Delivering social services at the last mile in Somalia
UNICEF champions social workers providing support to survivors of violence
The Safe Space in Kabasa Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, supported by UNICEF, offers psychosocial support for women and girls who are survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). The team organizes outreach to women who require assistance with issues of GBV, educate communities about GBV's causes and impacts, and how to tackle such situations. Additionally, the center has a staff nurse available to provide medical care for physical injuries caused by GBV.
"Women can come together in a secure environment and discuss their issues and help each other under the guidance of social workers. We also have women leaders in the communities to identify women in need," says Hafsa.
Hafsa Adan Hussein is a Psychosocial Counsellor at the UNICEF-supported Safe Space in the Kabasa IDP camp in Dollow, Somalia, through partner organization Northern Frontier Youth League (NoFYL). She works across five IDP camps in the area. “I feel passion for performing my work. Without passion for what we do, we can’t focus on work. I want to help women and girls who are struggling. I have witnessed some women are so sad that they don’t want to be alive. But I can work with them and see them change and want to live. They can feel free and less stressed after they come to our programme,” she explains. Hafsa is 26 years old and has been doing social work in her community for about 4 years. She has a certificate for counselling, psychosocial and mental health support. She has not gotten married yet and is waiting to start a family. “I want to learn many things. I want to have more school and know how to help the women more,” says Hafsa brightly.
Hafsa shares that there are certain challenges when it comes to social work. “Some women may feel uncomfortable talking about their feelings and prefer to remain closed. Others may not trust the tools and support being offered to help improve their mindset. However, I have observed positive changes in women's emotional well-being after they have visited the centre,” she confides.
Hafsa is part of a growing social service workforce that UNICEF Somalia is investing in through support social work education, training and on-the-job support through programmes. For a country like Somalia still plagued with conflict and climate-induced emergencies and weak child protection systems, investment in these workforces become critical for sustainability and access to protection services.
Children who live in households with violence are impacted by it, even if they are not physically hurt. “Children see their mom get hurt and they know it is wrong. They might feel guilty because they complain to their mother that they don’t have a school uniform. The mom will then ask the child’s dad for money and the dad might beat the mom, accusing her of saying that he is not providing for his family,” says Hafsa. Some children just cry. Some older kids, around 15 years old, come running to the case worker to tell them that their mom is getting beaten. The case workers will go to the child’s home. After a discussion the beatings will stop “most of the time,” she says. “Men who commit GBV are given awareness training and education on how to manage their stress. The man learns that he is bringing shame to his family and the community.” The children of the women who come to the Safe Space have a place to play. This is a strategy to help them feel better. Children are given counselling to learn how to better deal with their feelings and they are taught skills to watch for danger in the bushes and by rivers, as well as how to seek help.
The Safe Space holds group awareness training for women to teach them livelihood skills, like sewing or business basics, so that women can earn a little money to buy food or to be able to get their children to school. The case workers hold group counselling with survivors of GBV so that they can share success stories with each other and talk freely in a private space. “It’s so nice to go around the camps to visit my clients and see how they are doing. They are so happy for the Safe Space and our work. Seeing this makes me want to continue my work,” says Hafsa.
UNICEF is thankful to donors investing in child protection services like the Governments of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
