Youth Illegal Migration (What is the problem and what can be done)

The Somali Nation Youth Conference held in Mogadishu between 17^th to 19^th Dec 2017 and gathered about 500 youth participants across the Somali regions. This conference held by the ministry of youth and sport of the federal government of Somalia and its international partners because of the finalization of the National Youth Policy and seeking the final contributions of the youth while all the decisions made will affect the youth. One of the points discussed during the conference was the illegal migration and how can this policy help the youth abstain from trafficking and perishing their lives on the odysseys and all risks involved. 

The conference included a high-level representative from the United Nations and the international partners. The UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, Jayathma Wickramanayake who paid her first visit to the continent attended the opening of the conference and welcomed the launch of the new policy. In her remarks, Jayathma stressed that youth policy without a budget is just mental exercises and it’s important to convert the youth policy into action. In an interview with the envoy, she said “My recommendation to the government is to ensure effective implementations of the youth policy, it’s easy to get something on paper but, it’s difficult to translate that into action and it’s important to coordinate better of other ministries, with the UN, with youth organizations,  young people, civil society organizations, and international and national actors for the effective implementations of the policy and to really make sure that young people voices are heard through out the process not just consultations before the policy and my recommendation to the young people would be to keep demand for that space”.

While the inequality, unemployment, nepotism, favoritism, and all the blind alley chosen by the youth is the reason behind why youth immigrate, the minister of youth pledged in her speech that the ministry will implement vocational skill training schools that can spur the youth to earn in their home followed by a vast job creation to the young people. One of the participants said, “Young people migrate without hope and despair and it’s not all about jobless”.

To combat the illegal migration, the Nation Youth Policy (NYP) will organize and encourage equal employment opportunities and it creates an atmosphere that youth can choose either to stay or migrate. The essential actions needed to fight migration that NYP enlightened are;

i.           Formation of national policy on youth employment

ii.        Implementing TVET schools (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) compatible with the market.

iii.     Encouraging youth to generate different ideas for the intent of future realization.

iv.     Creation of counseling youth centers that can motivate and uplift youth ambitions

v.        Implementing free and fair job sites that youth can browse available positions in order a special group or clique do not benefit the public jobs.

vi.     Finally, spreading the danger of illegal migration to various media outlets and broadcasting to the youth for the available positions they can contest to.

As article 3.5.3 of the NYP of the second strategy of combating illegal migration summarizes, one of the best strategy is the return of diaspora communities to invest their country, organizing annual conference on youth development while diaspora will narrate in front of the youth for the real life in abroad, encouraging diaspora youth to voluntarily return to their home and share their skills with local youth, workshops and exchange of notes to encourage diaspora youth to integrate with locals, and in generally broadcasting migration torment films inline with encouraging diaspora investments.

Finally, the youth representatives, the ministry of youth and sport of the federal government of Somalia, and international partners discern together that illegal migration is not the final solution and it’s all about putting yourself into a risk that you can’t manage once you involve.

                                                                                                   Elmi Hassan Samatar
                                                                                             samatar2020@hotmail.com 

                        

HAB-DHACA MAANSADA SOOMAALIYEED

Tixdu (Qodbane) waa wixii kasoo haro Tiraab (Qubane) isla markaana leh Qaafiyad iyo Ridmo. Suugaan kasta waxeey leedahay lagana rabaa in laga helo toddobo (7) hab-dhac oo maansada Soomaalidu ay leedahay. Abwaankii 7-da #hab_dhac laga waayo maansada uu tirayay ma ahan maanso ee waa tiraab. 7-da hab-dhac ee Maansada Soomaalida oo tix kastaa leedahay Abwaankana laga rabo in uu waafajiyo Maansadiisa waxaa ka mid ah; #Ekeeyn, #Qofeeyn, #Makuubid, #Xus, #Astaameeyn, #Yaxmeerin, iyo #Buunbuunin.

Waxaa soo qaadaneeynaa #HAB-DHAC kasta iyo tusaalahiisa si loo fahmo waxaa 7-da hab-dhac kala yihiin;

1.      #Ekeeyn; Nuuca Maansada ekeeyntu waa #Shabbaha sida heestii aheed;

-          Haddaad maqantahay,

-          Magaalada dhami,

-          Mugdi weeyo,

-          weey madoowdee.

