Friday, April 21, 2006

Nilandhoo: Capital of North Nilande Atoll


Geography
Nilandhoo Is the largest island in Faaf atoll, densely populated, lies in western rim of Atoll. Hourboring is easy in this island. it is coded as L-6

Population
At the end of June 2005, The population of NILANDHOO was 1608 with 806 females & 802 males. This population resides nearly in 190 houses.

Living Standards
Fishing is main occupation of citizen of Nilandhoo. However a number of peoples enagaed in Agriculture, construction , & resort works. few numbers of families live in MALE' for both Office works and to provide good education for their children. The island has 26 mechanised vessels, 8 bokkura used for fishing, 1 yacht Dhoni and 2 sathari dhoni used for travelling between island & Male'. it has 3 retail shops & 4 cafes

Health Service
Nilandhoo health center was open in mid 1996. since then basic health service is available at nilandhoo. At that moment the health center was run by Nilandhoo island development committee. But after government shifted atoll capital from Magoodhooo to Nilandhoo it’s name converted into F.Atoll Health Center.
The island has 2 private pharmacies with 2 qualified pharmacists.They are medicine zone-4 and Bageecha pharmacy.

Education
Education from primary level up to grade 10 are available at F. atoll education center based in Nilandhoo. Pre school education is provided by women’s committee using a Pre-school opened recently. In addition few numbers of Tuition classess & Adhuruge are available in Nilandhoo community.

Government buildings / mosques
Faaf Atoll Office
Faaf Atoll House
Faaf Nilandhoo Office
Faaf Nilandhoo court


Faaf Atoll Education Center

Faaf atoll education center was (F.A.E.C) opened in february 1986 by then minister of Education Mr Mohamed Zahir Hussain. it provides secondary education since 1996.The first batch of students ( total 7 students ) to complete secondary education in the school sat for their Cambridge Ordinary Level Examination in 1998.

This School provided by the government teaches up to grade 10. Subjects for both commerce streame and science streame are taught in the school. Among the facilities in the school are computer lab,Science lab,and library.

The school use 4 different buildings . Fisrt building which is a main Hall divided into 4 class rooms by Partition. Second building Composed of 4 different calss rooms. Third building is a Two story building composed of 8 separated class rooms. Both Science lab and Staff room are there in this building. Fourth building composed of 2 class rooms and built by Parents- teachers association.
Both Bedminton and Netball ground are available inside School area.

Head Master House
Head master house opened in february 1986. it is used as residence who come to serve as head master for F. atoll education center. it is located near F. atoll education center infront of football play ground.Both settelite Tv, internet service, are available currently at Head master house.

Abdulla Ismail's Memorial library
Abdulla Ismail's library was first opened in F. Magoodhoo and shifted to Nilandhoo on february 1999. it was built as a memory of great maldivian Mathematician Mr Abdulla Ismail who was born in F. atoll Himithi. The library contains lots of books in different fields. It is located infront of F. atoll education center next to F.atoll health center near Thahaaluf mosque

Faaf Atoll Health Center
F. atoll health center was first opened in F. Magoodhoo. It was shifted to Nilandhoo on February 1999. F. atoll health center has a ward, labor room, consulting room, laboratory, dressing room, and administrative room & tea corner. Now an operation theater is in process of being added to this Atoll health center that is intended to be changed into an Atoll hospital in a near future.

Currently numbers of medical & para medical staffs work at F. atoll health center. They include:
1 doctor (MBBS),
3 Community Health Workers ,
2 family health workers,
6 nurses,
2 nurse assistants
2 midwives,
1 local medical practitoiner .
1 laboratory techinician
numbers of para medical staffs.

Faaf Atoll Store
It is more like a supermarket. located in kurimagu sqaure next to pre-school and near Nilandhoo office. The store is run by atoll development committee and Atoll office. it sells all sorts of goods begining from match boxes to wood and cement.. etc. people from neighboring islands come to nilandhoo to buy goods they need for thier daily life. The store has a manager & few Sale assistants. Atoll dhoni travells twice a week between Male' and Nilandhoo to carry goods need for atoll store.

Faaf Atoll police Station
Nilandhe Atholhu Uthuruburi Police Station was established on 21 April 2003 in F. Nilandhoo. The main objective of Nilandhe Atholhu Uthuruburi Police Station is to maintain peace, stability and harmony across the atoll and carryout investigations into crimes and public complaints in a fair and friendly manner to deliver justice to the locals of the atoll. Nilandhe Atholhu Uthuruburi Police Station will also assist the citizens, the atoll and island chiefs to reduce crime and maintain a low crime rate.

Faaf Nilandhoo Pre school
Nilandhoo pre-school is run by women's committee. it provides education for 3 pre-school level. The service is provided by 4 certified pre-school teachers with help of F.A.E.C head student's association. It is located in south west side of island ( main road / Ameeneemagu) infront of Nilandhoo office , west to Faaf Atoll store.

Faaf Nilandhoo Power House
This is a public power house run by Nilandhoo island development committee. They use 4 separate engines to provide 24 hours electricity to nilandhoo commiunity. It is located in north west district of Nilandhoo infront of Veyodhoshu Sqaure near Faaf Atoll Office.

