent youth, stealing, kidnapping and killing became a fair means to sustain their daily lives and that of their families. And what they need is intervention and prevention; counseling; an option to get out of the current frame of mind and a motivation to turn to education as means to better their lives.
That is why Somali Child Soldier, in partnership with a local Organization named Guryasamo set up the Canadaville center in Beledul-Amin , a village in Afgoye district-lower Shabelle region. Canadaville is a pilot project. Our objective is to open other centers in different parts of Somalia.
Blow are some of the projects that the Somali Child Soldier has spearheaded alone or in collaboration with other likeminded organizations.
Canadaville Center
The Aim Of the center
The aim of the Canadaville center is to provide literacy, counseling as well as a vocational training to the school boys that did not have the opportunity to go to school in order to prevent them from taking guns for survival.
The classes start on 8.00 A.M. and ends on 2.00 P.M. They always have their breakfast at 10.00 A.M. and lunch at 1.00 P.M.
Canadaville hired 2 teachers, one woman called Nima is a paraprofessional counselor whose duty is to extend psychosocial support to the traumatized children, the other one is a man called Abdullah who teaches to the course participants all other subjects.
The course is structured as follows:
> Six months was dedicated on reading and writing and separate counseling went along.
> For Six months literacy training and mathematics went along , plus counseling sessions
> Eight months were dedicated to basic knowledge on history, geography, sciences etc.
During the learning process most of the participants showed an extraordinary willingness to learn. Some of them already know how to read and write and basic mathematics but they still need more time in order to be able to acquire good knowledge in the other fields.
The First Cohort
The first cohort is composed of 30 school children, (that will be raised to 50 children by July 10th, 2009) whose ages range from 12 years to 18 years. This group started to join the center on 15 September 2006. On September 2008, they will hopefully complete a 2 year intensive course.
Most of the children show symptoms of distress due to the painful experiences of the traumatic events and incidents they encountered. This calls for a meaningful individual or group counseling so that the victims can have their shattered self-esteems remedied and lead a healthy life free of emotional distress.
Counseling
The purpose of “Counseling” is usually to assist an individual, or group to resolve emotional distress through talking in a supportive, confidential environment
The counselor of the center counsels the victims of the violence in a very simple way which only involves hearing but also empathizing, assessing deeply the problems they encounter, and facilitating prospective solutions to pressing problems.
Among other competencies, staff members are trained in the following:
- To remain relaxed
- To use open posture
- To share a good degree of eye contact
- To sit appropriately near
The counselor goals are focused on specific situations or actions that need to be changed and should be realistic, and concrete, such as:-
- Resolving anger
- Improving self-esteem of the self-confidence
- Resolving feelings of self-hate
- Resolving feelings of guilt
- Improving ability to cope with a disability
- Resolving feelings of rejection and hopelessness
- Resolving feelings of shame
All of that reflects the helper understands of the care of the victims expressions.
The staff of Canadaville center tries to empower the victims and promote self-sufficiency. They are committed to providing direly needed services to aid the victim boys, however, they are mindful that their role is temporary. The behaviors of the Counselor are always one that does not show the victims that they know best and that the victims ought to never question their recommendations.
Also the Canadaville counselor endeavors to win the trust of the victims of violence through their behavior by showing genuine care, concern and empathy for them. The strategies she uses in order to win the trust of the survivors of violence are:
- Establishing rapport with victims
- Being an advocate for the victims
- Showing the victims that they are genuinely interested and willing to help them
- Being warm, caring and concerned for the victim
- Sitting at the same level with the victims
- Having genuine respect for the victims and their families
- Keeping confidentiality of the discussions they have had with the victims
- Communicating trust and promising victims only what could realistically be provided
Vocational training
As of October 2008 the group is ready to start vocational training (because the security of the country is deteriorating, it is postponed to a later date). Before the vocational training the center prepares the boys in skills that are needed to develop their business such as literacy , numeracy and other skills to improve their base, since they are children who did not had the chance to attend formal schools .
The type of vocational training suitable for rural people is:
> Land preparation and cultivation
> Driving vehicles, bulldozers, etc.
> Tailoring
> Auto mechanics
The aim of the vocational training is to train the boys in skills that enable them to find a job or to undertake a micro-business that would allow them to earn honest living. The vocational training will lasts for three months.
By the end of the course, the participants should have been able to:
- Lead a normal live
- Communicate with others in a positive manner
- Restore their self-esteem
- Be self-reliant and economically empowered
