Introduction
Nakivala refugee camp Mbarara district about more than 700 km from the Kampala which is near the Congo Border hosting more than one hundred thousand from more than ten countries. The second largest refugee hosting in Africa After Kenya refugee camps.
There are tens thousands Somalis refugee based in the camps of the Uganda mainly in the Nakivali one of the largest refugee hosting camps in the country from the nations in the region of the East Africa. These refugee include tens thousands Somalis who reached there the last three decades escaping from the war in the country.
Most of the Somali refugee in Uganda are women children and old people who sought there peace and shelter from the wars going in Somalia more than two decades where there has not been powerful government controlling most regions and towns in the country.
Somalia status of wars
Somalia is a country with over 15 million population more than 75% of them are youth with female majority representation. The country fail in civil war that started the late 1986 in the northern Somalia that spread to the south Somalia 1990 and caused the copse of the military regime after armed factions and groups toppled the regime. The country fail in nation widespread clan fighting which has destroyed national army and governmental organs the security, justice and social services
A Case For Disabled Mother With Two Girls
Ms. Asha Abdikarim Ali is Somalia female young girl born 1985 in Mogadishu who have disability caused poliomyelitis with attenuated legs using crutches in extended family most of the females under the care of her father and mother in the first two decades of her life.
Ms. Asha Abdikarim Ali was almost five years old young girl at the time the civil broke out in the country and the military regime was ousted by army insurgents and faction leaders. She had displaced several time from her home with families. Where in some cases faced hard condition forcing her families disconnect or abandoned alone in the home.
Ms. Asha Abdikarim Ali a female with disability matured has developed heavy body with obesity that had worsen her disability terrible. Making bit more hard working in her teens above fifteen. Hidden in the home for long time she has realized to wake up for her future and start school in Private schools in Mogadishu learning non formal education.
Ms. Asha Abdikarim Ali has joined PWDs persons with disabilities association the year 2004 SODA Somalia organization disabled Activists where she become a member of the assembly. Working the coordination of the PWDs persons with disabilities rights where she has taken some course for human rights awraness and protection to protect her life and dignity which was in danger for her disability only.
Ms. Asha Abdikarim Ali has joined and enrolled IEDP institute of education for the disabled people technical vocational education. Where she has learnt dying the clothes with colors a profitable in the local market dealing the clothes for the females. She has passed to instructor assistance in the school for the next year after finishing her course. That finally led her full instructor for domestics and art in the school.
Ms. Asha Abdikarim Ali face third time displacement the 2006 when Islamist war between the faction leaders and the religious groups broke out again, forcing her to fly again. Missing her family in one of the public station for the transportation after mortar landed in the road killing some of the passenger in the bus at Zobe fail on the ground where she has fainted with sight human body meat flying over and blood oozing from nearby injured people beside the road in the tar mark.
Ms. Asha Abdikarim Ali went shelter in IDP camp near Zope where she has founded people over crowded to lorry full of people escaping from the wars. With support of the youth groups who lift up her and punt the lorry. She found stable in Afgoye lower Shabele our skirts of Mogadishu.
Ms. Asha Abdikarim Ali reached Kenya the end of the 2010 where she has tried to ask refugee asylum. Unfortunately lack of support and transportation has made it very hard to go the refugee camp in Kenya. Where she had falowed people crossing the Keyna Border to the Ugand and she has reached 2011 February Kampala Uganda where she has received her refugee status with in short time having good hope and stability to live.
Ms. Asho is faced third problems when the live become hard for her, living alone in small tent room for several years. She has managed to marry man hoping companion to share the life burden with her and build good family. After several month when she become pregnant her husband abandoned for her disability. A women who may not care her children and her self as he complained.
Ms. Asha faced her fourth problems in the live when the doctors told her that she may not give birth natural except caesarean operation for bay birth. That lead her lose some of her bower. And made handicapped unable to work normal with crutches as before.
Ms. Asho found wheelchair for mobility to work in the areas of the Nakivali camp alone in her small room with her baby. She fail in hardship for the live. A female with disability, mother with baby girl and person with considerable obesity level.
Ms. Asha again faced by the fifth problem when young man approached to her to support who she has married again and dream to have again someone who may help her forget the past scars in her min. unfortunately much has changed when she become pregnant mother
Ms. Asha is faced again divorce second time in her live when her second husband abandoned for only her burdened of pregnant. He has run away from Uganda back to Somalia to distance the shame for the marriage of the disabled female.
Ms. Asha is finally disabled wheelchair pound person in refugee camp, a widowed mother with two girls. She is the mother and the father of her children and family. In a place where the live is very hard. In rural area where some times transportation to the towns is far and hard. Moreover to PWDs persons with disabilities.
Ms. Asha has had UN refugee mandate Uganda Nakivali where she has been waiting her hope for third country resettlement . Every year hundreds persons are qualified for resettlement. There some barrier for the PWDs persons with disability. Again she face problems with refugee and resettlement screening
Dilemma
Ms. Asha is the middle of ordeal where she is faced dilemma, either to return back home country Somalia where there is still the problems that forced to flee from in time she was younger than now, without children and with limited disability. Or to remain in Nakivali refugee camp where the live is very hard for the non disabled people. Having family with out father supporting in refugee camp that located far rural with hard transportation and public service.
Appeal
A group of Somalia civil society organization supported the collection and circulation of the report agree to send appeal to the international community and refugee working organization and women refugee commission. To take an action supporting the victim in the report and in general the PWDs persons with disability from different nationalities based in the Nakivali camp Mbarara Uganda.
Therefore, we would urge to the international community, human rights working and refugee protection organization give attention to the PWDs persons with disabilities in the refugee camps, particularly the in the East Africa Uganda and Kenya two most refugee camps in Africa.
Appealing organizations
- SAAR Somalia Association Advocacy Refugees saar.somalia@gmail.com
- Mentor Somalia. Email. mentor.somalia@gmail.com
- IEDP institute of education for disabled people Email: infor@iedp.so
- CBR Somalia Network cbrsomalia@gmail.com
- SDPC Somalia Disability People Cluster abdullahisoda@hotmail.com
- Somali National Disability Council Email: sdpc.somalia@gmail.com
- SODEN Somalia Disability Empowerment network. info@somalidisability.org
- SOWDA Somalia Women disability Activists sowda.org@gmail.com
- SODWE Somalia Organization Disability women Empowerment Email: sodwesom@gmail.com
