Fatima Jibrell, a Somali environmental activist, was recently announced the winner of the UN’s 2014 Champions of the Earth award for her outstanding efforts to protect the environment and the livelihoods of Somalia’s pastoralists.
Jibrell is the founder of Adeso, an NGO formerly known as Horn Relief. She will join other global leaders in Washington DC on 19 November to receive the award from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
Radio Ergo producer Mohamed Hassan spoke to her in Nairobi and asked her what she felt about winning the award.
Jibrell: I believe an individual effort is nothing without the support of the community and when my effort was supported by the society, then the world recognized my efforts to improve the environment – community help was very significant.
Ergo: What have been the main challenges in your work?
Jibrell: Well! My efforts in fighting deforestation were risky. I was attacked several times by charcoal traders and other people who felt threatened by my campaign. They even tried to destroy my house. In one particular incident, a charcoal businesswoman attacked me because of my campaign against charcoal and cutting trees.
Ergo: How is your work affecting the rural areas and pastoralist families?
Jibrell: As you know, the Somali community is largely a pastoralist community and depends on livestock for a livelihood. So charcoal has had severe consequences on them and their livestock. The majority of the young population left their pastoralist parents. Some began to chew Khat, others began to cut and burn trees for charcoal production, while others joined the war. So, it is the elderly people, children and women who are taking care of the livestock. These young people need to be empowered through teaching them alternative skills other than the charcoal business, which presents a great threat to the environment and the nomadic lifestyle, before it is too late.
Ergo: What are the best methods to counter environmental degradation?
Jibrell: Rural pastoralists like to listen to people when you visit them and sit down with them, I shared with them my concern about the environment and they have welcomed it. They soon started implementing some important environmental conservation ideas such as diverting water to pasture valleys as well as limiting the unnecessary cutting down of trees.
I would also like to take this opportunity to call upon members of the youth to shun violence and risky migration via the sea; I believe youth are a key in environmental protection which is currently under threat.
Ergo: How and when did you hear about the award that you have won?
Jibrell: I was in the mountainous area of Almadow, which is between Bosaso and Lasqorey. I was on my small farm interacting with local pastoralists. My organization Adeso constructed a bridge to be used by pastoralists for moving livestock to market, but unfortunately, it is now benefiting the charcoal traders!
