Over 250,000 listeners tune in as Noor Abdow Ahmed revisits rights and ways in which those living in the Northern part of Kenya’s Mandera County can access legal aid. In an area where access to justice is low due to lack of resources to engage legal representation, minimal knowledge on legal information and advice, illiteracy and cultural and societal trappings against the vulnerable, the topic sparks the airwaves. After thirty minutes of engaging talk and receiving incessant call-ins, Noor refers to his notebook, checking off one of his many activities. He then proceeds to plan for an upcoming visit to Khadija Girls Secondary School the following day where he will address over 100 girls on their rights and avenues of addressing legal challenges.
“I describe myself as a barefooted lawyer because as a paralegal, I am not a member of the bar nor an advocate at the high courts, but as paralegals, we are critical and important in providing legal interventions …”
Noor Ahmed
Noor (right) during a radio talk show on legal aid awareness
“I describe myself as a barefooted lawyer because as a paralegal, I am not a member of the bar nor an advocate at the high courts, but as paralegals, we are critical and important in providing legal interventions and awareness to the local communities,” he explains.
Born in Bulla Mpya in Mandera East Sub-County 47 years ago, the trained counsellor and community developer now pursues his passion for increasing access to justice, human rights and ending gender-based violence in his community. After attending the first national legal aid forum in 2006, Nur passion as a “human rights defender” escalated and has since not waned.
“I am a human rights monitor on human rights violations and a lead county budget facilitator. I started my first social work in 1994 and trained as ToT on advocacy and community mobilisation. As a youth representative in the former District environmental committee (gazetted) for ten years (2001-2011) and District Aids committee between 1999-2009, I represented the youth in all decision making forums including participating in development programs,” Noor explains.
Noor conducting a legal awareness campaign at Border Point Secondary School
“Considering that there is only one court in the whole of Mandera and that the circle of justice is also not coordinated, the program is empowering the community in understanding their rights and roles…”
Noor AHMED
In his quest for increasing access to justice in his hometown, Noor, became one of the six paralegals involved in NAPAD’s Haki Kwa Wote (Cadaalada Dhaman) [Justice for All] Project supported by UNDP-Kenya under its Amkeni Wakenya facility as part of the Programme for Legal Empowerment and Aid Delivery in Kenya (PLEAD), a partnership involving the Government of Kenya, European Union, United Nations and civil societies. Through the program which works towards improving the delivery of justice services and use of alternatives to dispute resolution, he underwent a refresher training on the Legal Aid Act 2016 and in sign language interpretation, after which he took part in legal aid awareness campaigns through school visits, caravans and legal aid clinics and radio broadcasts across Mandera North and East Sub-Counties.
“Considering that there is only one court in the whole of Mandera and that the circle of justice is also not coordinated, the program is empowering the community in understanding their rights and roles. The community also knows where to channel their grievances where there is a need,” he says.
Offering his legal services pro-bono from the Neboi Legal Aid Centre, a legal assistance and resource centre established under the Project, Noor’s passion makes his quest to providing localised legal assistance for “as long as I am alive and community need is there.”