Women living in Mogadishu's hundreds of refugee camps often stay
and don't use communal bathrooms at home at night because of the threat
men armed with knives and guns pose to them. With the installation of 79
solar-powered lights by the Danish Refugee Council in a camp known as
Zone K, life has returned to Mogadishu's nights.
"It feels like we
are starting a new life," Sadiya Hussein, a mother of four, said while
resting with other women on a sandy spot near their homes, which are
made out of sheet metal or sticks and cloth. "Because of the lights we
can come together to chat and get some fresh air. No rapist can sneak in
now. It's fully lit and better."
Since a devastating famine
struck Somalia in 2011, refugee camps in Mogadishu have held tens of
thousands of people fleeing both hunger and violence. The number of
rapes rose sharply, making the simple act of going to the bathroom a
life-risking activity.
"They simply came and waited for women
between their house and bathrooms," said Fatima Nor, who said she was
once attacked but escaped when her husband intervened. "We really feel a
little bit safer than before. I think having light scares the
predators."
Mohamed Bundu, the Mogadishu director for the Danish
Refugee Council, said that in addition to the extra security the May
installation of the lights brought, they are also helping children study
and businesses attract customers.
"All the criminal acts that were often committed because of the darkness have considerably gone down," he said.
The 79 lights erected on tall poles in the Mogadishu camp cost about $2,000 each.
Heather
Amstutz, the regional director for the Danish Refugee Council, said the
group has also installed solar lights in northern Somalia. The projects
ask for buy-in from the communities they serve, which reduces the
threat of vandalism or theft. The projects are paid for by U.N. funds.
The
lights "add five productive hours to these small settlements. Kids can
study by the light, the vendors are selling their vegetables by the
lights," she said.
A U.N. monitoring group report on Somalia
published last month said there are 530 camps in Mogadishu housing
internally displaced people, 75 percent of whom are women and children
who are particularly vulnerable to sexual attacks. The report said
officials recorded 1,700 reported rapes between January and November
2012.
The report said there were probably more attacks that
weren't reported and that the number of reported rapes was higher than
previous years.
Attackers frequently wear government police or
military uniforms, though the government has consistently denied its
forces are responsible.
Despite the positive impact of the solar lights, one past sexual violence victims says she still doesn't feel safe.
"I
see that the lights are helpful but they cannot, sadly, prevent the
rapists from coming," the veiled 30-year old woman said while standing
at the door of her home. "We are still exposed to the rape attacks
because no one protects us."
Salad Ahmed, a 40-year old father of
six, feels the lights are beneficial. Most camp residents can't fight
back against attackers who wield guns or knives during attacks. Ahmed,
though, has an axe and sword to protect his wife.
"The more you can see your enemy the more you can plan how you should engage him," he said.