SEHO
Encyclopedia
SEHO is a non-profit non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...

 operating in southern Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...

. It also has offices in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

.

History

SEHO was founded in 2002. At the time, it operated computer and language school in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

 USA. The school was utilized by Somali immigrants in Ohio as well as high school and college students who had difficulties adjusting to the new school systems.

Founders of the school decided to transfer some of the teaching materials, techniques and curriculum to schools in Somalia. The idea took hold soon after. The devastating drought of 2005 which hit Somalia and Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

 made efforts of SEHO volunteers even more meaningful.

Background

From early 2006, it was apparent that health and education collaboration services were needed in Bardera. The creation of a center or an institution, which develops mechanisms to deal with human health (including sanitation services), animal health (veterinary services), and agricultural services were then initiated by SEHO staff and volunteers. With this background, emerged SEHO support services and its community development goals.

SEHO's first office in Somalia was opened in 2006 in Bardera
Bardera
Bardera City is an important agricultural city in the Gedo region of Somalia. It is the second most populous town in the Juba Valley, with Kismayo being the largest and most densely populated city in the region, and Garbahaarreey serving as Gedo's capital...

, Gedo
Gedo
Gedo is an administrative region , formerly part of the historic Upper Juba Region in southern Somalia. Its regional capital is Garbahaarreey. Gedo is a region created in 1980s and is bordered by the Ogaden in Ethiopia, the North Eastern Province in Kenya, and the Somali regions of Bakool, Bay,...

. The first activity of SEHO was the creation of a maternity center in Bardera. This community with an estimated population of over 100,000 didn't have specialized center for women and children. The district hospital has been closed for more than 14 years.

Few volunteers including Abdirahman Dini Saylici, Dr. Adan Loyan, Dahir Abdullahi Abdi and Dr. Mohammed Jama Hashi who lived in Ohio at the time, collected reference material, basic medical equipment and hospital supplies. The shipment was sent July 2007 to Bardera Maternity Hospital or East Bardera Mothers and Children's Hospital
East Bardera Mothers and Children's Hospital
East Bardera Mothers and Children's Hospital is a non-profit institution women's and children's hospital located in Baardheere, Somalia. The hospital was started by expatriate Somalis based in North America...

, EBMCH for short.

Bardera

SEHO currently supports two well-utilized institutions; one in the health sector and other is in the education sector. The two centers are:
  1. East Bardera Mothers and Children's Hospital
    East Bardera Mothers and Children's Hospital
    East Bardera Mothers and Children's Hospital is a non-profit institution women's and children's hospital located in Baardheere, Somalia. The hospital was started by expatriate Somalis based in North America...

     http://www.somalisupportsecretariat.info/events/stories/seho.htm and with its new addition, the Westside Maternity Unit or West Bardera Maternity Unit, and
  2. Bardera Polytechnic
    Bardera Polytechnic
    Bardera Polytechnic is a non-profit tertiary polytechnic education centre located in Bardera, Somalia. The college's full name is Bardera Polytechnic College . Bardera Polytechnic is the first post-secondary institution in Bardera and the larger Gedo region.-Background: Bardera as a center of...



The school covers third sector, which is the agricultural services by having agricultural science department. Since mid 2008, the maternity hospital and the school were collaborating on many issues facing the Bardera community.

For each year, during 2007 and 2008, EBMCH served over 3,000 people http://www.gedonet.com/index.php?news=4608, mostly women and children. Services include prenatal to postpartum and children's basic health services.

Abudwak Maternity Hospital

SEHO is working with diaspora friends of Abudwak to set up the first maternity hospital in this region, an extended MCH.

As of March 2009, there are two MCHs in Abudwak city which has an estimated population of 100,000 inhabitants. The Abudwak Maternity Center being established with the help of SEHO and Somali-American Women Aid Project, will be an extended MCH, meaning a health center with full hospital operations with such departments as pharmacy and emergency departments.

Hagar and Nasariah Maternity and Children's Health Centers

Hagar and Nasariah are both located in Lower Jubba. These centers are in the building stages as of mid 2009.

During 2009-2010 school-year, Hagar will send some of its nurses and midwives to Bardera Polytechnic
Bardera Polytechnic
Bardera Polytechnic is a non-profit tertiary polytechnic education centre located in Bardera, Somalia. The college's full name is Bardera Polytechnic College . Bardera Polytechnic is the first post-secondary institution in Bardera and the larger Gedo region.-Background: Bardera as a center of...

College to receive more training and fees are paid by SEHO.

Somali diaspora support for SEHO

All operations carried out by SEHO since 2006 have been made possible by Somalia diaspora communities in Kenya, Canada, and USA. SEHO organizes fund-raising and awareness efforts.

Since there are no functioning government institutions, caring individuals and professionals give SEHO material and financial support for the services it provides to the community. http://www.gedonet.com/index.php?news=4608

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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