SAACID conducted an Economic Recovery Programme in partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Italian Government in Mogadishu, between 1 March and 12 August 2003. The programme was implemented as a pilot to provide proof-of-concept to the international community to highlight the fact that complex programming could be carried out in the current anarchic environment in Mogadishu City.

 

The Programme targeted cleaning up garbage and sand from the streets of Mogadishu in 6 of the 16 districts of the city. The programme employed 600 of the poorest Somalis in the 6-targeted districts for 13 weeks in the designated period (50% women and 50% men). The rest of the programme timeframe was allocated to preparing for the initiative and preparing and submitting final reports, conducting final inventory and debriefing employees, contractors, community leaders and staff. The idea was to utilise a labour intensive format to the work, so that the economic benefits of the programme could be as widely distributed as possible.

 

We consider the programme to be innovative for the Mogadishu context - partnering community leaders from divided districts and between divided districts of Mogadishu City. Remember that Somalia has had no functioning government since January 1991. The city is fractured into a myriad of clan identities, with only a shadow of district and city identity remaining. Free-lance militias roam freely and have claimed to 'own' the garbage when previous attempts to clear garbage have been initiated. This programme utilised a bottom-up approach to achieving outputs. By empowering local community leaders to select the workers from within each targeted district (against set criteria) and manage the workforce to achieve the agreed outputs, the community came to see the programme as their own.

 

Problems with local militia groups were solved through dialogue - primarily between the community leaders and the militia. SAACID provided a consultative, monitoring and reporting role. ILO provided financial inputs (from the Italian Government), technical assistance, logistical assistance, and liaison with the Italian Government. We have to say that the ILO is the best partner we have every had. The vision of the head of their mission in Somalia (Joe Connolly) had great synergy with our own.

 

Objectives of the programme included:

 

Clear garbage that had built up in the city over the past decade – thus enhancing health and hygiene.

 

Clear sand from the roads of the city, which has been left to pile up over the past decade, making travel within much of the city an arduous task. Mogadishu is a coastal city and northeasterly and the northwesterly monsoon winds ensure that large amounts of sand are regularly deposited onto the city.

 

Provide 600 labouring jobs for the poorest in the city @ US $2 per day. This economic input was to target the poorest in Mogadishu society and to stimulate economic activity within the city through secondary spending.

 

Provide the people of the city with a modicum of hope that the international community had not abandoned them. Many people within the city had given up all hope that anybody cared what happened to them. This desperation manifests itself in ongoing violence on the streets of the city and a population that is both brutalised and brutal.

 

Begin the development and empowerment of local governance structures in the city of Mogadishu. Such local structures have existed throughout the past decade, but have been completely ignored by both the international community and Somali factional leaders. The result has been that grassroots leadership has languished in the debris of the city and this potentially effective management and leadership tool has also been left to rot.

 

Provide civil society in the city with alternative forms of identity to that of narrow clan interest. The notion of district and city identity was very strong before the collapse of the government in 1991. Social movement in the city before the collapse of government was limited and local identity was very strong. One of the objectives of the programme was to see if this broader civil identity could be revitalised - and in the process see if divisions between different clan groupings could be critically contested. If revitalisation - through alternative forms of social formation - could take place, then social divisions within districts of the city and between districts in the city could begin to be healed and people and clan units could reintegrate themselves into larger social formations that had a broader and more sustainable social agenda to that of narrow and destructive individual and clan interest.

 

SAACID also had the following ancillary goals it wished to achieve:

 

 

 

 

 

A key component to effectively implementing the programme was to garner genuine community support and community ownership of the programme.

 

This was initiated in March 2003 through a 6-day workshop that walked all key leaders from the 16 districts of Mogadishu through the proposed structure of the programme, its goals and the criteria for selecting the participants who would carryout the bulk of the labour.

 

The local leaders provided critical input into how such a process would be initiated, implemented and sustained in an ongoing anarchic environment. By taking ownership of the programme (this was practically done through individual district contracts), the grassroots leadership in Mogadishu ensured strong neighbourhood support in each of the participating 6 districts; and strong support from the other 10 non-participating districts – through a desire for the success of the programme, so that they might have the opportunity in the future to participate an any extended version of such a programme.