Ama heestii aheeyd

-          Sida geed caleenliyo                     - Oo godon Barwaaqo ah

-          Ubax guudka qariyeen                  - Durdur aan gureeyniyo

-          Oo gooni laamaha                         - Gacan Webi ku yaalaa

-          Eey midiba geesteed                     - Oon gu’ iyo jiilaal

-          Hoobaan isgaadhiyo                     - Midab guurin baa tahoo

-          Guntin miro ah leedahay              - Gabaryahay kalgacalbaan

-          Oo soo gandoodoo                        - Goortaan ku eegaba

-          Galka faraqa soo daray                 - Qalbigeeyga galisaa

2.      #Qofeeyn; Qofeeyntu waa sheey nool ama aan nooleeyn oo sidii qof loola hadlo. Tusaale ahaan Gabayga #FIIN

-          Fiinyahay adaa olalayoo, oohin ciirsday e

3.      #Makuubid; Makuubid waa gabay ama maanso tilmaameysa #Sifaad gaar ah oo sheey leeyahay. Tusaale, dhaqanka Soomaalida;

- Soomaalina macnaa lagu yaqaan, meel ay joogtaba e

- Oo waa hiddaha noo macaan, malab siddiisiiye

- Mar kastana ma moogaano ee, wuu naga dhex muuqdaaye

4.      #Xus; Xusku waa wax horay u dhacay oo la is xasuusiyo lana sheego, Tusaale ahaan Gabigii Guuguulayahow;

-          Giddigood addoomaha waxaa gaadhey nabar weyne 

-          Abaar gaag ma reebaa dhacdiyo Gaatamoo kale e

5.      #Astaameeyn; Waa raadka isla qofka tirinayo maansadu ay ku leedahay ama maanso laga allifay qofkale Tusaale ahaan

-          Waxaan tabayo mooye qalbigu, weey walhanayaaye

6.      #Yaxmeerin; Yaxmeeriddu waa maanso Sarbeeb ah. Tusaale ahaan Gabigii Likaaco ee ahaa;

-          Nimaan lugi jabnayn baan ahiyo, xoogga laawyaduye

-          Hayeeshee laxaad uma socdee, laangadhaan ahaye

-          Madaxiyo laabteey fayoow, oo xiskeey ladane

-          Waxse kuma lilloobaane waan, garasho liitaaye

7.      #Buunbuunin; Waa Maanso xadka bixin ah. Tusaale ahaan heestii Hablaha Geeska Afrika lagu buunbuuniyay ee aheeyd;

-          Gabigeed adduunyada                  - Hablo talada gooyn kara

-          Gobol-gobol u qaadoo                  - Garta madal ka niqi kara

-          Hablo weerar geli kara                 - Garashana iskaga mida

-          Hablo geela dhicin kara                - Quruxdana ka wada gob ah

-          Hablo geesi dili kara                     - Geestena mooyee

-          Gobonimana hanan kara              - Gayi kale ma joogaan

                                                                       W/D: Elmi H Samatar

                                                                       E-mail: samatar2020@hotmail.com

                                                                      Mogadishu, Somalia

IF I WERE AN ARTIST I WOULD USE MY ARTISTIC EXPRESSIONS TO INSPIRE THE YOUTH

Introduction

Somalia has rich artistic culture which expresses the lifestyle of both historic and contemporary era of the Somali people. These include artistic traditions in pottery, music, oratory, storytelling aka (sheeko baraley), architecture, sculptures and other genres. Somalia’s art is mainly influenced by the Islamic religion and much of the arts is related to the Arabian style or culture. However, there have been cases in the past of artistic depictions representing living creatures such as the golden birds on the Mogadishan canopies, the ancient rock paintings in the northern part of the country, and the plant decorations on religious tombs in southern Somalia.

Historically, Somalis were known for their artistic expressions, some of them dating back and pre-historic rock painting. For instance, the rock of Laas Geel is considered to be one of the best preserved art in the continent, representing cows in ceremonial robes together with humans. The cow’s neck is decorated with plastron and it is visible up until today.  

Painting and drawings were also among the most popular forms of Somali arts. During Siyad Barre’s time this was mainly used as a method of teaching people on patriotism, nationalism and serving their country unconditionally. Poetry, oratory and music has also shaped the artistic culture of the Somali people. Some of the songs were even used to embolden Somali soldiers when they were fighting with enemies. Amin Amir is one of the notable living example of Somali artists with his drawings published on his website.

If I were an artist, I would have used my artistic expression to win over youths and the whole Somalia community hearts by preaching the good and change the bad in the society. Some of the ways would be.

