Faduma Salah Musse travelled to Somaliland in March to deliver a container of hospital equipment and clothes to the people of Erigavo. 65386
By Nicole Williams
WHEN Faduma Salah Musse went back to Somaliland in March, it wasn’t to visit family.
She took with her a container full of donations for the local hospitals and the people.
Faduma, who works at Greater Dandenong Community Health Service working to prevent female genital mutilation, said it was always in her heart to help the people of Erigavo, her town of birth.
“It makes me sad sometimes because I’ve been here for a while and my life has changed,” the 51-year-old said.
“These people are my people and they have nothing. People die for nothing, just some simple disease.”
Erigavo has the highest population in Somaliland, but it is often overlooked by welfare agencies because is only accessible by one “very rough” road.
“I can see people always going to other places but when they mention this place they always say people are starving and they have no clothes but nobody helps,” she said.
“It was always on my mind.”
In 2009, Faduma began seeking donations of hospital equipment and supplies from local and interstate health care organisations, including her employer Southern Health.
She also began to appeal to the community and raised $8000 and received countless donations of goods.
“I thought it was going to be a small container but people started being really generous and bringing lots of clothes and shoes, everything,” Faduma said.
The full container, with 100 bed sheets, 32 beds, 20 mattresses, blankets, clothes and toys, was shipped to the port of Berbera where Faduma met it to escort it to Erigavo, nearly three days by truck.
“The road was rough, very rough.”
Even though it had only been less than 10 years since Faduma last visited, she said she was still shocked at how poor and sick the community was.
“Animals are dying and the people look so poor.”
She said it was common practice for women to give birth on an old mattress in the hospital and then walk home with no clothes or toys for the baby.
Faduma worked alone in Erigavo for one month where she distributed the clothes and toys to the community and fitted the local hospitals with the equipment and beds.
“Each village I go, the elderly people come and say thank you,” she said.
“They can’t believe I give all these things for free.”
She said the work was rewarding but also very sad because it was only a small help.
“You divide the clothes and sometimes you’re not giving the right clothes but you’ve got a family of 10 people and you’ve got another queue behind them.”
Although Faduma only arrived home in April, she is already planning on doing it all over again.
“It was a hard job but I was pleased with the job.”
“I think I will do again, very soon. I’ve already got clothes in my house because people keep giving while I am away,” she said.
“Hopefully if I get the money for the shipping I will do it again.”
