A youth centre for refugees and hosts opens in Melkadida
Inaugurated on World Refugee Day, the centre has a football pitch and a multi-purpose hall and is run by 14 young people from both communities.
- Opened 20 June 2023, World Refugee Day
- Where Melkadida, Bokolmayo District
- Facilities Football pitch, multi-purpose hall, latrines and a fenced compound
- Managed by 14 young people from refugee and host communities
- Funded by IKEA Foundation, through UNHCR, with RRS
To strengthen social cohesion and integration between refugees and the host community, Wa-PYDO has built a multi-purpose youth centre at Melkadida in Bokolmayo District. The centre was built in partnership with UNHCR and the Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS), in close collaboration with the Bokolmayo administration, with funds from the IKEA Foundation.
The centre consists of a football pitch with a green carpet, a multi-purpose hall, shared latrines and a fenced compound. It will be managed by an organised group of 14 young people selected from both the refugee and host communities in Melkadida, and will create income opportunities for them.
The centre was inaugurated on 20 June 2023, World Refugee Day. The guests of honour who opened it included Johannes Zech, head of the UNHCR Sub-Office in Melkadida, Abdikadir Jama, RRS zonal head for Melkadida, and Abdi Hassan Jeexow, Bokolmayo District Commissioner.
Wa-PYDO is grateful to Waber Abdille, his council of elders and the other traditional leaders in the operation, whose work makes peaceful coexistence between refugees and hosts a reality. Our thanks also go to the Melkadida local administration, to the people of Melkadida, who provided the land, and to the construction team. Read more about the Integrated Livelihoods Programme.
In pictures
First shared on Wa-PYDO’s Facebook page.