Faaf Nilandhoo Oil House
Thi is an Oil House run by Nilandhoo island development committee. It is located infront of Jetty near western houbour in north west corner of island. It provides fueling service for both local and foreign sea vehicales.

Faaf Nilandhoo- Thahaaluf Mosque
This is the laregest mosque in the island. It was built in old graveyard. at that time infront of graveyard there was a small mosque called bulha miskih. it is located behind Abdulla ismail's library near health center & pharmacies.

Faaf Nilandhoo- Salaam Mosque
The mosque is built by members of Day light club. Before There was a small mosque called Dhon kabo miskih in this area. it is located in North east corner of island near the garbage collecting area close to beach.

Faaf Nilandhoo- Wahdha Mosque
This is first modern mosque biult in Nilandhoo. Before there was a mosque called Fanna miskih in this area. it is located in north west side of island next to nilandhoo office & near oil house & veyodhoshu Squre.

Faaf Nilandhoo- Aasaary Mosque
The Aasaari Miskiiy, on the island of Nilandhoo in Faafu Atoll, is the second oldest mosque in the country, built during the reign of the first sultan, Mohamed Ul-Adil (1141-1166 d.c.).Some say the mosque is 800-year-old and built by Sultan Mohamed Ibn Abdhulla, who was responsible for converting the country to Islam. This ancient mosque has an amazing structure of well-cut stones and its interior is decorated with patterned wooden scrollwork.It’s possible that stones were recycled from the ruins of earlier pre-Islamic temples. Thor Heyerdahl’s book ‘The Maldives Mystery’ devotes an entire chapter to this island. His expedition unearthed a number of phallic stone carvings, similar to the lingam associated with the Hindu god Shiva in his manifestation as the creator. Examples of these images can be seen in the National Museum in Malè. Heyerdahl’s expedition also found ruins believed to have been part of an ancient gate, one of the seven surrounding a great pagan temple complex. Of Nilandhoo, Heyerdahl wrote: - Five teams of archeologists could dig here for five years and still make new discoveries… the magnitude of this prehistoric center seemed quite out proportion to the size of the island -. The local authorities recently delimited the area around the mosque.
Another major attraction of this island is an extensive Hindu temple complex discovered by the Norwegian anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl. The complex features several phallic statues and elaborate friezes of pre-Islamic Buddhist temples.A small hill (havitta) rises where some ruins of the pagan temple are supposed to be still undiscovered.

Medicine Zone -4- Pharmacy
This is fisrt pharmacy opened in Nilandhoo. It is a private pharmacy owned by Mr Ibrahim Rasheed G. Niar ( kashidhoo rasheed ). it is located near Thahaaluf mosque & Bageecha pharmacy. The pharmacy opens daily from 9am to 2pm & from 8pm to 10pm execpt friday.

Bageecha Pharmacy
This is the second pharmacy opened in Nilandhoo. It is a private pharmacy owned by Mr Mohamed Ahmed Dhonfai bageechage F. nilandhoo. it is located near Thahaaluf mosque & Medicine zone-4 pharmacy & Bageecha hotaa.

Developmental Programmes/Activities
1- Provision of internet service via cyber cafe run by womens development committee
2- Provision of Electricity to island community for 24hrs a day
3- Run a pre-school by women's development committee
4- Cleaning of the beach and the inner island
5- Many other similar developmental activities

Projects and Developmental programmes
NILANDHOO HARBOR DREDGING And RECLAMATION PROJECT
NILANDHOO YOUTH CENTER PROJECT
ATOLL HOSPITAL ANNEX BUILDING
NEW PRE-SCHOOL BUILDING


Private Organizations/Committees/Associations
Faaf Atoll Education center head student's association
Day light club

Shops / Stores / Bookshops
Faaf Atoll Store
Esjehi store
Beach house Store
Reethi Gus fihaara
Gehi Bookshop
A.M.H Vedio

Tuition Centers / Quran Classess
Bageecha Tuition Class
Uhmeedhee Tuition Class
Nishan Tuition Center
Thadhrees al-Quran Al kareem

Restaurants / Cafes
Maakeyn hotaa
Ranmedhu hotaa
Bageecha hotaa
Maalan Cafe

Carpentries / Workshops
AIMOO Carpentry
Annarmaage Carpentry
Azra Manzil Carpentry
Bageecha Workshop

Squares / Gardens /Beaches /Specific areas
Foot ball ground
monumental area
Kurimagu Sqaure
Veyodhoshu park
Veyodhoshu Sqaure
School corner
Garbage collecting area
Funnar magu holhuashi
kudaganduvaru magu holhuashi
Veyodhoshu holhuashi
Ziyaarai magu holhuashi
Dhon kanbo magu holhuashi
New graveyard
Thundi-The great beach
Kanu kolhu-The eastern beach
Bodu magu kolhu-A beach for kids
Small nilandhoo-An artifical village
Western Hobor- A Horbor for Large vessels.
Eastern Hobor- A Horbor for foreigners

Available Local and Agricultural products
- dried fish
- salted fish
- rihaakuru
- dhiyaa hakuru
- rope
- thatch

- Watermelon
- Cucumber
- Pumpkin and Squash
- Chile and curry leaves
- Kale and Kang kong
- Banana
- Curry leaves
- Guava
- Mengo