Somaliland’s Forgotten Children

Posted: December 14, 2007   By: Staci Dennis

SOMALILAND, Africa – In a remote orphanage in the heart of Somaliland, hundreds of children cram into small spaces to try and sleep through the night. But sleeping seems to be the least of their problems.

With no running water and no way to keep the children clean, disease and infections were rampant among the orphans.

Somaliland, which is in the horn of Africa, declared independence from Somalia in 1991 after Gen. Barre's central government in Mogadishu collapsed. Today the war-torn country is still not recognized by the United Nations and other countries as its own entity.

War and poverty have spiked the number of children without parents or caregivers and orphanages are bursting at the seams. This orphanage in Hargeisa is no exception.

In May 2007, OBI staff visited the orphanage and found 327 children living there with only one toilet and no running water.

Through OBI's orphan care programs, more than $25,000 was supplied to renovate the facility. Six months later, the orphanage has showers, sinks, spigots and toilets as well as other water access points in and outside the building.

“For the 13 years I have been here, there has never been a shower,” said Bashir, an older orphan. Bashir’s parents were killed when a grenade hit his home.

Today, he still lives at the orphanage, but is attending a local university where he is studying to become a lawyer. “I will never forget to come back and visit my brothers and sisters at the orphanage and fight for their futures,” he said. Now that the orphanage has access to clean water, that’s one less fight Bashir has to worry about.

“Having clean drinking water has made a radical difference in the lives of the orphans and greatly reduced the number of illnesses,” said David Darg, OBI’s director of international disaster relief and special projects. “Step by step we will change their lives for the better.”