Fatima Jibrell

Fatima Jama Jibrell
Fadumo Jibriil
Born	(1947-12-30)December 30, 1947 Sanaag,Somalia
Alma mater	University of Connecticut,University of the District of Columbia
Occupation(s)	Environmental activist,filmmaker
Children	Five daughters, includingDegan Ali
Awards	Goldman Environmental Prize National Geographic Society/Buffett Award for Leadership Champions of the Earthaward Takreemaward

Fatima Jibrell(Somali:Fadumo Jibriil,Arabic:فاطمة جبريل;born December 30, 1947) is aSomali-Americanenvironmental activist. She was the co-founder and executive director of the Horn of Africa Relief and Development Organization (nowAdeso), co-founder of Sun Fire Cooking, and was instrumental in the creation of the Women's Coalition for Peace.

Biography

Jibrell was born on December 30, 1947, inSanaag,Somaliato anomadicfamily.Her father was amerchant marinewho settled inNew York City.As a child in Somalia, she attended a Britishboarding schooluntil the age of 16, when she left the country to join her father in the United States. There, Jibrell graduated from Temple High School.

In 1969, she returned to Somalia and worked for the government, whereafter she married her husband, Abdurahman Mohamoud Ali, adiplomat.While she and her family were stationed inIraq,Jibrell began undergraduate studies at theUniversity of Damascusin nearbySyria.In 1981, her husband was transferred to the U.S., where she completed herBachelor of Artsin English. She eventually went on to pursue aMaster'sinSocial Workfrom theUniversity of Connecticut.While living in the U.S., Jibrell and her husband raised five daughters, includingDegan Ali.She also became an American citizen.

Environmentalism

Spurred on by thecivil warin Somalia that began in 1991,Jibrell along with her husband and family friends co-founded the Horn of Africa Relief and Development Organization, colloquially referred to as Horn Relief, anon-governmental organization(NGO) for which she served as the executive director. In 2012, Horn Relief officially changed its name toAdeso.While Jibrell retired as executive director in 2006, she maintains a role on the organization's board of directors and in its Somalia programs.Adeso describes its mission as grassroots level work aimed at uplifting local communities.

Jibrell was instrumental in the creation of theWomen's Coalition for Peaceto encourage more participation by women in politics and social issues.She also co-foundedSun Fire Cooking,which aims to introducesolar cookersto Somalia so as to reduce the reliance oncharcoalas a fuel.

In 2008, Jibrell wrote and co-produced ashort filmentitledCharcoal Traffic,which employs a fictional storyline to educate the public about the charcoal crisis.The film was directed by the filmmakerNathan Collett.

In 2011, Jibrell along with retired Australian diplomat James Lindsay also publishedPeace and Milk: Scenes of Northern Somalia,a photography book on Somalia's nomadic countryside and life. The work has received international accolades from environmental organizations, including the Goldman Environmental Foundation and Résistants pour la Terre.

Anti-charcoal campaign

Through Horn Relief, Jibrell mounted a successful campaign to salvage old-growth forests ofacaciatrees in the northeastern part of Somalia.These trees, which can grow up to 500 years old, were being cut down to makecharcoalsince this so-called "black gold" is highly in demand in theArabian Peninsula,where the region'sBedouintribes believe the acacia to be sacred.

However, while being a relatively inexpensive fuel that meets a user's needs, the production of charcoal often leads todeforestationanddesertification.As a way of addressing this problem, Jibrell and Horn Relief trained a group of adolescents to educate the public on the permanent damage that producing charcoal can create.

In 1999, Horn Relief coordinated a peace march in the northeasternPuntlandregion of Somalia to put an end to the so-called "charcoal wars." As a result of Jibrell's lobbying and education efforts, the Puntland government in 2000 prohibited the exportation of charcoal. The government has also since enforced the ban, which has reportedly led to an 80% drop in exports of the product.

Awards

For her efforts environmental degradation and desertification, Jibrell has received a number of awards. In 2002, she was presented theGoldman Environmental Prize,the most prestigious grassroots environmental award.In 2008, she also won theNational Geographic Society/Buffett FoundationAward for Leadership in Conservation.

In 2014 Jibrell received theUnited Nations Environmental Programme(UNEP)Champions of the Earthaward for her environmental conservation work.

Additionally in 2016 Jibrell received theTakreem Awardfor Environmental Development and Sustainability.

External links

• Horn Relief (now Adeso) official website
• Sun Fire Cooking official website
• Charcoal TrafficatIMDb