(ERGO) – Locals in Armo, in northern Somalia’s Bari region, have come together to build a bridge across a stream that was preventing residents from accessing education, health, and other daily facilities.
Students and sick people are some of the worst affected people passes through a valley where flooded water accumulates cutting out accessibility.
Sharmake Warsame, a form four student Haji Salad secondary school, said he is happy the road has been repaired in time before the rains.
“It was common for me to miss school for days or get to school with muddy clothes. When it’s raining it’s particularly dangerous as you could fall into the valley,” he explained.
“It used to take me an hour by vehicle but now it only takes just 10 minutes to get to school.”
In 2021 many students like Sharmake missed school for days during heavy rainfall and flooding and the exams had to be rescheduled.
Local people supported by the Puntland administration raised $1million to construct roads in the district, and the bridge was their first completed project.
The secretary of the roads project, Abdullahi Abshir Warsame, said lives and trade were being greatly affected by the accessibility challenges in Armo. Businesspeople donated funds while others contributed manpower.
“We have finished this road bridge and people are already using it. The flooding was the main issue. Our plan is to construct more roads and complete 50 kilometres of tarmac,” said Abdullahi.
Osman Ali, a local resident, described having to take his sister-in-law to Qardo, 136 kms away, to give birth last year. They spent $500 on transport and medical fees, because they could not access the hospital on the other side of the valley.
“Her situation was worsening and there was no way to get there, and we were getting worried her life and the child was in danger,” Osman Said. “That problem is now solved.”