Despite the fact that procrastination is the thing that can hold back someone to be successful and productive; it doesn’t mean that a person doesn’t know what he want to do and what he needs to do, but he is off somewhere else by obsessing his mind doing less important things.  If I were an artist I wouldn’t only use my artistic career to compose love and entertainment songs, but instead, I would write down work songs that motivate youth to work hard and device showcases and events for the intent of inspiring youth against procrastinations and dawdling. Inspiration is a tool and it can be remedy for the procrastination problems. For the artistic talent; I would use to praise the education and censure the ignorance, to compliment the scholar and undermine the illiteracy, inspire the youth against vagrant, violent, and glue sniffing. The flair for writing I have; I would instruct the youth that they would be the future parents and in order they do not compromise the well-being of their siblings, they should learn and work hard.

If I were an artist, I would devote to compose poem and patriotic songs and instill the youth to think about the development making the country Elysium place. Like the Somali great artist Geywarow who created a beautiful inspirational songs of labor, I would compose awakening songs that can arouse the youth from the sleeping.  For the privilege that the creator endowed me as an artist, I would encourage the civic education to be included poems and songs that can take part the upbringing of the young generation during the early school start times. Through social media and the local broadcast, I would disseminate messages that touches everyone’s feeling especially the youth, telling the young generation that the time is like is a sword and it is better to use wisely before it elapsed. Steve Jobs, the American businessman once said “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life”, so everyone should build his own dreams and act on it accordingly, instead of working someone else’s dream. As an artist, I would guide the youth to the good dreams, before they regret and shed tears for the time they wasted.

If I were an artist, I would start up community based institution which will host films, music, theater programmes, writing programmes, drawing programmes, local library and the likes. The institution will be run by volunteers who will support the events as they happen and provide creative support to those willing to learn and grow within the industry especially youths. This will eventually encourage locals, national and international volunteers to lend a hand in development of the artistic industry which will honor the culture, history and traditions of the Somali people and produce artistic programmes which will combat intolerance by uniting Somali people.

If I were an artist, I would promote Summer or after school volunteer artistic programmes which will be through hand expression. This programme will have special projects and programmes to develop youth’s artistic skills which will incorporate youth development practices while improving their life skills, self-expressions, self-image and social commitments. This will provide a sense of direction and participation in marking arts possible tool to nourish young and fresh minds, expressing their interests and able to take risks in trying new ideas. The summer programme will increase artistic engagement in focus, skills and used as problem solving/critical thinking to be reflective and finding solutions to the society challenges.

If I were an artist I would strengthen identity by building confidence of youths and develop community by increasing support and belonging to where one develops a positive bond, respect for others and most importantly ability to work with diverse set of people. I would work with other artist to find opportunities, exchange ideas and work together to create something in the community which will gain recognition, appreciation and acknowledged for an achievement, service or ability in the eyes of the Somali community. Lastly, I would develop a positive view of the future by internalizing about the outcomes for one’s life and increase ability to set short term and long term goals especially in education and employment.

CONCLUSION

Inspiring professional artists should play an integral part in the creative and artistic lives of both the young people and the adults who work with them in informal settings within and outside Somalia. The artists should have responsibilities of nurturing creativity and artistic expression to young people who will eventually have the opportunity to develop their potential for great creative and artistic expression. The artists and arts educators should deliver after evaluating range of exciting artistic interventions from workshops, action research and from one to one interviews which will prop out the needs of the youths which will later on be sufficient and personal fulfillment of community engagement and lead to connection between Somali people. Artistic programs yield positive outcomes in skills development, personal development, and a greater understanding of society and the youth’s place in it.

                                                Co-writers

1.       Abdifatah Hassan Ali

2.       Bishara Ali Hussein

3.       Deqa Ahmed Osman

4.       Elmi Hassan Samatar

THE SOMALI PORTABLE HUT (AQAL SOOMAALI)

Somalis are pastoralist nomads who raise animals in the rural areas. Because they move frequently in search of good pasture, grass, and water, they take shelter in a portable hut (AQAL Soomaali). Their dome-shaped hut is made from different traditional materials and these materials vary according to the locality and the different lifestyles. The AQAL Soomaali is made of bent saplings, animal skins, woven mats, roots of the acacia tree, grass, branches, poles, and reeds. A second type of AQAL Soomaali is used by the Agra-pastoralists and riverine community. Although it is also portable and can be collapsed at any time, it’s slightly stronger than the pastoralist one. This kind of AQAL is made from thatched roofs and palm fronds knotted together. The gathering of materials and building of the huts are exclusively the work of Somali women. They collect everything used to make the mats, which are made from acacia, palm frond, and grasses knitted and weaved together with ropes and fiber.

