Saturday, 14 April 2018

How To Contribute To Humanitarian Relief Somalia Efforts

By Stephanie Fox


Somalia has witnessed one of the longest wars in history running into decades. This is made worse by the fact that the country lies on a semi-arid belt. This makes it impossible for the population to make a living from its soil. People have had to rely on humanitarian relief Somalia efforts by volunteers and well-wishers. While many would love to assist, the opportunities seem to be elusive. How can one participate in alleviating the suffering of the millions of people affected?

Organizations offering support to these populations accept donations of items that go directly to the affected people. They donations can be in the form of cloths, food stuffs, shoes and items that will be taken directly to them. They are collected at various drop-off points. They need not be new as long as they are in a condition that will be beneficial to the recipient.

Relief organizations also take donations in cash. The cash goes into supporting activities of these organizations including buying food and other items needed on the ground. The organizations have set convenient avenues to collect these donations. They include use of debit and credit cards as well as cloud funding and other internet based money transfer systems. The organizations involved make decisions on what to buy based on their assessment of need on the ground.

A new way of making donations involves buying an extra item for a person in Somalia. For instance, if you buy soap for your house, you pay for an extra piece to be sent to Somalis. This allows you to donate clothing, food stuff, sanitary pads and other supplies that you use at home. The organization may take the items in kind or convert them into cash for use in the neediest situations.

There are activities hosted by charity organizations aimed at raising funds. The events include marathons, art exhibitions and galleries, dinners, walks, marathons and concerts, among others. These events are open to individuals and corporate organizations. By purchasing merchandise for these events, including caps and t-shirts, you will be supporting their activities.

Visiting Somalia as a volunteer is also an option. There are numerous volunteers as doctors, support staff and logistic officers assisting Somalis on the ground. You need to organize with the relief agencies for security reason and to be facilitated adequately for your trip and stay. This gives you an opportunity to experience life on the ground and therefore feel attached directly to the humanitarian efforts taking place.

Offer logistical support to organizations helping people in Somalia. They require people to mobilize for events, perform administrative work, help in collecting donations and packaging, among other skills. When you volunteer for a few hours, it will save the organizations money that can be put into buying supplies. Corporate organizations participate by acting as collection points, sponsoring volunteers, publicizing events and other ways that an organization chooses.

Verify the authenticity of any campaign you wish to participate in. Check whether they have foot on the ground and whether your donations are going into the intended activities. It is disheartening to give to the needy only for the donations to end up in private hands. Even the minutest contribution will be appreciated. Media reports and licenses will help you identify genuine organizations and events.




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