Contact Person: Beatrice Pizzini, Hussein Aden Sheikh Mohamoud; Telephone Number: +39 0118123675;
E-mail: info@soomaaliya.it; Website: www.soomaaliya.it
Xlestrade has got the opportunity to meet Hussein Aden Sheik Mohamoud. He is the current president of Soomaaliya Onlus association.
The association was born in 2002 wanted by the doctor Mohamed Aden Sheik*, ex Somali Minister before the 
dictatorship, Torino City Councillor in 2007 and then unfortunately he died in 2010.
Hussein wanted to tell us about his Country, Somalia, in order to explain the context in which the association works everyday.
In Somalia there is the civil war since 1988, after many years of dictatorship. The peak of the crisis of this Country was reached in 1991 because of the Somalia collapse that determined the breakdown of the whole Country and the end of every kind of service.
An attempt of upswing has been trying in the last two years to establish a federal State.
Soomaaliya Onlus association operates to help the Somalian people to begin this developing process.
The main Soomaaliya Onlus projects are:
Anoole and Sabiid project
The project has been realized at Anoole, near Afogi, 32 kms far from the capital city, Mogadiscio. There is a farm that consists of 220 hectares, whose a part is for plantation. Inside it, there are also an health centre and a school.
Hussein told Xlestrade how this project works very well and independently in spite of the civil war and the Etiopian occupation since 2006.
Children’s hospital project
The project is at Hargesia, in Somaliland, situated in the north-west of the Country. The construction of this hospital was one of Dr. Mohamed’s dream.
The first stone was placed on the 29th November 2011 and all works finished in 2012. From the beginning of 2013 the hospital gives medical care and services.
Xlestrade asked what the future activities will be.
Soomaaliya Onlus is thinking about the construction of a school in the central area of Somalia. They will start to work in the middle of December 2013 and they are looking for any help. They would like to create a study centre and build the first library at Abudwak (in the central Somalia).
The association keeps on trying to make Somali people aware of the defence of human rights, especially women 
rights.
In Italy Soomaaliya Onlus joins Non solo asilo (Not only refuge) network that gather together different associations related to the immigration issue.
The association is also involved in the organization of events and in giving information about Somali culture.
In 2005/2006 it looked after and helped in the translation of the Italian Constitution in Somalian language in order to make immigrants from Somalia aware of their rights and duties in the Italian area.
We asked what ways are the best to collaborate and to be in touch with Soomaaliya Onlus association.
For whom would be interested, they can communicate with the Italian office, situated in Torino. There has been in the past the possibility to coordinate the Somali projects addressed to qualified staff and it could be the same in future.
For our Somalian friends who live in Italy, the association supports whom want to come back in their native land.
Xlestrade asked them a meaningful sentence for their readers.
This is the message: “Being different for making the difference”.
We thank Hussein and Soomaaliya Onlus too very much for their friendship. Xlestrade tries to be… “together” for making the difference!
*Mohamed, as Hussein told us, was a Somali Minister. After graduated from medical school in Italy, Doctor Aden started to be involved in the Somalian politics and he became Minister of the Health, of the Culture and Information. The young doctor tried to make the Somali population aware of many important subject matters such as the right to be in good health and he took part in the literacy process in the rural areas of the Country. Victim of the government repression led by Siyaad Barre, he was arrested in 1982. His case occurred only in 1988 after 6 years of total isolation and he was released without any charges. After 2 year Doctor Aden moved to Italy where, in exile, he kept on working like a doctor and being involved in the Italian politics. Indeed he became a City Councillor of Torino.
