Thursday, March 14, 2013
Thousands of parentless children live in the streets of Mogadishu,
taking shelter in abandoned buildings and often using drugs. Others may
have parents, but still lack schooling or food because their parents
cannot afford such necessities.
To ameliorate this situation, the Birri Centre for Somali Child
Rescue in Hodan district has housed, fed and educated as many as 900
boys and girls since it opened in 2011.
Assistant manager Qadar Abdi Ali, 26, helped found the centre with
Abdiqani Abdullahi, 30. Ali works as an accountant for a private
company, while Abdullahi owns a store at Bakara market.
The co-founders initially spent a lot of time trying to convince
parents to bring their children to the centre, Ali said, but now it
cares for 657 children ranging from 5 to 15 years old.
The Birri Centre is located in a badly-damaged house divided into two
sections. At first, the centre was to use the space for free in return
for rebuilding the house, but that never materialised and the centre now
must cover $3,000 in monthly operating costs, Ali said.
"No one directly supports us except the Turkish Red Crescent, which
provides a cooked meal for 30 people daily, and nine people abroad who
send us $450 each month," Ali told Sabahi.
The centre employs 15 staff members, including teachers, custodians and kitchen staff.
The centre's co-founders cover the remaining operating expenses, Ali
said. Because of this financial burden, they want to turn over the
children's care to the government or a non-profit organisation.
Abdirahman Abukar, a 32-year-old teacher at Birri, said the school offers opportunities to children who have no other options.
"We provide shelter for 120 boys who are mostly orphans that we
rescued from the streets," he told Sabahi. "We teach them all the
subjects offered in schools, as well as the holy Qur'an."
Some of the children have advanced to become third-graders in primary school, he said.
Hassan Mohamed Abdi, 12, does not know whether his parents are alive
or dead. He was rescued from the Kilometre 4 intersection, which many
street children frequent.
"My life completely changed after I was brought to this centre," he
told Sabahi. "I am taught the Qur'an and other subjects such as
mathematics and Somali. I have forgotten my street life since I was
brought here."
Rahmo Gedi, a 38-year-old mother of three, said she is extremely
happy with the meals and education her children receive at the centre.
"We are poor people who cannot afford to educate the children," she
told Sabahi. "They receive a good education and I am thankful to our
brothers for helping us with this issue."