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Explosive Remants of War being prepared for destruction. |
On the eve of World Humanitarian Day, 19 August, Alistair Moir talks about his role as MAG's Project Manager in Puntland State of Somalia.
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"The day begins at five o’clock, as mosques call out morning prayer and the sound of traffic and children can be heard filling the streets. The first task is to make some strong coffee and check the online newspapers. We need to keep well abreast of affairs in Puntland State of Somalia in order to ensure that our humanitarian activities do not get caught up in the middle of an altogether separate issue or dispute.
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Sharing camel milk with villagers in a community close to Galcaio. |
MAG has been operating in Puntland for the last two years and has worked hard to build relations and acceptance within all sectors of society. Our core message when visiting a new areas or communities is that dangerous items of Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) know no clan or religious lines, therefore it is in everyone’s interest to assist and facilitate in our work saving lives and building futures.
We move to the office after breakfast and greet our colleagues. In Puntland, MAG works with a local Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team. This team is tasked by the Puntland Mine Action Centre (PMAC) and my day to day work involves closely liaising with their Director and Operations Manager. It was PMAC who first invited MAG to Puntland and following discussions we began a successful partnership which has enabled the safe clearance of 69 tons of ERW from Puntland. The Police Team, PMAC and MAG are very proud of our results to date, in often challenging conditions.
Communication is a key function in my job as a Project Manager. I need to be able to engage with a variety of stakeholders on the ground to enable our work to continue smoothly. Firstly, I must be able to efficiently understand technical considerations and information detailed to me by my international technical colleagues.
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Meeting with elders in a community south of Garowe. |
Generally in MAG, Project and Programme Managers are not EOD trained but come from broader humanitarian backgrounds. This enables us as an organisation to better integrate all our activities into wider development interventions benefitting the greatest number of people. It is therefore vital for me to respect and listen to what my technically skilled colleagues tell me. The first briefings and conversations of the office day usually come from them.
In addition to this, I must also closely heed advice and information provided by my Somali peers. Somalia is a complicated setting and I am a guest in the country. It is personally and professionally important for me to respect local customs and sensitivities in order that MAG is well represented and thought of.
Therefore I meet daily with PMAC and discuss operation tasking as well as other requests or ideas they may have which could result in better, more productive and higher impact programme intervention. Basically what I’m explaining in the above is that chatting and drinking cups of sweet tea is often essential to my work!
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Receiving a technical briefing in the field prior to a demolition. [Photos: MAG Somalia] |
Often I am not in the office and will travel with the team while they conduct ERW clearance. This rather technical term basically involves the EOD team going to communities which have reported through PMAC explosive items which they wish us to remove. Once cleared the land is then free for cultivation, grazing, development or even just a shorter way to access the nearest water well.
Going out with the team is an essential part of my role for many reasons. It is imperative that I interact with Somali people in their various settings, both urban or rural. Not only do I enjoy experiencing local culture and customs but it also gives me an opportunity to ask individuals – be they clan elders, mullahs or ladies on the street selling biscuits – how we can better assist them.
It is furthermore important that I remain closely involved in field work, as ultimately it is me who has to articulate to our donors what we do and how we do it. If I cannot accurately paint a picture of our work and its positive impact to interested individuals or institutions it is very unlikely that we will be able to remain in operation.
In Somalia the traditional working day usually ends in the early afternoon. Following this we return home, or go our hotel if in the field and enjoy lunch together as a team. In Somalia there is great seafood and a culinary legacy left over from Italian colonisation. Following lunch I tend to deal with emails, write reports or draft proposals for work we would like to conduct in the future. Following this I like to exercise before sunset as the temperature decreases.
The evenings are quiet and I try very hard not to work past 7pm. Due to movement restrictions all international staff are avid collectors and distributors of DVD box sets and books. Lights out is usually around 10pm with the fan still beating air around 30oc."
MAG thanks the following current donor to our Somalia operations: Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, US Department of State.
18 August 2010
See also:
- Somalia: The problem / How MAG is helping
- Latest news and case studies from Somalia
- Puntland photo gallery
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