SOFD, Extends a Heartfelt Hand to the Poor and the Vulnerable [Archives:2000/32/Culture]

More than 50% of people in Yemen live under the line of poverty. Among those there are about 1,700,000 who not only suffer hunger and need of the necessities of life but also suffer from discrimination and cruelty because they are from a different race and called Akhdam. The Social Organization for Family Development (SOFD) has taken responsibility to make a difference. The SOFD is among the select few societies that have been instrumental in helping development of family in the society.
SOFD is a humanitarian non-profit governmental voluntary society working for family development in the community. The society was established first in 1990 and is registered at the Ministry of Social Affairs. It aims to improve the status of the lower class of people in the social hierarchy. The main building in Asser, consists of 6 sections; classrooms where students are taught up to 3rd grade, entertainment and games section, sewing room, a small clinic, administration and a small play-ground where students can practice games. There are around 8 members of staff, including a nurse who teaches first aid and family planning.
The Yemen Times went to their main center in Sana’a and had a talk with its chairperson Miss. Basma Alqubati and staff and we came with the following interesting details.
About the center’s activities, Miss. Wagiha Mohammed Qarhash, manager of the society and head of the project pertaining to teaching democracy to small kids, described that the center accommodates around 80 children per day. For different activities ranging from education to entertainment and awareness. We even have around 40 women coming to us every month for family planning. The latest project is about developing a democratic attitude in the young minds of their students. She said that the program had special stress on education, hygiene and awareness about their basic rights. Also that most of these people lack the primary skills to satisfy their basic needs; they generally go for begging and sometimes stealing. The society attracts those children and gradually teaches them in order to improve their conditions. Miss  Wagiha said that parents force their children to go and beg in the streets but the children would come to us instead. Now the situation has improved. There are now some families who have become creative because of the skills they acquired in the society. Now the society offers courses in different fields like electricity, electronics, mechanical maintenance, welding, carpentry, plumbing, agriculture, construction, bee breeding, manufacturing milk products, jam and juices, nursery and flower plantation, cooking, cleaning and hygiene . These courses are offered to both girls and boys . She added that after that those girls and boys were sent to public schools that refused them and even they suffer from a kind of social discrimination as the students in the schools look down upon them. The society does not accept them as effective members.
Miss Basma Alqubati after that took us to Asser Mahwa. That is, the place where these people live .It almost accommodates more than 500 persons. There are 9 other mahwas in Yemen. And all are of similar conditions. A striking point here is that not all are living there because they belong to the same Akhdam community, but also those Yemeni expatriates who came form Saudi and Gulf countries during the Gulf war. We met with Ahmed Abdulla Alraymi, leader of AL- Merad society who said: “they hardly call us human, it’s true that we may be darker in color and lower in the social status but that does not give them the right to exercise discrimination against us. Most of us don’t have the basic needs for living.. we don’t have water, electricity, medicine.. Most of us are illiterate and have no method of earning other than begging. We want education, health care and a better environment to live in”. “Look around you, we live in houses which are underground, like animals. Can you imagine what happens during rain??” , he observed. He said that they need somebody to pay them attention. This is why .. Mr. Al-Raymi and his friends formed ALMIRAD society in 1999, consisting of 7 founders and around 120 members. They decided to educate their children and teach them a better living.. “We don’t have enough money to provide our sick with medicine. We need to be treated as human beings. Is there somebody listening to us?” he added pathetically.
Such people live a very miserable life. The irony is that Miss Qubati has said that their condition is now better than before. They used to live like animals, she said,. Even the basic civil methods weren’t there. They fled from Hodiedah because of poverty. People in the suburbs are even worst off. With the help of the Swedish Organization for Child care, something was done.
“Now we want the new generations to grow up differently, this is why we try to attract them to come to us, by providing games and entertainment.. we are hopeful that charity organizations could provide us with story books and toys for these children”. She said. ” We also are seeking a psychiatrist because most of these children suffer from sharp complexes”.
Development is a long procedure, it takes very less to destroy and very long to build. They are doing their best. And we hope others would lend a hand too.


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