The centre holds hundreds of children and teenagers including
some from poorer families, children whose parents died in Somalia conflicts and
street boys.
CECAFA vice president and the president of Somali Football
Federation [SFF], Abdiqani Said Arab accompanied by his senior vice president,
Ali Abdi Mohamed handed over the donation to the Somali deputy Prime Minister,
Mohamed Omar Arte and the chief of Somalia’s correction troops [former FIFA
referee] Major General Bashir Mohamed Jama.
"We visited the centre several weeks ago and we learned that these children didn’t enough beds and mattresses, so we decided to provide them with beds and football equipment so that they can life in a different life” Somali FA president, Abadiqani Said Arab told the media while presenting the equipment to the government officials over the weekend.
"This is part of our humanitarian program and we will
continue helping our people as much as we can. Our country experienced lawlessness
and humanitarian problems which affected so many people in the country and that
is why the SFF decided to establish its
own humanitarian program last year” the president noted during his address at
the donation presentation ceremony on Sunday.
The president announced that his federation will
construct a new football pitch at the rehabilitation centre and will send
coaches to educate these children under the SFF’s grassroots program.
The chief of Somali correction troops [former FIFA
referee] Major General Bashir Mohamed Jama, lauded for the SFF’s donation and
the offer to build a football facility at the rehabilitation centre.
On his side, the deputy Prime Minister, Mohamed Omar
Arte, commended the Somali Football Federation for its contribution to both the
youth rehabilitation centre and football development across the country.
He urged other organizations and business communities to follow
Somali Football Federation’s footsteps, adding that a joint cooperation will
help the country recover from decades of setbacks caused by the long-running
civil wars and lawlessness.
Somali
Football Federation Media Department
Email:info@somsoccer.com