Sniper Posted April 25, 2002 Am pleased to announce the out standing Achievement of this somali LADY..with the fact that her country is under what we all know As nomads...here is the story Fatima Jibrell Somalia Sustainable Development The Recipient Fatima Jibrell, 54, works in Somalia, heading Horn of Africa Relief and Development Organization (Horn Relief), which she founded in the early 1990s. Jibrell grew up in Somalia and came to the United States, where she completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She is a naturalized American citizen. In the early 1990s, she returned to Somalia to establish Horn Relief. She also is the coordinator of the Resource Management Somali Network (RMSN), which includes environmental groups throughout the Horn of Africa. And she was instrumental in creating the Women's Coalition for Peace to counter the emergence of a new political crisis in northeast Somalia in the Puntland region. The Setting When Jibrell was a child, her parents confined her to their hut, worried that she would wander into the tall grass, habitat for Somalia’s lions. In her lifetime, she has seen extreme environmental devastation: In many regions the grass – and the lions – have vanished, and desertification is a serious threat. The Threats Environmental degradation and desertification have intensified during a decade without stable government. Since the collapse of Somlia's central government in 1991 and the subsequent civil war, the market for charcoal in the Gulf countries and Saudi Arabia led to large-scale and environmentally damaging logging. Charcoal, a fuel source, replaced livestock as Somalia's main export following the livestock ban imposed by the Gulf states in September 2000. Known to many as Somalia's black gold, a bag of charcoal could sell for $10 (US) in Saudi Arabia. Charcoal is made from acacia trees that are 50 and 500 years old. In addition, vegetation better used for grazing instead fuels the fires of the charcoal kilns. Somalia’s fragile environmental resources and the survival of thousands now are threatened by a severe drought in the eastern region of the country. Children, pregnant women, and the elderly are dying, as well as the livestock that sustains the population. Although Somalia has the second longest coastline in Africa, fish was not a popular food until recently. As cattle have become increasingly hard to raise, Somalis have begun to fish. However, foreign trawlers are over-fishing, exploiting the absence of a government to defend the territorial limits. Illegal dumping of toxic wastes in the waters off Somalia exacerbates the depletion of fish stocks. Struggles and Success In response to the charcoal crisis, Jibrell and Horn Relief trained a team of young people to organize awareness campaigns about the irreversible damage of unrestricted charcoal production. In 1999, Horn Relief organized a peace march in Puntland's main town to stop the “charcoal wars.” As a result of her education and lobbying, in 2000 the Puntland government banned the export of charcoal and has since enforced the ban, leading to an 80 percent reduction in exports. To eliminate the domestic need for charcoal, Horn Relief promotes the use of solar cookers. In the course of their campaign, Jibrell and Horn Relief’s staff received numerous threats. This is not unusual for her. She continues to work across the boundaries of clans, a significant accomplishment in Somalia where clan conflicts are common. Jibrell teaches a grassroots response to drought and water scarcity by teaching community groups, especially women and youth, to build small rock dams. By slowing the runoff during the brief rainy season, these small dams nourish vegetation, crucial in slowing the growth of arid lands. Jibrell also has joined with several villages in eastern Sanaag to form the Buran Rural Institute (BRI). With the help of Horn Relief and NOVIB, a Dutch NGO, BRI has brought together women, men, elders, youth and nomads to focus on peace, political participation and natural resource issues. In May 2001, BRI organized a Camel Caravan in which young people loaded tents and equipment on camels to walk for three weeks through a nomadic area and educate the people about the careful use of fragile resources, healthcare, livestock management and peace. While Jibrell focuses on arid zones, she has not overlooked the importance of the marine environment. She is one of the lone voices speaking out against the degradation of the Somali marine environment in local, regional and international meetings. ------------------ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hibo Posted April 25, 2002 Thanks for sharing that report...wow...what an achiever!...so proud to hear it was accomplished by a woman Not just a passive whiner but a real go getter huh? BTW...Cool nick and sig...can I ask if you're male or female? --------------------------- Pass the chocolate slowly to me...and nobody'l get hurt. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hibo Posted April 25, 2002 lol@Wilcat7 you glad it was WOMAN huh!!! good to hear you are feminist....there is a thread some where in this joint that puts down all feminist anyway back to the topic i'm glad to hear somalis doing great things for the country and staying positive more importantly it was women WOW i like the picture and i'm real proud of her thanks for sharing it with us ------------------ "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" --Eleanor Roosevelt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deeq A. Posted April 26, 2002 Sniper, welcome to Somalia Online. This is a good topic bro. I am surprised that many nomads including the lovely nomads indhadeeq and wildcat7 don't even read the front page news of this site ... lol. We work so hard to keep you all updated on what is going on. This Somali lady was on the Somalia Online front page news twice I think. The most recent one being 2 or 3 days ago. Her pic is still there. Read and post more informative articles guys ... it is always good to feed the mind. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hibo Posted April 26, 2002 So, what would she do with the $900,000 she'll get? I can give her couple of address. ------------------ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Libaax-Sankataabte Posted April 26, 2002 She didn't win $900,000. She won the 2002 Goldman Environmental Prize - worth $125 000. It is not a Nobel price. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hibo Posted April 26, 2002 GUys, who ever believed somali women couldn't make it....booooooooom our beautiful... sista made it!!!! hurraaaah! And guess what?.. u gotta prepare for the rest that is to follow....naagihii hore ma jiraan.. kuwo duqsi camal dadka sanka ka galaayo aa joogaan!!! ------------------ Each one of us is a masterpiece in progress Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sniper Posted April 26, 2002 lool...faminists...i always stayed strong support for our mothers and sisters and wives...no body can deny them excellent achievements like that... Wild Cat thanx...Am male...i thought no body will ever make a mistake about snipers being male...i'll not enojy meeting female sniper..it will just be wild dream... And libaax sankataabte is right it is not noble prize...my mistake.. so laters guys... ------------------ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hibo Posted April 26, 2002 Respect to the mama who sacrificed alot to get where she is .....one in amillion and ofcouse had to win something for her hard work and dedication. ------------------ ("`-''-/").___..--''"`-._ `6_ 6 ) `-. ( ).`-.__.`) (_Y_.)' ._ ) `._ `. ``-..-' _..`--'_..-_/ /--'_.' ,' (il),-`` (li),` ((!.-` S-h-a-q-ss-ii Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites