http://www.nepjournal.com/the-nomad-greenie-making-strides-in-northern-and-coastal-kenya/
By Ibrahim
A. Issack- NEP JOURNAL
Mandera
County of Kenya is unique in many ways, it boarders Somalia to the East,
Ethiopia to the west, Wajir to the south and Marsabit to the south west, a
county with rich history. It is mainly inhabited by ethnic Somali who are
mainly pastoralists. The main language of communication in this county is
Somali, Kiswahili and some English and the population is predominantly Muslim.
Mandera shares a vast and notoriously porous border with war torn Somalia. This
has over time enabled militia to enter the county with significant ease causing
a lot of untold troubles to both locals and non-locals.
The
perennial droughts and inter-clan clashes add to the county’s woes. Majority of
the population live in abject poverty with dwindling education levels as a
result of inadequate infrastructure to support learning. The County has always
been synonymous with chaos, intolerance and environmental degradation.
The County
is known of producing Some of the top cream of the society holding envious
positions in the country’s socio-economic and political set up, among them
Kenya’s industrialization minister Adan Mohamed and other big names. However,
the purpose of this article is not to celebrate these individuals but rather to
appreciate the work of another son of Mandera County who has anonymously done a
lot to ensure the betterment of Mandera County.
This none
other than Abdikalif Adan, founder of The Nomad Green Belt Movement, Kenya
Youth for change and The Fight against Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis,
Maternal and child Mortality. This article rather highlights the story of a
young man from a humble background and in the face of hardship and difficulties
achieved greater heights than he himself could have ever imagined.
Adan was
born and brought up in El-wak Sub-district of the then larger Mandera district,
which today serves as the headquarters of Mandera South Sub-county. He went to
El-wak DEB primary school, Mandera secondary and later to Wajir high secondary
school. He was born to two political rivalry giant families, whom he later came
to harmonize into achieving a better Mandera County.
From a
tender age, Adan had an ambition to serve his fellow citizens of Northern and
Coastal Kenya to bring change to the people’s social life. This was a deep
rooted calling that constantly pushed him to work hard and achieve the dreams
he has had for his life.
What
motivates him, he says, is the marginalization of his people by successive
government regimes. There had been efforts by both Kenyatta and Moi regimes to
marginalize and treat the people from the wider northern region with contempt
that had left thousands dead and more others maimed. These include calamities
like the Wagalla and Malkamari massacres and constant military operations in
Northern Kenya.
Poor
infrastructure coupled with lack of social amenities only encouraged young Adan
to find ways of uplifting his people from the misery. Adan thus feels he is on
a divine sanction mission to save his people.
It all began
in 2008 before he had joined an international bank in Kenya as a customer
advisor. As he was watching evening news on a local TV station, stories
revealing how people were suffering in parts of Northern Kenya caught his eye.
During that period as a banker, he formed the Kenyan youth for change in
coastal Kenya that helped to transform the lives of youth devastated by drugs
and other harmful substance. He also spearheaded the formation of fight against
malaria that had benefitted many people within that locality. He pioneered the
eradication of Malaria through distribution of treated mosquito nets, indoor
spraying of households to destitute people living in Kongowea of Mombasa as
well as making an effort to educate the populace on the effective use of nets
with an aim of cutting down on the prevalent infant mortality, eradication of
Tuberculosis and through his concerted efforts to lower the prevalence of
HIV/Aids.
He later
returned to Mandera to join another local bank, where he also single handedly
expanded Kenya youth for change and The Nomad Green Belt Movement in his home
county. This noble projects and initiatives won the hearts and minds of people
who helped his dream come true immensely. He has managed to plant thousands of
trees in order to turn Mandera County from a semi-arid area to green productive
county. This has in turn created employment for youth and women through
agro-forestry for livelihood.
Notable
Nomad green belt movement achievements are: Awareness creation among the people
in Northern Kenya has been enhanced through information sharing. This is
achieved mainly through local radio stations, public lecture and outreach
drives. Need for clean and safe water, as the major goal was to promote water
harvesting as well as plant over 30,000 trees out of which he planted 1,000
trees to mark his 32nd birthday.
He has also
engaged youth in sporting activities to educate them on harmonious living with
the rest of the communities in the region. Sports also provided the youth with
sporting skills, networking, enhance relationship and exchange sporting
programs between residents, clubs and villages.
The Kenya
Youth for Change call voiced concern for integration, peaceful co-existence of
communities in the Northern and Coastal Kenya regions marred by insecurity,
marginalization, radicalization, extremism, identity and education crisis,
prevalence of communicable diseases, child mortality, environmental conservation
and poverty, preservation of cultural activities, pride, drug and substance
abuse.
He is the
Director and organizer of walk of hope project Mandera chapter, an initiative
by young people from North Eastern (NEP) region to give hope to the community
after numerous terror attacks left many hopeless and disillusioned. He and
fellow youths braved the walk despite the hardship of terrain, wild mammals,
scorpions, snakes, threats and fears of terror attack from Al-shabaab and other
local tribal clashes. They had the longest and hardest walk in the desert, hot
land and rock climbing mountains, one after another. He chose to sleep out in
the jungle denying himself the comfort of his house.
His ability
to motivate others was the crescendo of the success as he dedicated much of his
time and conducted lots of community development activities in a marginalized
underdeveloped villages on the coastal and Northern regions. More so, he put in
lots of resources and financial inputs in purchase of medicine, fundraising for
a burnt child, purchasing of seedlings and transporting them for long distances
and ensuring that the community volunteers received them for planting in his
Nomad Green Belt Movement in Mandera County and beyond.
He has so
far endured lots of security risks along the path of undertaking community
activities. However, this turns out to be more of motivation than what would
cow him as an individual.
Adan cites
that it is very hard for him to do volunteer work in some communities who are
very harsh and very insensitive to people especially if one hails from other
clans. However, he believes in God and considers himself as diplomat and
Ambassador of change and peace.
Having had
less time with his family because of frequent travelling and covering over 500
KMs twice every month, missed great friends in social circles and relationship
but his aim and ambitions isn’t fulfilled until he puts smiles on the face of
vulnerable people.
Adan paints
the picture of a young man in a hurry to reach places, an extremely ambitious
man with a tireless and indefatigable spirit. His normal day begins at 4am with
prayers and reading Quran.
An avid
reader who reads vastly, he dedicates his weekend and free times to programs
intended to uplift the standards of society, he is driven by passion, has no
boarder and time limit of doing community activities and expects nothing in
return. His desire is to accord good care and love to all Kenyans regardless of
their creed.
In Adan I
see a true Kenyan environmentalist, health and peace ambassador, blogger,
freelance writer, dreamer, walker, a lover of African history and cultures, a
community crusader, revolutionist and a hero.
