Volume 4

Number 1

The African Star

An on-line publication for the certificate  and degree  in journalism distance education program

 

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Survey: Unemployment major concern among Somalilanders

By Zuhur Yassin Ibrahim--Somaliland

 Somaliland today faces many kinds of problems; poverty, lack of proper health services, roads, electricity, etc. It is hard to see people taking initiatives to solve their own problems. It seems people are waiting for others to solve it for them and in turn those people are waiting for others and the circle goes round and no change.

 I took to the streets of Hargeisa to find out and collect opinions on what is the role of the community in making a difference and to get the views of the citizens. I surveyed a population of 45 people (35 Female, 10 male) and asked them questions about their involvement in taking action and their views on the problems facing the country today. Though the size of the people surveyed was small I found interesting observations.

 The results for the question - what were the major problem/s facing the country were that 40% of the people think that unemployment is a major problem facing the country. Illiteracy was the next major problem with 20% while issue like lack of recognition, Khat, roads and lack of cleanliness were 11.11%, 11.11%, 6.66%, 8.8 % respectively. When asked if as a citizen they can make a difference the vast majority of 73.3% answered they could make a difference while the remaining 26.67 answered no. Above half 55.5% are already involved with some action taking in the community while the other 44.4% are not which shows that there needs to be more community mobilization and awareness. Almost all 97.7 % are ready to work to make a difference if they were given the knowledge and information and/or the money to help people within the community. When I asked about who is responsible for solving the problems facing Somaliland 84.4% of the surveyed people answer the government while 15.5 answered the community. Many of the respondents advised people, organization and government to work hard, with honesty, justice, to educate the people and most of all to work united.