 

All district leaders agreed that they would work together for the success of the programme, so that they could show the international community that programming could be effectively implemented in Mogadishu - despite the current anarchy - and that they could be trusted with further programming in the future.

There was also universal agreement that the poorest in each community should be targeted; and that this conformed well to the core precepts of Islam.

 

Criteria for labour selection were discussed and agreed upon:

 

 

a)     The poor

b)     The very poor

c)      The poorest

 

It was agreed that a minimum of 50% of the participants in each district would come from ‘the poorest’ category. The other 50% would come from the other 2 identified categories. While no definitional provision was made for each of these categories, it was understood by all present what was meant by each category. There was a local cultural understanding of the definitions discussed.

 

Activities for the first month – 19 April – 15 May 2003

 

In the first four weeks of activities there was widespread curiosity and exhilaration amongst the public and local elite. SAACID received a number of letters of support (this is not normal for Somalis, usually they write letters of complaint) from different notable figures within Mogadishu society and several from different groups.

 

There were 6 worksite accidents – 2 of which were relatively serious. Both individuals have fully recovered. Overall, SAACID believes that the number of total accidents was under-reported during the first month. We make this assumption when the first month’s figures are compared to the other 2 months (see Accidents and Incidents Chart) - after monitoring activities were enhanced through extra training and through the hiring of specialist first aid workers.

 

Another real highlight was how smooth the payment process was implemented. Payment was on a weekly basis, and the participants and district leaders received a lot of comfort from the fact that they were regularly and correctly paid.

 

Six rifle grenades in good condition were found in the garbage in the first month. These grenades had been stolen from a local warlord; and were quickly recovered by the warlord when the information about their discovery was circulated throughout the city.

 

There were problems that plagued the district leaders and SAACID for the first month, and these primarily related to the lack of opportunity for people to participate in the programme:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A number of formal meetings were also held throughout the month with the DC’s, supervisors and monitors, so that information could be shared and problems discussed and solved.

 

Activities for the second month – 16 May – 12 June 2003

 

By the beginning of the second month of activities SAACID was comfortable with the core elements of the process of the large-scale work activities and felt that it was in a position to concentrate on procedures relating to attendance, haulage (and haulage outputs) and outputs per ‘man-day’.

 

The local radio stations, newspapers and TV stations continued to provide daily coverage of the programme. All were very supportive; and this support was magnified by the overwhelming public support throughout the city.

 

Many prominent local personalities continued to speak out in support of the programme; and many others telephoned SAACID to express their personal support for the ILO initiative.

 

During the month, meetings were held with the DC’s, supervisors and monitors to discuss how the procedures for attendance, hauliers and outputs could be put onto a more transparent and sustainable level.

 

Also discussed was:

 

 

Two SAACID monitors would be posted in each district; and they would randomly check all individuals throughout the day for attendance. Each individual would be checked an average of three times each day. Failure to meet one rollcall would result in the loss of a half a day’s wages. The failure to meet two rollcalls would result in the loss of the full day’s wages. Continuous absence without reason would result in expulsion from the programme. These conditions also applied to supervisors and salaried DC’s.

 

It was agreed by all districts and SAACID managers to adjust the payment period from weekly to fortnightly to reduce the strain on SAACID’s logistical capacity. It also provided for increased productivity because 3 hours were being lost each week so that participants could go to the designated pay site to be paid.

 

Two water containers were purchased for each district for the participants for drinking and washing. This was much appreciated by all participants and the participating districts agreed to provide water for these containers each day as their contribution.

 

The increasing number and quality of the new tools purchased in Nairobi had a dramatic impact on productivity outputs – with increases exceeding 100% in several districts.

