The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) on Sunday handed over an assortment of completed projects as well as sports items and food rations to communities living in an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Jowhar, Hirshabele State as part of its Quick Impact Projects (QUIPs) aimed at improving the wellbeing of the people.
The projects include a newly constructed school, a meat market, water drinking facilities, a shallow well, dozens of sports kits as well as 7 500 kilogrammes of rice, 4 500 litres of cooking oil and 4 500 kilogrammes of sugar which were jointly handed over to Towfiq IDP camp communities in Jowhar by AMISOM Senior Civil Affairs Officer Dr. Opiyo Ododa and HirShabelle State representatives. The support will directly benefit 14 000 IDPs living in the camp.
Speaking during the handover of the items Dr. Ododa said the support extended to the communities was requested by the locals as urgent needs and AMISOM was happy to help alleviate their suffering.
“We have handed a meat market to women and children; we have also handed over water facilities to the women. We have also handed over a shallow well to the men. Our purpose of coming here is to ensure that the communities are able to receive services closer to their locations. These projects have been a great success because the communities have accepted them,” said Dr. Opiyo.
The Hirshabelle State AMISOM Civil Affairs Officer, Christopher Aria noted that the perennial water shortages at the IDP camp would no longer be a problem with the new water supply support extended by the AMISOM Burundi contingent in Jowhar.
“Water has been extended from AMISOM Burundi National Defence (BND) camp to the community; we have extended because the water was not enough. With this extension, now we have enough water to serve the community at (the) IDP camp,” Aria added.
The Jowhar Football Federation Chairman, Mohamed Ahmed Gaasow commended AMISOM for the timely support to the community and said it would help bolster cooperation between the community and AMISOM.
“The hand over of sports items will increase the interaction of the people in the community; it will open up the community and strengthen peace. We request more items that will cover the sporting needs in the area,” Gaasow said.
AMISOM Quick Impact Projects are typically small-scale projects that are primarily structured to help address the basic needs of local populations in Somalia.