When the herders decide to move to a new location, they easily break down the Aqal and carry it on a camel’s back until they reach their destination.  The amazing thing in this story is that Somali women are responsible for managing the Aqal from its inception to its conclusion. They are responsible for reassembling the hut once a new place is discovered. The space that good AQAL needs is about 2 to 2.5 square meters. To construct an AQAL one needs Udub (poles), Kabaal (pillars), Siid (short wooden branches), Heego (a bundle of saplings), and mats.

i. Udub (poles); the poles are the most important thing while constructing an AQAL. Every AQAL needs two poles (Udub), which are the middle poles that hold all the other pillars together. They are where the AQAL starts. They are perpendicularly erected inside the hut to support the Heego (bent saplings), pillars, and the mats. ii. Two Kabaal (pillar), which are erected on the sides of the entrance and resemble the jambs of a door. iii. Four Siid (short wooden branches), which support all the types of pillars and prevent the pillars from shaking. iv. Twelve Heego (bent saplings); they crisscrossing wooden branches that are placed in between every pillar and pole and form the dome-shaped. The Heego are further comprised of two different parts, namely Dhig and Lool. The Lool literally means the latitude and the Dhig mean longitude. They are interlaced when constructing the Aqal. v. Mat; the mats are made in ten different types and every mat has a position in the AQAL; 1) Two Carro Celis; is a mat that is wrapped recumbently to the bent sapling (Heego) and stretched along both sides until the hut entrance. The Carro Celis is almost half meter away from the ground. 2) Two Feer; this is another recumbent mat above the Carro celis and near the top of the roof. 3) One Kug Saar; this is the mat that covers the top of the AQAL. 4) Two Gureed Celis; a mat designed to cover at the back of the AQAL. 5) Two Gaaf; this is a mat attached under Carro Celis and around whole the hut. It starts from the ground, preventing dusts and other insects from intruding into the AQAL. In hot seasons, the Gaaf can be easily removed to allow for cool breezes to enter. When a wind begins, it can be closed to keep out the sand. 6) One Afo; an Afo is a long rectangular mat used as a door.

After completing the hut, it’s fastened and tied down with ropes so it is not blown away by storms. Mainly two types of ropes are used; Gar & Xeer. The Gar consists of six ropes that are used to lace up and fasten the entire hut from the Udub unto the Siid. Xeer is like a thick fiber and after all the other things are done, the AQAL is covered by the mats and this is where the Xeer is needed. It is wrapped diagonally and horizontally on the outside of the Aqal. The Xeer is the last object needed. All the above materials are ready made. Usually they are donated or ordered when a new family is formed and they can last for years of odyssey and travelling.

There are other two mats, namely men mats and women/children mats. The men mats are decorated in a distinctive and very beautiful way and are used by the men of the family and other guests. The other mat is both used by the women and children and usually it doesn’t have any special decoration. The inside of an Aqal is separated into two areas; the sleeping area is furnished into Raar (turfs) and is always at the back of the Aqal while the living area is at the front.  

Finally, there is an outer uncovered veranda called a Gabbaad; the Gabbaad is an uncovered shelter constructed on both sides of the Aqal. This Gabbaad is where the family remains in the evening and arranges their supper and any other entertainment before sleeping. The Kiblah direction Gabbaad is used by the men and the remaining one is used by the women and children.

                                                                                                       Elmi H Samatar

                                                                                                       samatar2020@hotmail.com

CAN VOCATIONAL TRAINING FOR YOUTH TRANSFORM SOMALIA INTO A BETTER PLACE?

Transforming Somalia into a better place and promoting stability is one of the primary objectives that the Somali government, national and international NGOs are concentrating to their efforts on these days.  As the result of longtime political unrest, clan rivalries, terrorism, and violent insurgency, many people have lost their lives, economic growth has been held back, and the country continues to be politically unstable. As well, there are a lot of youth who have been unable to obtain a formal education.  Due to the chaos of the last decades, many youths have not been able to work their arable lands, rear their livestock or go to schools. Powerful warlords are denying to them access to their basic needs. For the consequences of all kinds of the transgressions over the youths resulted lastly, the youths to be part of the problem and get a variety of different kinds of ammunitions.

Now, the Somali government and its allies are liberating new areas every day and many youths are surrendering to the government. Those who took part in the fighting and the civil unrest, as well as vagrant and street children, may have special economic, livelihood, and psycho-social needs. The violence even affected youth who didn’t take part in the fighting and abstained from going to school or work due to intimidation.

The INGOs, LNGOs, and the Somali government established rehabilitation centers with schools where youth are trained in marketable skills to integrate into the community again in a peaceful manner. This vocational skills training (VST) can contribute to the restoration of the livelihoods of all the youths and to economic development. During their training they are taught different skills, including but not limited to; plumbing, electricity, mechanics, tailoring, cooking, mobile repairing, computer skills, entrepreneurship and basic calculation courses, while tie and die, henna and beautification are reserved for young females only. Therefore, if the youth are committed to going back to school and work, obviously they can change the living standards of many households, lessen the incidence of crime and strengthen social cohesion.

This informal education can help those who are old enough to sit in the formal schools and they are a large in number. If the rehabilitation centers are equipped with the necessary equipment and qualified trainers, learning marketable skills can help youth contribute to both economic development and stability. Currently, the VST and TVET (Technical Vocational Education and Training) centers across the country are very few in number. They are managed by NGOs and every minute they can be shut down due to a lack of funding. Skills are vital for poverty reduction, economic recovery, and sustainable development, especially for the post-conflict countries like Somalia.

Certainly, the capacity building of youth through vocational training can transform our country into a better place in the near future. Youth have the energy, greatest enthusiasm for change, and the ambition to increase their knowledge. The only thing they need is mentorship and a chance to do something great in a short a period. All kinds of these skills can lead the youth to the path of prosperity for their country, increasing our resilience, contributing to the gross national product (GNP), and self-sufficiency. With the income from these skills, youth would reinvest in the farms they left years ago and livestock while this would create direct and indirect jobs for other youths.

There is an important subject that is not taught in the Somali schools which scholars believe that if the subject is not commenced and taught the youth won’t be able to be patriots and take part in the reconstruction of their country. This subject is civic education, is important for promoting democracy and good governance. If these two are improved, this will be an antidote to youth immigration and violence. Lastly, there is no development when there is no youth development because, youth are the only people that can transform the things that are broke, lousy or bad into something better. Thus, their education, health, and creativity is very essential to development and resilience.

THE CONTROVERSY OF SOMALIA’S DECENTRALIZATION

The controversy of Somalia’s decentralization

In 2004 Somalia adopted a federal system. One of the objectives of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), which was created in Nairobi, Kenya, was to create a decentralized administration system. The TFG was envisaged to federate Somalia two years after the date of its creation and after a federal commission committee was established. Despite the concern of the citizens, who didn’t vote on whether they wanted such a system, there has been a lot of debate about implementing the federal system. Most people believe that this idea is driven by countries that are not similar with Somalia in terms of economics, culture, and education. The clan rivalries that have been taking place since 1991 when the country lost its strong central government and the main reason for the inter-clan clashes was, disputes over territory. When the country adopted the federal system, the existing territory grievances between the clans exacerbated and worsened. The current federal system is based on clan (4.5), which means four major clans and others (0.5). Every clan has formed his own autonomous state and the clashes between the states are continuing. In addition, the federal system oppressed the 0.5 clans, or what they call others. The others (0.5) are not powerful clans and they were not consulted in the state formations and didn’t also get the quota they deserved in the regional states.

The argument of those who don’t believe in decentralization;

Most Somalis are opposed to federating Somalia and they are expressing their concerns in the mass media, both print and broadcast. The people who opposed the current decentralization of power have strong and concrete evidence that Somalia can’t be federated now. Their arguments can be summarized as 1) these people believe that the federation will bring no benefit to Somalia except economic loss 2) the territorial fighting between clans will continue while Somalia is insisting on federating Somalia because the current government has no effective integrated army that can take control the country and every administrative state or autonomous state has its own militia. 3) Applying the federal system is very expensive. 4) This argument is that the federation needs a lot of resources and knowledge and the current government is based on international organization and UN donations and it can’t even pay its employees and instead the international community is paying the country’s civil servants and the national army. 5) The formed states and the developing ones are based on clan and every clan has its own regional state which totally is opposed to the theory of federalism. The federation has no reliable solutions for the Somali people, despite death and destruction, and this is what is currently going on Galka’yo region, in which two regional states are contesting the control of the city and the inhabitants are being killed and displaced by the militia of both administrations. 6) Federating Somalia will have bad implications for the resilience and stabilization of the country. 7) Lastly, Somalis are a people who share one culture, religion, and lineage and what they need is a strong central government. The other concern Somalis have expressed is that the economy would be much worse than it is now because every regional state will collect its own taxes and customs and the traders that pass through one state to another will be levied much taxes. This will make it very expensive for their commodities and poverty will increase.

The argument of the centralization opponents

The centralization opponents are very few, according to the general perceptions of the people regarding the federal system. The main reason they are supporting the federal system is that; 1) they said: “the federal system is more democratic than centralization.” 2) The public will participate in the governance process and have a chance to say in the decisions affecting them. 3) Public voting, signing petitions, and the impeachment of those who violate the law are the only chance of the federal government. 3) The other reason why federalism is important is the separation of power, improvement of justice, and even economic development.

Although Somalia has population of over 15 million, and little in the way of resources, most of its citizens believe that federalism is not the solution to the country’s problems and believe that the international community and some of the functional leaders that are still strong in politics and have an interest in federation are compelling people whom they didn’t ask for their consent about the change as well the fate of their own nation.

                                                       

                                                                                Elmi Hassan Samatar

                                                                               samatar2020@hotmail.com

VISUAL IMPAIRMENT DOESN’T MEAN IMPAIRMENT AT ALL

Mohamed Ahmed Sh. Mohamoud, is a 44-year-old father of 6 who was born blind. He is a teacher at the Al-Nur School for the blind. He was raised by his maternal grandmother and, by the age of 3, he was enrolled in Madrasa (a madrasa is an educational institution offering instruction in Islamic subjects including, but not limited to, the Quran, jurisprudence, the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, and law). Later he was schooled in Qoryoley district. In 1991 when Siad Barre’s government was ousted by rebels, Mohamed was in standard 8 at Qoryoley Primary & Elementary school in Qoryoley, Lower Shabelle. Mohamed was eager to continue his education and in order to do so he visited Addis Ababa and Nairobi between 1994 to 1996. But that dream wasn’t successful and he decided to go back his homeland. Fortunately he was accepted by Imamu Shafi’ primary & Secondary School in August 1996, which was one of the first schools opened in the country after the destruction. In July 2001, Mohamed he was among the second batch students who graduated from Imam Shafi’ school and, on 23^rd October of the same year, he enrolled in the Islamic University in Mogadishu in the faculty of Education. In June 2005 he graduated from the university. His dissertation was the first book accepted by the university and in 7^th August of the same year he was hired to teach at Al-Nur School for the blind in Mogadishu, Somalia. He still teaches in that school. Mohamed has a Masters from the International University of Africa-Sudan, department of Research and African Studies.

Mohamed, who is also currently a lecturer in IMAM University is a role model for many. Mohamed believes that he is the same as his peers and he can do the same things they can do in life. He said “visual impairment doesn’t mean impairment at all and as long as we have the mind we have the sight.” Despite his blindness, he is the breadwinner of his family. Mohamed doesn’t believe he made a great change and see himself as a normal. I asked him what he did differently and what people can learn from him. He replied “I’m not vaunting and bragging myself into anything and I’m the normal man you see.” Instead of remaining in the veranda and the house yard, Mohamed decided to become a trader after he lost his school in the chaos that the country went through. From 1991 to 1994 he was a business traveler shuttling between Mogadishu and Qoryooleey for his business purposes. Mohamed changed his mind and decided to go back to school in 1994, stopping his business with the intent of devoting himself to seeking knowledge. He said the reason he ceded his business was because of the importance of education. As he said,“at any time your wealth can be mugged, destroyed or it may be disappear, but your knowledge will remain in your brain and it is the real asset that one can claim.” Mohamed truly believes the education rather than anything else. “Due to education, I’m not waiting and expecting my sustenance from anyone else. Instead I’m feeding my family and that is God’s grace.” Mohamed, he is an instructor, motivator, and role model for his community. He teaches both blind and sighted students. He writes articles for the newspapers, gives interviews to TV and radio, and broadcasts orientation programs on social affairs.  A gregarious, polite blind man, he loves his friends, hugging every single friend who visited him. He is a good for storyteller, likes to inspire the people and he help them understand that losing eyesight is not losing your capability to learn, work, and interact with society.

The ambition of the great smiling blind man is not yet at an end. He expects to pursue his PhD soon; he plans to start in 2018 if the things go well. Lastly, Mohamed has a word to his community. “Changes begin when you believe it.” He added, “As a man, you need to have a role model, a person that you follow in his footprints, therefore, have a good path that reaches you the good horizon and do not hesitate to change yourself as well the world.”

                                                                                                                                                                Elmi H Samatar

samatar2020@hotmail.com