13/05/2022
Hargeisa (SH) - Somaliland Integrated Household Budget Survey (Sahanka isticmaalka qosyka isku dhafan ee Somaliland) training has come to a close after 48 days of rigorous training of its enumeration team. 99 youths were trained to how integrated household budget can play an important role in the Somaliland households’ economic development as described by the trainers during that training time.
Horn Africa Consultants Firm (HACOF) first coined this invaluable training in Somaliland which seems new and with great potential for the households’ sustainable livelihoods. The trainees also believed that this project data collection exercise will be helpful to their families. The 99 youths that were trained were drawn from all the Somaliland regions.
The Ministry of Planning and National Development of Somaliland is a key stakeholder in this SIHBS project and have accorded HACOF all the support they needed. The official closing ceremony of the training which took place in Maan-soor Hotel was officiated by the Minister of Planning and National Development Omar Abdillahi. Other distinguished guests included the Vice Minister of Health, Liban Member of Parliament Mohamed Raanbo, Chairman of SONSAF Anwar Abdirahman Warsame and Sacdia Allin – the Head of Mission at Plan International among other guests. Muna Khalif the head of the HACOF, Somaliland hosted this highly esteemed milestone of the SIHBS project where different speakers exuded a lot of excitement in their remarks and termed this project a great milestone for the people of Somaliland.
“First I want to highlight that we are congregated here today to mark the end of our 7 weeks training of our enumerators ,” told the narrator of that event talks Hussein Abdullahi.
“Your Honorable Minister, the team of trainees that we have here have gone thorugh a rigorous training and are a very qualified team. I am confident that this team will deliver this project successfully. It is our hope that the Somaliland Government together with HACOF will give support to these teams to ensure they deliver on this valuable initiative,” told Ms. Violah Sugut, the Director of Research at Horn of Africa Consultants Firm Nairobi Office.
Muna Khalif is the country director of HACOF Somaliland and she gave short brief about HACOF and here is what shesaid “ I would like to give you a short brief about HACOF. It was established in 2012 and we are celebrating our 10-year anniversary this year. HACOF has offices in different countries including Somaliland, Mogadishu, Nairobi, South Sudan and Addis Ababa,” Muna Khalif.
On the other hand, she urged the trainees to come out professionally and due to their investment of the modern knowledge that relates to the household economy in Somaliland. “I am also urging you demonstrate high levels of professionalism in performing your duties towards this project tasks when you go out to the regions from tomorrow,” she added.
Anwar Abdurrahman Warsame is the chairman of SONSAF and he told that this household integration budget survey has elicited a lot of curiosity among the community members and urged the trainees to be vigilant especially when they are collecting the data from the housseholds. “ It si a very sensitive project and therefore you have to be very careful during your data collection because of if you ask them how much is the daily bill they will say to you what is the fifteen for you get loss” Anwar Warsame.
Omar Ali, theMinistry of Planning Minister also weighed in his sentiments about this training and he hoped that it will be a very fruitful exercise and that the skills being imparted among the youths will be useful.
Sadia Alin is the Head of Mission of Plan International expressed that she was flattered by those behind the initiative of the household budget survey in Somaliland and this is what she remarked, “I am here to give my hearty congratulations to the trainers, trainees and the HACOF for their dedication in doing this Somaliland integrated household budget survey and I hope from today you will have a good experience like as it was my first time to go ut for an enumerators’ tasks in Borama. I also hope that you will collect very concrete data from the regions that you will go to collect the household dat from.””
Health Vice Minister Mr. Liban on the other hand in his remarks congratulated the trainees on btheir great achievement in the training. He also called on constructive conversations and opinions among rival political parties instead of blame games. He added that they should not be an obstacle leading to delayed elections in the country. “I call on rival parties to express their views in a more constructive manner instead of blaming each other.” Dr. Liban.
