SONYO DOES NOT MEAN FOR YOUTH

Corruption has no age. As the voices speaking out against corruption grow, more and more young people are getting in touch with Corruption Watch to report on their experiences. What the data has shown is striking – evidence of corruption affecting young people in their most earnest endeavors. Young people are fighting an uphill battle trying to improve their lives through work
opportunities and education. Unfortunately, corruption has penetrated the lives
of youth too.

Unemployment is one of the major issues inhibiting development of Somaliland young population. Although Unemployment is global phenomenon, The youth unemployment rate reached  75% according world Bank that is why more than a thousand young people flee in the country to dangerous routes in their way to Europe for a better life.
Lately with in Somaliland there was an atmosphere of rage emanating from the youth who displayed massively through the newspapers, blogs, Facebook and Twitter for SONYO fraudulence.
Demonstration opened up SONYO corruption led to the unimaginable stage of responses from the youth communicating through social media in sociable manners never witnessed before and the presence of an atmosphere of enthusiasm was installed around the issue that it created an-unstoppable
truism demonstrated-in figures & facts Somaliland in social media.
For the first time Somaliland youth had one common views abutting to bring them together discussing their own well-being interest agreeing that SONYO doesn’t represent the national youth by making their profile picture SONYO logo with two red lines that crisscross the organization logo because they haven’t earned the privilege and has done nothing for the youth.
Reports collected by Corruption Watch demonstrate issues of lacking accountability and integrity in the Expanded Public Works Programme, accredited training programs and the National Youth Service.

In analyzing the data, several problem areas can be identified:
 Ghost workers, the spectral phenomenon of names on a payroll for
workers which don’t exist;
 Misuse of funds, where funds given for paying a training that are
misappropriated and used alternatively;
 Nepotism in selection processes, where people are chosen for job
placements or benefits through their personal relationships rather than
objectively;
 Training not properly conducted, meaning that participants are left
without proper skills or certification, unable to find work after their time in
the programme and;
 Payments demanded in exchange for positions in these programmes.
These programmes are intended to create employment and skills training for
those desperately in need. If administrated effectively, they have the potential
to empower generations to pull themselves out of poverty. But unfortunately,
they suffer from the rampant corruption within. At a recent event SOS
Children‟s Villages Somaliland (SOS SX) and SOS Children‟s Villages Denmark
(SOS DK) in partnership with SONYO are implementing the project “The Voice
of the Youth” in Marodi Jeh, Awdal and Sahil regions of Somaliland. The project
is financed by the Danish student solidarity organisation Operations Day‟s Work
(ODW). The project period is 36 months starting from July 2016 to June 2019
and has a budget of 550,000 EU, but the misuse fund and corrupt this project for
example the SONYO Collect 15 Secondary Students, for those regions to take
part few days training in Hargaisa, and they give them the last day in 20$ each
of them, but that stipend is not enough a student that come his home and
staying a place outside his home is take a cost that Is much their stipend . so we
are informing SOS SX and SOS DK that there currently is no  reporting channel
for these issues. Without a channel to collect information on areas of corruption
these issues cannot be tackled and inefficiencies cannot be resolved.
On the other hand Is SONYO umbrella stands for committed values of advocating, protecting interest of youth at large?  The answer is no because SONYO umbrella deliberately neglected to add value on going activities in the country. SONYO umbrella claimed they are representing majority of youth
especially, the intellectual. SONYO don’t participate socioeconomic activities. Simple, concrete evidence SONYO never arrange fundraising campaign and never pledged donations to the biggest project that whole people are counted their contributions the Road between Buroa & Erigavo, SONYO umbrella do not contribute anything to the areas hit by drought the Western regions of
Somaliland and rewarded to a silence, turn a blind eyes and turn a deaf ear the voices from people strike by extreme droughts. But in this case is different according to the magnitude of stress experienced the nomads and pastoralists.
We also familiar that SONYO is only active in Hargeisa where it headquarter located. They don’t have a full functioning office in other regions in addition to that NGOs representing West/East are somehow passive in general. I have no doubt it; the power of instrument is not run by youth. I personally believe the mastermind behind SONYO is an aged and old individual. So, the ownership belongs to those who establish at the first.

The Young people in Somaliland are using #SonyoDown in order to reach their protest to the partners of the Sonyo as well as the Somaliland government.

Abdirashid Abdi Jama

Activist / Blogger 

Borama, Somaliland

+252-634500282

rashka282@gmail.com