 

There was ongoing concern that the programme was not adequately providing a duty-of-care for the participants in relation to the possibility of unexploded munitions. SAACID indicated that ILO continued negotiations with several INGOs to bring an expert team from Somaliland to deal with any unexploded ordnance and to provide a capacity for educating participants and the wider community on good ordnance protection measures – especially for children.

 

Two health workers, who were qualified nurses, were hired locally in each district by the local authorities. These health workers had an immediate and positive impact on the morale of the workforce; and this impact remained for the remainder of the programme. As a result of the health workers being onsite all the time the quality of the reporting of accidents dramatically increased. SAACID is very confident that after the instalment of the health workers, reporting of accidents was done with 100% accuracy - as to quantity and severity.

 

The overall mood of the public in the city throughout the programme was positive in the extreme. Yet, the second month saw a huge increase in free-lance militia activity at the worksites attempting to extort money from the participants; and more directly, from the district officials and SAACID. SAACID cannot quantify the exact reasons for the timing and scale of the incidents, but we could identify some causal events:

 

 

The total number of incidents for the month was reported as 30. Twenty-nine were with free-lance militia and one was a snake that scared the workers from a worksite until it was killed.

 

The level of reporting worksite accidents also dramatically increased compared to the first month. This was primarily due to the hiring of dedicated health workers for each district. The number of accidents reports for the second month for all 6 districts was 21 – with one of those accidents being serious. A male was stabbed in the eye by a thorn of a cactus tree. He was immediately taken to hospital. He has recovered steadily since the accident, with the supervision of appropriate antibiotics by local physicians. He still has a little white haze on the skin of the eye, but doctors are very hopeful of a full recovery. His current vision is estimated at 90% of what it was before the accident.

 

Activities for the third month – 14 June – 17 July 2003

 

The third month of the programme continued the strong support shown from the public in Mogadishu and from the different media that operate in the city. Prominent personalities in Mogadishu continued to come to the worksites and SAACID offices to express their public and private support.

 

The media were exceptionally supportive - providing daily coverage of different aspects of the programme; and have continuously derided the opportunistic free-lance militia groups that have attempted to disrupt the work sites.

 

This month was highlighted by the smooth running of all elements of the programme. Attendance and productivity were high. The number of incidents that plagued the programme in the second month dropped dramatically, as it became obvious to the militias and business leaders that their extortion attempts were failing; and because of the broader civil society support that saw the district officials, plus elders, sheikhs and other grassroots leaders come out to the worksites to talk and shame the militiamen into submission. The last month of activities really cemented public support for the programme and it was obvious that a continuation of the programme would have seen the virtual elimination of extortion attempts by free-lance militias on the worksites.

 

Meetings with the DC’s, supervisors and monitors had become routine – in so far as the primary issue talked about was productivity outputs, and how to continue to get greater productivity gains out of the workforce. Issues relating to process were largely resolved.

 

1-day of health and hygiene workshop for each district

 

A 1-day health workshop was held for the 100 participants in each district. The subject matter covered in each workshop was as follows:

 

ü      General health and hygiene

ü      Personal hygiene

ü      Food and water hygiene

ü      Environmental hygiene

ü      Definition of a STD (sexually transmitted disease)

ü      Factors influencing the frequency of STDs

ü      Obstacles to STD control

ü      What is TB?

ü      What causes the TB infection?

ü      How does the TB infection spread?

ü      The magnitude of TB as a health problem in Somalia

ü      What is HIV/AIDS?

ü      What causes HIV/AIDS?

ü      How the disease is contracted and transmitted

ü      Prevention of HIV/AIDS

ü      HIV/AIDS diagnosis and its symptoms

ü      Who are the risk groups?

ü      What is of FGM (female genital mutilation) and the types of FGM?

ü      The consequences of FGM

ü      Alternatives for FGM

 

The workshops were an outstanding success, with the trainers reporting a high degree of information transmission - which was confirmed in a final group question and answer session.

