If you know, teach, if you don’t know, learn

SOMALIA FIELD PEOPLE

From the 22nd April to the 2nd May, Viterbo will host the exhibition “Somalia Field People”. The photos exhibition constitutes the outcome of a thigh and successful partnership between UNA - Consortium and the University of Tuscia (Viterbo).
The fascinating pictures have been taken by Mr. Giorgio M. Balestra, who is a Researcher of the Department of Plant Protection of the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Tuscia, and who firstly came in contact with Somalia through his consultancy activity with UNA.

The exhibition is meant to draw attention to a too often neglected and, indeed, intriguing country. According to Mr. Balestra, whose aim is to highlight the special features of this intricate country, the book represents the ‘fascinating union between rural world and Somalia culture… where nature and man still live together, keeping their balance, that belongs to past time, but is in reality more actual than ever’.

Along with the photos exhibition, a book of Somali poems has been published, which witnesses the meaningful existence of the rich Somali poetic tradition throughout the last centuries, giving voices to a proud, intelligent and generous population as the Somali one can be defined.

Nowadays the exhibition will be hosted in Viterbo but it aims to circulate across Italy in order to sensitise Italian citizens on a country and on its richness. Moreover, recently Somali agriculture has begun to be considered an important social component able to determine development and welfare. In this moment, the role of Somali farmers, political stability permitting, is the determining factor to establish solid basis to develop a better, peaceful, and more sustainable future.

“My skin is ruined by the sun,
My head bursts for the hotness,
and my eyes see almost anymore,
my hands are almost worn out,
but my field is straight”

SOMALIA FIELD PEOPLE
Exhibition
22 April – 2 May
Sala degli Almadiani
Viterbo

An outbreak of cholera occurred recently in Puntland. The centre of the disease has been acknowledged in Bosaso, precisely on the Internal Displaced People camp, reaching out the town itself. Many casualties have been reported.

The local authorities in collaboration with international and local organisations have started to solve the issue as soon as the source of contamination has been identified.

GRT, which is carrying out some activities in support of the IDPs communities resident in the outskirts of Bosaso, also promptly intervened addressing the emergency. Two were the main actions taken by GRT personnel.

First, being involved in the IDPs camp with many activities, we have showed our interest to collaborate with the local municipality and with the Ministry of Health. At the moment, we are on the process to find out the better way to fill the assessed gaps: in the solid waste collection/management or in running some awareness campaigns.

CESVI has recently purchased a water well drilling machine to strengthen its commitment in the water sector in South Sudan.

A highly specialised and dedicated drilling team will be soon operative supporting future projects and initiatives especially in Warab and Northern Bahr el-Ghazal, where CESVI is already operating.

Cutting edge technology and logistic will be instrumental to reach a large number of communities in this area of Sudan, which is notoriously in chronic need for safe drinking water.