Mogadishu - 23-year-old Iqra Mohamed Khalif is passionate about the environment and to contribute to Somalia’s sustainable growth, Iqra aspires to develop sustainable solutions to address the country’s environmental challenges.

“The most important takeaway for me is the knowledge about waste being transformed into something beneficial, such as composting food waste for gardening”, says Iqra, a fourth-year student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in public health at Jazeera University in Mogadishu.

“I would encourage my community to collect waste properly and recover useful materials from it, as Somalia currently lacks a company for waste recycling,” adds the aspiring epidemiologist.

Iqra was among 32 students from Jazeera University who were recently inducted on sustainable wastewater and solid waste management practices by the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS). The hands-on training aimed to equip participants with practical knowledge on waste management that reduces carbon footprint.

This pilot initiative welcomed 28 women and 4 men in their 4th year of a Public Health Course at Jazeera University. They explored the operations of waste management yard and the wastewater treatment station at the UNSOS site in Aden Abdulle International Airport, Mogadishu.

The enlightening field training excursion - which bridged the gap between theoretical learning and practical application - provided the students with a firsthand understanding of the waste sector and how UNSOS is minimizing risk to society and the environment in Somalia.

“Aligning with the UN’s commitment to building capacity and empowering Somali nationals, UNSOS has so far trained 32 public health students from Jazeera University on waste management,” said Mohamed Shafie Jama, the UNSOS Environmental Affairs Officer.

At the UNSOS waste management yard, which receives 6 tonnes of waste daily, students eagerly listened and asked excitedly about solid waste management as they followed the guide through a maze of piled, baled waste and waste equipment.

This facility is “waste management yard, where we segregate, incinerate, bale, crush glasses and, above all, we train the Somalis on how to handle waste and operate the waste equipment we are using. We train the Somalis on waste management as our main aim is to protect the environment”, said Dennis Odur, a foreman with Ecolog, a privately outsourced waste management company.

At the wastewater treatment station, the students toured the facility which treats between 180-250 cubic meters daily and recycles the treated effluent. Hence, zero discharge into the ocean, protecting the marine environment and promoting sustainable water use.