 

2-day clean-up of area used for the Somali Independence Day celebration by all 600 participants

 

This special work programme was instigated and implemented by all district officials – including those not participating directly in the programme. The purpose of the activity was to clear the area that would be used to celebrate Somalia's Independence Day. It was extremely successful in its primary objective of cleaning the area that would be used for the celebration activities. It was even more successful in conveying a very positive message to the public in Mogadishu (through all the media services) of working together for common goals and common unity. The public response was outstanding, with virtual unanimous support for this symbol of Somali unity that transcended narrow clan and individual interest.

 

Munitions capacity

 

There was ongoing debate and criticism of SAACID and the ILO by the DC’s for not implementing a genuine capacity for the safe disposal for munitions found in the garbage.

 

In the third month of activities an old and badly decomposed 120 mm mortar was found in the garbage. There were no procedures in place to deal with the explosive, and the participants unwisely handled the explosive in a carefree manner that indicated a basic lack of education in munitions awareness.

 

The DC’s again urged SAACID and the ILO to develop a capacity for safe munitions disposal and to develop a capacity for educating the public on the dangers of handling munitions.

 

Impact on reintegration of divided communities within a district and between districts

 

An enormous amount of discussion has taken place in the public arena in Mogadishu over the last 3 months of activities on the positive impact the programme has had on reintegrating divided communities within districts; and building greater trust between districts.

 

This aspect of the programme exceeded all expectations! SAACID could never have imagined how such a simple programme could galvanise the whole of Mogadishu. By getting people from different clans to work together in one district; and by getting the coordination mechanisms in place and genuinely operational between districts has made for the best practical confidence-building measures. The level of trust between previously discordant clan groups has markedly improved. This programme has provided a practical catalyst for the average person, who has been yearning for peace and stability for many years, to publicly express their support for a broader practical peace effort.

 

District leaders and citizens continuously vocalised their support for the programme and spontaneously initiated their own activities that added great value to the initial programme. This support really materialised in the last month of activities – where a noticeable reduction in incidents at the worksites provides an accurate indicator of the effectiveness of the ‘add-on’ local activities that were initiated at the local level.

 

The impact of the programme on urban renewal

 

Another existential indicator of the success of the programme at the local level is the redevelopment of sites that have been cleared of garbage and roads that have been cleared of sand.

 

Looted and bombed out buildings were rehabilitated, and small business activities sprang up in those areas – reflecting increased economic and security confidence in those areas. Some local communities dug pits to ensure that all new garbage was disposed of in a more hygienic manner. Several areas were turned into local markets. Other areas had generator lighting installed by local businessmen to protect the areas against night-time dumping.

 

The programme provided a strong catalyst for renewed civic pride, and allowed local residents to renew their identity in their district and their city. For the average Mogadishu resident, who is totally powerless in the face of the ongoing anarchy, this provided significant respite to the hopelessness of their daily lives and provided genuine optimism for their future – and the future of their families. This is signified in the renewed economic investment in their local communities and district.

 

The positive impact on individual self-worth

 

Discussions with local leaders highlighted the overwhelmingly positive impact the programme had on the participants of the programme.

 

It was noted that the dignity from decent work for the poorest in the community gave these poor a substantially increased sense of self-worth. Not only could they effectively provide for their family, but also they could also effectively contribute to the health, hygiene and cleanliness of their local community and city.

 

The DC’s indicated that the local communities now looked at the individuals with increased respect and this translated itself into increased productivity at the worksites.

 

Payment process

 

The district leaders congratulated SAACID for the efficiency and professionalism of the payment process throughout the programme. This aspect of the programme was flawless, with no complaints being registered.

 

SAACID also tracked the participants to see if they have had any problems with theft, looting or extortion from anybody after they received their wages and left the payment areas – no such negative reports were received.

 

Garbage and sand output

 

SAACID had no capacity to calculate output (in terms of tonnage) – ILO delegated this activity to an independent engineer. Capacity outputs need to be referred to his report.

 

SAACID and the district officials, supervisors and monitors had continuing discussions on how to increase productivity and outputs.

 

Key observations revolved around:

 

 

All agreed it that an enormous amount of garbage and sand was cleared from the 6 districts over the 3 months. All district leaders were happy with the outputs they were able to achieve.

