Somali Enterprises
Civil war in Somalia caused many people to flee to safety. Somalis came to Europe, many to Leicester and still live everyday with the trauma of losing family, friends, employment and country. With contacts built up through the faith networks, a range of social enterprises are emerging by Somalis eager to help themselves, coming as they do from a cultural tradition of self help and mutuality. CaSE-da has become effectively the business support agency of choice for these communities through the faith and community networks and is providing intensive support.Some Somalis do not yet speak English well enough to help their children themselves, and their own education may have been disrupted or nonexistent. Children may also have learnt another language in another European country. There are many Somali Social Enterprises in Leicester - Education, Travel Agency, Shops, Newspaper, Ecological Society and Housing to name but a few. By working as co-operatives and having a social aim, these enterprises are able to trade, converse with and help each other. They are independent businesses but at the same time can work together in a cluster, sharing resources and supporting each other.
In 2005, representatives from ACETS and SDS accompanied staff from CaSE-da to Holland where we were able to discuss how we help Somalis settle in Leicester. CaSE-da representatives presented at a national conference in The Hague and the visit was so successful that we continue to exchange information and work closely together as the City Council of The Hague are interested in adopting our model of good practice.
AqOon Community Education and Training Services Ltd (ACETS)
Five Somali educated professional men and women set up a new social enterprise supporting the education and integration of recently arrived people. Plans developed to provide after school and weekend supplementary schools, homework clubs for 8-11 year olds and family learning programmes to improve literacy and numeracy - as well as translation and interpretation services and self help groups for parents.
ACETS 0116 247 1144
Working hard and learning together in the homework study club
Somali Development Services Ltd (SDS)
SDS is a co-operative focussing on the development needs of Leicester’s Somali community, having been originally set up as a pilot project in October 2001.
Research revealed a need to continue the work of the pilot project, which became a voluntary organisation in 2003. In the following year, with support from CaSE-da, SDS was registered as a company limited by guarantee and set up as a co-operative.
From research SDS identified that the Somali community is one of the most disadvantaged in Leicester, and the co-operative has tailored its services to meet the community's specific needs. It offers education and employment support, and it is working with other key service providers to develop support in other areas including health and housing.
Currently SDS is also running a range of projects including a homework club and outreach programme for young people, a family support service, drop-in sessions offering advice and information, and IT classes.
The members find it rewarding to offer services that are responsive to the specific needs of the Somali community. They also find it fulfilling to have a positive effect on people's lives, helping them to achieve their goals.
SDS 0116 285 5888
Jawaahir Daahir from SDS meets Ingrid Sylbing, Policy Adviser Integration Policy for the city council of The Hague on the CaSE-da fact finding trip to The Netherlands.
Zaylai Foundation
This organisation is helping to rebuild and restock libraries and schools in Mogadishu, many of which were destroyed during the civil war. The Foundation has resourced books and equipment in the UK and makes trips twice a year to Somalia to deliver the materials. When a group of academics and medical personnel visited the UK to look at education over here, CaSE-da were able to set up a meeting with the University of Leicester Medical School so both parties could exchange ideas.
Many thousands of Somalis have settled in the UK and in Leicester in particular. This kind of project helps to raise awareness in local communities about the situation in Somalia and with this increased understanding comes a greater tolerance of people from different cultures.
Workers from the foundation collected 40,000 books, some shelving and computers from educational institutions and the people of Leicestershire and took it all to Somalia where they opened the first public library for 16 years. Visit the website to see how you can help to keep the library open www.zaylaifoundation.org
The Reading Room
Zaylai - For contact details, please call CaSE-da 0116 222 5010