 

All district leaders were also extremely happy with the increased road access in their districts due to the level of sand and detritus removal (particularly car bodies) from the streets.

 

Accidents and incidents

 

Both SAACID and the district leaders were very happy with the quantitative reduction in the number of incidents in the third month of activities (see chart). All parties were extremely happy with the level of public support that translated into increasing community action again free-lance militias in their local area. If the programme had of continued SAACID believes that it may have been possible to get to a point where public action could have coalesced to a point where further programming targeted at militias could have resulted in an overall reduction in gun crime in the city.

 

The number of accidents reported for the third month of activities remained relatively high. This was primarily due to the excellent level of reporting from the specialist health workers. Only one serious accident occurred in the third month of activities. A woman had a small stone lodged in her eye. She was taken to a hospital where the stone was successfully removed. She has made a full recovery, with no long-term effects to her vision.

 

The weakness for the programme on the worksites in regard to the number of worksite accidents relates directly to the lack of effective work boots for the participants. Virtually all the accidents recorded in the third month were foot injuries – either from sharp objects in the garbage of from tools hitting the participant’s feet. This issue could not be resolved with ILO due to budget constraints.

 

Fact Sheets

 

SAACID perceived the programme as an opportunity to survey the poorest in Mogadishu on a variety of subjects.

 

SAACID attempted to collect this data early in the second month of programme by interviewing participants at the worksites. Freelance militias perceived this process as indicating that the participants were receiving cash at the worksites and it caused work disruptions. SAACID then decided to suspend collection at worksites and instead collected the data at the more secure pay-sites.

 

SAACID believes the data collected provides a unique insight into the poor of Mogadishu. A separate report that contained the results of the fact sheet survey was developed and submitted to ILO in the third month of activities.

 

Highlights of the survey are cited below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outputs

 

 

18 July – 12 August 2003

 

In this period the primary activities were the collection and audit of tools from the district partners and the final closing ceremony.

 

The tool audit was done through the last two weeks of August. The results of this audit were submitted to ILO in a separate report.

 

In the beginning of August, SAACID prepared the closing ceremony for the programme. ILO was unable to be present for the ceremony, which all the local Somali leaders were disappointed about. The ceremony was held on 12 August and was very successful – with all the local media covering the event.

 

Monitoring and Assessment

 

SAACID was responsible for the monitoring, assessment and disbursement of programme funding.

 

SAACID continuously monitored all aspects of the programme. Two monitors were hired for each district to monitor and assess attendance, productivity, hauliers and the constraints faced. These monitors also provided limited communication between the worksites and SAACID officers so that incidents and serious accidents could be responded to in a timely manner. A further 2 monitors were placed in each of the dumpsites to monitor the hauliers and to ensure that dumping occurred at the designated dumpsites.

 

SAACID also ensured:

 

ü      The proper organisation of the worksites;

ü      Strict compliance of the workers with the agreed working regulations;

ü      The timely and correct payment of wages;

ü      The levelling of dumpsites to ensure continued access to all sites;

ü      The use of bulldozers to break-up compacted garbage;

ü      Coordination of activities between districts;

ü      Chaired meeting for district leaders, supervisors, and monitors;

ü      Effective liaison with ILO in Nairobi;

ü      Comprehensive photo and video documentation of all elements of the programme;

ü      Weekly narrative and photographic reports to ILO in Nairobi;

ü      Comprehensive monthly financial reporting to ILO in Nairobi;

ü      Instant reporting of serious incidents to ILO in Nairobi that may have an impact on ILO policy toward the programme;

ü      The development, collection and collation of data from all participants through the use of fact sheets;

ü      Health and hygiene education for all participants;

ü      Arbitration for the contracted districts over the methodology used at the worksites.

ü      The proper maintenance and storage of the tools; and,

ü      A proper duty of care for all participants.

 

Impact of the programme

 

The impact of the programme covered the following areas:

 

 

Lessons learned/Recommendations

 

SAACID recommends the following: