tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2374534858292829742024-03-13T06:54:33.040-07:00Postcard from AfricaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-31672678796058330232014-04-07T12:38:00.000-07:002014-04-07T12:57:28.604-07:00Rich man teaching a poor man resilience, only the UN and Western NGOs in Africa!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i4On4MIIPSA/U0L7teCH-HI/AAAAAAAAAu0/ZANv57YN8xo/s1600/Resilience.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i4On4MIIPSA/U0L7teCH-HI/AAAAAAAAAu0/ZANv57YN8xo/s1600/Resilience.jpg" height="207" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Now, how does someone who earns few thousand dollars tax free a month,
lives in a cushy apartment in Westlands, Nairobi, on an international medical insurance,
goes to the "field/Mogadishu" once in a while under heavy
military escort and takes fully paid 3 times a year "rest and recuperation" break, teach someone who has endured 20+ years civil war or even born and raised in a civil war, resilience?!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> I have heard of a lot of pretentious and dumb ideas come out of the UN/NGOs but the concept of privileged white people teaching "poor Africans" resilience is just amazing! The UN and Western NGOs working on Somalia could learn about resilience by moving their over-funded offices to Mogadishu and stay put for just a year without an RnR, to see if they will still talk about resilience with a straight face.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-3561392665390739402014-01-14T23:57:00.000-08:002014-01-14T23:57:46.787-08:00Letter to strong and successful single ladies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dear ambitious, driven,
beautiful, successful in their fields, educated single ladies, you are not
"on the shelf" and unable to find a life partner. There are plenty of
men who will jump at the chance to get you house arrested, but you are no longer
willing prisoners. Times have changed and since you don't depend on a man for
anything and are self-sufficient, you are after a compatible life partner you
can respect and be proud to have in your life. So, stop feeling sorry for your eternal singleton. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finding a true life partner is a rare experience. That someone who challenges you,
supports, loves and respects you and who has his own ambitions and friends. Someone
who doesn’t suffocate and thinks of you as a baby factory and cleaning
lady! A man who can engage your mind, body and soul and who teaches you as much
as he learns new things from you. Don’t get me wrong, this business of soulmate
I think is for 15 year old girls. I am talking about a man for a grown woman,
realistic partnership upon which to build a solid team that can handle anything
which comes their way and share the adventures of life together. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If children are the things
that has forced so many to settle, there are plenty in orphanages who need you
and a loving home. However, those who would prefer to experience a child birth
and have their own biological children, there are plenty of women having babies
by themselves. I don’t know how they do it but they are out there and they have
my respect. For those of you like me with absolutely no plans to be a single
mother, switch off that damn ticking clock and accept nothing good comes
easily. And whatever you do, never settle. Subscribe to Ann Summers if you must but don’t listen to society, preachers or married people about why you should
just find a good enough Joe and settle down. Neither should you pity yourself
for being forever single, it is a choice you made and I know how lonely it can sometimes
be but trust me, better lonely than in an average, dull and
uninspiring relationship. Don’t let the couples with picture perfect images of
their marriage fool you that every married woman is a happy woman. The truth is
often a lot less rosy and complicated. I am not saying they are all miserable
and I hope at least most of them are happy but you get my point. Stay single
and stubborn until you find a partner worth giving up the rewarding freedom that comes with the singleton life for. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-51264366644483180032013-10-01T05:53:00.004-07:002013-10-01T05:53:59.614-07:00Quit like Marina Shifrin or don't tell us about it, lol.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/Ew_tdY0V4Zo/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/Ew_tdY0V4Zo&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/Ew_tdY0V4Zo&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-15204250773377867922013-09-25T01:23:00.000-07:002013-09-25T01:23:41.196-07:00Nadia Faragaab's response to accusations of misrepresenting Somalis in her comments published in "The Australian"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background: #EDEFF4; color: #333333;">In referance to the article in the Australian: I wasn't
taken out of context. I own my words. Let me start by saying, I would rather
have a madarasa teacher that is qualified and has a working with children check
(WWCC). I appreciate the idea of having teachers that work under guidelines.
Teachers that are transparent and accountable, not just to the Government but
to us. Madarasas don't teach somali like they used to. By the way why is that?<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background: #EDEFF4; color: #333333;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: #EDEFF4; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If you have a problem with the way your being represented by the
Australian newspapers, come up with an alternative news outlet. while you work
on your alternative news outlet, put your hand up for interviews. Represent
yourselves. My comments are my opinions, which i have come to posses through my
dealings with the Somali community in Melbourne, professionally and personally.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br data-reactid=".r[3hi4n].[1][4][1]{comment672464579431647_7517093}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3]" />
<span style="background: #EDEFF4;"><span data-reactid=".r[3hi4n].[1][4][1]{comment672464579431647_7517093}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[4]">For instance community leaders that discuss receiving half a million here
and half a million there from this and that gov't dept on behalf of the Somali
community. But when approached about a free Somali English dictionary app,
suggestions were made, the Somali women involved in the project, dress a
certain way for meetings with them. You can guess the suggested dress code. You
can also guess where they were told to go.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><br data-reactid=".r[3hi4n].[1][4][1]{comment672464579431647_7517093}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[5]" />
<br data-reactid=".r[3hi4n].[1][4][1]{comment672464579431647_7517093}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[6]" />
<span style="background: #EDEFF4;"><span data-reactid=".r[3hi4n].[1][4][1]{comment672464579431647_7517093}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[7]">Now about the crises that should really worry us. Lets talk about those
hiding their alcohol and other drug misuse or their homosexuality and other
things (that will come to light in its own time) while hypocritically shunning
it. while its understandable to me that no one wants to be an outsider in their
community, its ridiculouse that these same people are acting outraged about
these discussions. If the idea of being open about the things you get up to
strikes fear of expolsion from the community in you, again I understand.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background: #EDEFF4;"><span data-reactid=".r[3hi4n].[1][4][1]{comment672464579431647_7517093}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[7]"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: #EDEFF4; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yaaharay? (who is left?) those who say that they are genuine about the
issues and want to partake in the solutions? Well for you lot; why are you not
talking about mental health issues, substance misuse in our community? Or even
parents with disabled children who are ashamed to bring out their children in
public. Or women who, are raising 5 kids on their own and have panic attacks
left, right and centre. Who think they are losing the plot, because they don't
know what is happening to them or that it is called a panic attack. They go to
their GP and get incorrect diagnosis. Fact; GPs are not experts on mental
health.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: #EDEFF4; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: #EDEFF4; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">How about the mother saying her child is on holidays. When in fact her
child is in jail or a clinic. We need to have open and frank discussions about
the issues we face and not only when the newspapers are interested in our
community. Somali people were known to be open and upfront about their issues.
This meant issues were nabbed in the bud. What's happened to this particular
trait? I wouldn't be a Somali if i didn't use a proverb right about now.
'waxaad qarsatit wayku qarsadaan' what you hide, hides you.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: #EDEFF4; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="background: #EDEFF4; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I genuinely respect all your opinion. please feel free to continue
discussing. I can't engage in a Facebook 'keyboard heroism', so this will be my
only response. Lastly do remember ilahay iyo soomaalinimo ma'iga xigtaan god is
no more yours than mine and you're not more Somali than me. No matter how you
dress or your other out would appearances. Nadia Faragaab</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: #EDEFF4; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: #EDEFF4; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Full article: </span><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/madrassa-lessons-worry-somalis/story-e6frg6nf-1226725553794#sthash.6X877JLu.dpuf" style="text-align: left;">http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/madrassa-lessons-worry-somalis/story-e6frg6nf-1226725553794#sthash.6X877JLu.dpuf</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-90454447023531252292013-09-20T03:52:00.001-07:002013-09-20T03:52:31.775-07:00The very first Humanitarian “Customer Calling Center”<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 class="entry-title" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, 'Nimbus Sans L', sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="meta-prep meta-prep-author" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #777777; font-size: 12px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Reblogging from the original post on</span><span style="color: #777777; font-size: 12px; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="entry-date" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #777777; font-size: 12px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://crisismapper.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/the-very-first-humanitarian-customer-calling-center/" rel="bookmark" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #777777; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="9:00 am">June 18, 2012</a> </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">on </span><a href="http://crisismapper.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/the-very-first-humanitarian-customer-calling-center/" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 24px;">http://crisismapper.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/the-very-first-humanitarian-customer-calling-center/</a><span style="color: #777777; font-size: 12px; line-height: 24px;"> </span></h2>
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<span class="sep" style="border: 0px; color: #777777; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, 'Nimbus Sans L', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">by</span><span style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, 'Nimbus Sans L', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="author vcard" style="border: 0px; color: #777777; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, 'Nimbus Sans L', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="url fn n" href="http://crisismapper.wordpress.com/author/anahiayalaiacucci/" rel="author" style="border: 0px; color: #777777; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="View all posts by Anahi Ayala Iacucci">Anahi Ayala Iacucci</a></span></div>
<div class="entry-content" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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Several weeks ago I had the fortune to meet with Fatuma Abdulahi, Communications Officer for Accountability for the <a href="http://www.drc.dk/" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Danish Refugee Council (DRC)</a>, the person behind the <a href="http://www.humanitarianinnovation.org/" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">HIF</a> project called “<a href="http://www.humanitarianinnovation.org/projects/large-grants/drc-somalia" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Piloting Accountability Systems for Humanitarian Aid in Somalia</a>”, in partnership with UNICEF through the CDRD project (Community-Driven Recovery and Development). Also called “SMS Beneficiary Feedback”, the project is a quick and convenient way for Somali beneficiaries to give feedback about projects funded or services provided by the Danish Refugee Council using an SMS feedback system. The system enables beneficiaries to have a direct access to DRC and a voice in the decision-making process to allocate funds to local projects. It also helps DRC better monitor the effects of the projects on the ground (For more info see <a href="http://somcdrd.org/geo" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">here</a>).</div>
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<a href="http://crisismapper.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/screen-shot-2012-06-13-at-11-33-51-pm.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-753" height="519" src="http://crisismapper.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/screen-shot-2012-06-13-at-11-33-51-pm.png?w=640&h=519" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Screen Shot 2012-06-13 at 11.33.51 PM" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have been interested in accountability systems for Humanitarian organizations since long time and I <a href="http://crisismapper.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/managing-expectations-or-hiding-responsabilities/" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">blogger before</a> about this very topic. This DRC project is the first project I have heard about (ever) that uses mobile technology and crisis mapping to create a completely transparent and direct communication system in between a humanitarian organization and its beneficiaries on the ground. And if this wasn’t enough, this project is taking place in Somalia, not exactly the safest place on earth.</div>
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The SMS Beneficiaries Feedback project is a very simple system that basically creates something that most NGOs and humanitarian agencies should have done and learned from the private sector: it creates a calling center for DRC beneficiaries in Somalia. Since the start of the project in September 2011, beneficiary SMS feedback has been implemented in 31 towns and villages in the North and East of Somalia. Now, the project is extended to a number of districts in Mogadishu from where hundreds of SMS’ are submitted every months (see <a href="http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/danish-refugee-council-sms-feedback-from-drc-aid-beneficiaries-in-somalia/" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">here</a>).</div>
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Since then Fatuma has been going around in Somalia basically talking to all those families and beneficiaries and explaining them the project and the possible outcomes of it.</div>
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The fact that she actually went to meet all of them in person respond to one of the first possible criticism against this project: managing expectations and deliver a clear message. The fact that beneficiaries can contact the aid organization in fact is always seen as possible disaster in terms of what they will expect once that direct channel is created.</div>
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<a href="http://crisismapper.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/screen-shot-2012-06-13-at-11-35-32-pm.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-754" height="540" src="http://crisismapper.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/screen-shot-2012-06-13-at-11-35-32-pm.png?w=640&h=540" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Screen Shot 2012-06-13 at 11.35.32 PM" width="640" /></a></div>
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For the past 2 years, every time I have been talking about the possibility to do something like this, the answer I got from aid organizations was that this would have let people think that once they communicate their needs, the aid organization had to respond by delivering what beneficiaries need or ask for. The nightmare of humanitarian organizations thinking about doing something like this, is the prospect of thousands of messages asking for more help, that would then become thousands of angry people that have seen their expectations deloused by overwhelmed aid agencies.</div>
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Fatuma did what is the most simple and easy way to do this: went to meet people in person and explained to them what they could expect and how – leveraging also on the fact the Somali society is based on an oral culture. She also explained to them something really simple: this is not a crowdsourcing/help line, this is a system to find out how and if beneficiaries of the DRC program are actually satisfied from the service provided to them and what can be done better.</div>
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The ways people can communicate with DRC is channeled in two ways: SMS and phone calls. So what happen next?</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
1. The first thing that happened is that all the messages are translated into English and channel to the right department/office inside the organization. Each message is reviewed and given an answer to. The speed of the answer depends of course on the readiness/speed of the relative office/officers inside DRC that can respond to that inquiry.</div>
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2. Once the relative person has provided an answer to the question/comment, Fatuma’s team delivers the answer directly to the person sending the information. This communication happen in 2 ways: they can send an SMS, if the information they have to deliver is appropriate to this mean (short and not sensitive) or they directly call the number that send the SMS/called. See here the workflow:</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://crisismapper.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/sms-work-flow.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-748" height="443" src="http://crisismapper.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/sms-work-flow.jpg?w=640&h=443" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="sms-work-flow" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
3. This all process is documented step by step on a <a href="http://somcdrd.org/hif/" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ushahidi platform</a>, where all SMS are mapped and all responses/commentaries are showed.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://crisismapper.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/screen-shot-2012-06-13-at-11-10-07-pm.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-747" height="502" src="http://crisismapper.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/screen-shot-2012-06-13-at-11-10-07-pm.png?w=640&h=502" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Screen Shot 2012-06-13 at 11.10.07 PM" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
The incredible part of this project is that the entire process is completely public and open: all messages and all answers are made public in the platform, including complains, no yet responded messages, appreciations messages and so on.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
See here an example:</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://crisismapper.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/screen-shot-2012-06-13-at-11-12-55-pm.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-749" height="532" src="http://crisismapper.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/screen-shot-2012-06-13-at-11-12-55-pm.png?w=640&h=532" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Screen Shot 2012-06-13 at 11.12.55 PM" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
Another part of this project also provides the mapping of all the DRC projects in the area allowing everyone to brows the map, search for projects, and see what DRC is actually doing on the ground. See here:</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://crisismapper.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/screen-shot-2012-06-13-at-11-15-30-pm.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-750" height="324" src="http://crisismapper.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/screen-shot-2012-06-13-at-11-15-30-pm.png?w=640&h=324" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Screen Shot 2012-06-13 at 11.15.30 PM" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
Again, this is not just “dots on a map”: each mapped project had attached the financial and beneficiary report, where it is possible to monitor how much money have been spent, where and from whom the money are coming from.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://crisismapper.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/screen-shot-2012-06-13-at-11-20-28-pm.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-751" height="331" src="http://crisismapper.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/screen-shot-2012-06-13-at-11-20-28-pm.png?w=640&h=331" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Screen Shot 2012-06-13 at 11.20.28 PM" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
The reason why I love this project is that it is really showing not only that transparency and accountability is possible in humanitarian aid, but also that it is pretty simple and can be done avoiding to raise expectations with very simple technologies.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
In addition to this, the system is also supported by a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/somcdrd/page1/" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Flickr page</a>, a <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/DRCSomalia" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Twitter account</a> and a<a href="http://drcbeneficiaryfeedback.blogspot.it/" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Blog</a>. Again all messages (complains as well as compliments or appreciation messages) are shared on the Twitetr page, while it is possible to see the sites and the projects pictures on the Flickr page and to read stories from Somalia on the Blog.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://crisismapper.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/screen-shot-2012-06-13-at-11-01-59-pm.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-752" height="632" src="http://crisismapper.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/screen-shot-2012-06-13-at-11-01-59-pm.png?w=640&h=632" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Screen Shot 2012-06-13 at 11.01.59 PM" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
The SMS system, based on a Galaxy Tab app to receive and send messages to the Ushahidi platform, needs to be online to work. The system DRC is using, based on a Galaxy Tab app to receive and send messages to the Ushahidi platform that therefore needs to be online to work, could be improved by using a simple method like <a href="http://frontlinesms.com/" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">FrontlineSMS</a> or, if the number of SMS is actually high and she envision the possibility to receive hundreds of SMS a day, to use something more robust like <a href="http://rapidsms.org/" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">RapidSMS</a> or <a href="http://www.souktel.org/" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Souktel</a>.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
What DRC could also to make this system faster and more sustainable in the long term would be to outsource or better crowdsource the translation and processing of the SMS by using, for example, students from the Universities in Somalia and giving them credits in exchange of this. DRC could also think about creating a <a href="http://crowdflower.com/" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #743399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Crowdflower</a> account and have the entire translation process done by anonymous volunteers around the world – something that could be done only giving a closer look to the sensitivity of the information and the possibility to anonymize the sources.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
This pilot project is an incredible project that should be looked at the first experiment in the field of transparency and accountability for humanitarian organizations and crisis mapping. The M&E of this project could be used to pave the path for more projects like this, and lessons learned from this project could be used by other organizations to follow the same route.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
If I have to think about the lessons learned so far, after my discussion with Fatuma I would say that there is a lot to learn already:</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
1. Do not use technology to replace the in person dialog. Use it to support it.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
2. Manage expectations with dialog and timely accurate information, not with silence.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
3. Make sure that a response mechanism is in place, so that people may not have what they want, but they feel they are being heard and they are having a dialogue.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
4. Integrate all the system you have and you can possibly use: face to face, SMS, voice calls, social media. A combination of tools is also a combination of resources and people, and as such as a great potential.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
5. Transparency in humanitarian aid is and will continue to be a fundamental factor that will not only make the difference in between successful and unsuccessful projects, but also in between sustainable and not sustainable relationships with beneficiaries on the ground.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
Kudos to Fatuma, the DRC team and the Humanitarian Innovation Fund for this incredible project!</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-11396311325419201302013-09-10T07:28:00.003-07:002013-09-10T08:11:48.064-07:00Africa Happiness Report by the Forest Chimps Institute <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A survey on
the happiest countries in Africa carried out by the Forest Chimps Institute based in the deep forest of Democratic Republic of Congo has just published
its grand findings. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I_4tHUWbpSk/Ui8vJQ37dfI/AAAAAAAAAq8/gxVtMrBEEBw/s1600/Chimp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I_4tHUWbpSk/Ui8vJQ37dfI/AAAAAAAAAq8/gxVtMrBEEBw/s400/Chimp.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Director of Forest Chimps Institute, Dr Abadan.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">According to the findings, the top happiest country in Africa is Angola closely followed by Algeria</span><span class="textexposedshow" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">!! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Their next finding is even more baffling. In the top 20 happiest African countries listed, the self-declared independent country of Somaliland came 13, ahead of Senegal, Rwanda and Kenya!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06siUc8-p-w/Ui8w648nBqI/AAAAAAAAArQ/dpmyaOvbXeU/s1600/Angola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06siUc8-p-w/Ui8w648nBqI/AAAAAAAAArQ/dpmyaOvbXeU/s400/Angola.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angola is listed as the top happiest country in Africa but evidence on the ground do not support the findings and Forest Chimps Institute is accused of nepotism since Dr Abadan has been romantically linked to Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of the Angolan President.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The chimps have not disclosed their survey criteria but a Mogadishu-based
think tank, Gut Feelings, has just issued a press release dismissing the
survery as lacking in transparency and has accused the Forest Chimps Institute of taking bribery from the Angolan government in exchange for unfairly putting them on top of the list. Gut Feelings has also accused Dr Abadan of nepotism as they have evidence romantically linking him to Isabel dos Santos, the </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">daughter of Angolan President, who has recently been named </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">richest woman in Africa </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">by the Forbes magazine</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ybKg2jviEXs/Ui8wNIKeKyI/AAAAAAAAArI/tREpuEXcdkU/s1600/khat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ybKg2jviEXs/Ui8wNIKeKyI/AAAAAAAAArI/tREpuEXcdkU/s400/khat.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gut Feeling think tank has called on the international community to pressure the Forest Chimps Institute to review their survey method and not use invalid criteria such as consumption of the soft drugs Khat to determine happiness of a nation.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Gut Feelings added that the only way they can make sense of
the listing - that tops the most expensive and overpriced African country on
its happiness index with the only happy residents being President Dos Santos
and his family - is if the top criteria was either how much bribe the chimps
were paid or the consumption of Khat (drugs commonly used in the Horn of
Africa) by city in the listed states. You can read the full report in the link bellow.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.africanspotlight.com/2013/09/10/list-of-africas-happiest-countries-in-2013/">http://www.africanspotlight.com/2013/09/10/list-of-africas-happiest-countries-in-2013/</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-29014894925204908342013-08-30T04:44:00.001-07:002013-08-30T05:20:40.980-07:00Syria might just be the price the West pays for Iraq, and it will be paid by innocent lives!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Who decides what country
should be bombed? A group who share skin colour, language and culture dominate
this global decision-making process and tend to gang against any non-English
speaking country who might disagree. The arrogance of the English-speaking world
forcing their perspective on everyone else! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The irony here is that it
involves Assad, the monster, but when you have discredited yourself by going to
war in the name of "protecting innocent lives against Saddam" when
really you were out there to secure your personal interests and dragged other
countries along, you no longer qualify to decide who needs to be protected and
against whom. Iraq was a costly lesson, Syria might be a turning point.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We can't have a 'world
order' where America and Britain bully everyone else into bombing those who
fall out of their favour. You can do it once or twice before you run out of
credibility. Over a million people matched in London to protest against the war in
Iraq and it fell on deaf ears, Assad's victims are paying the price
today! Your actions have consequences and until you clean up the mess that is
Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, more innocent people will die in the hands of
Assad and other monsters as a direct result of the English-speaking West
abusing their powers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-91300042915380294002013-08-26T03:11:00.002-07:002013-08-26T03:13:07.546-07:00Allah prefers cotton, I just can't produce a receipt to prove it.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Contrast these pictures
and tell me if you still think the choice between the "umbrella" and the smaller black headscarf in Somali women's clothing styles is a
reflection of who is more "pious". Could this be a matter of an emerging different class system in Somali society</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Before we go any further, a disclaimer: I am using the pictures bellow to make a point about the different hijab styles and not to focus on the individuals in the picture (bellow picture, courtesy of the BBC). I know, some
people find it hard to focus on a subject and debate the issue rather than the
personalities. It must be due to that syrupy tea diet we are on, too much sugar
can get one too hyper to follow thorough a logical debate. So if you can, please stay focused on the costume and not the girls. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">As I was saying, it
is down to economics. Secondly, and I don't have a proof, am pretty sure Allah prefers
cotton, is environmentally friendly and would frown upon cheap nylon umbrellas which in the Somali unforgiving heat, will make the
cleanest woman stink like goat meat gone nasty. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Exhibit 1: Nylon Allah
won't approve of. It is China cheap (nothing personal Chinese friends), not
good for human skin and shit makes a woman stink. All these should go in the haraam files of any self-respecting Muslim woman's fashion book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YBfJgkCJ_sM/UhsiYSHMoVI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/-l_PMskSmFA/s1600/Ciid+Xamar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YBfJgkCJ_sM/UhsiYSHMoVI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/-l_PMskSmFA/s400/Ciid+Xamar.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">22 years of civil war,
rampant violence against women, alarming level of rape and extreme poverty,
horror combination of factors might have led to women dressing in nylon
umbrellas but if you say that out loud, all the nutjobs armed with very little
Quran and an plenty AK47s will end your life quicker than you would have a
minute to explain. So, I am doing it here, far from guns, knives and men who can't
tell the difference between clinical madness and divine intervention. Cyber
space safety, Maasha Allaah!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<u1:p></u1:p>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Exhibit 2: Human-friendly
hijab, cotton and so far no receipts these women are any less "pious"
or Muslim than Team Nylon Umbrella. Again, I don't have any evidence and only
going by that thing called "gut feeling" Allah will stamp "Nacam
Yes Nacam" on this style hijab and no one will go to hell. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dubMu5VgjvA/UhskHrAR7gI/AAAAAAAAAqc/ZSPDYeqmyrg/s1600/Somali+girls3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dubMu5VgjvA/UhskHrAR7gI/AAAAAAAAAqc/ZSPDYeqmyrg/s400/Somali+girls3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Being a Muslim hijabi woman doesn’t have to look like a malfunctioned
rainbow slapped on an umbrella or a moving London bus! You can be modest and a
seriously practicing Muslim while dressed in decent and colour-coordinated hijab. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-72967660795669127962013-08-15T04:35:00.001-07:002013-08-15T05:07:25.842-07:00Preachers by day and sexual predators by night, Somali men!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
separation of public and private personas of majority of Somali men borders on psychotic!
Hold your guns and let me explain before you shoot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On the
outside, most men act honorable, some dress in religious costumes and grow
beard others are seen as “respectable elders or intellectuals”. These men
command respect from not only their families and neighbours but sometimes also from
their clan and Somali society in general. They lead what would be considered decent
and responsible lives, most (these days you will struggle to find a boy over 15
who is not already married with kids) are married with children and some even
have multiple wives. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I am
describing the average Somali man, also known as Faarah. He has an average of 2
wives and 8 kids. He is skinny and tall with a dashing smile - apart from green
teeth monsters who chew khat on a daily basis.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Most Faarahs
pay a lot of attention to Haliimo’s dress code, (for the non-Somali readers,
Haliimo is your average Somali woman). I would go as far as to say most Faarahs
have few full time jobs: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">1)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Marrying, divorcing and wife-replacing
at least once a year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">2)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Selflessly repopulating
Somalia and making up for the couple of million lives lost to the war (never mind
that we have more than replaced that number just few years into the war and now
desperately need population control methods)</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">3)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Volunteer moral police for women’s dress code,
and this particular full time volunteer job is done with such zeal we often
have victims physically violated by someone “outraged” by “inappropriate” dress
code! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When in a
group, most men act all respectable and decent. They talk a lot about religion,
quoting what Allah and the Prophet have said, the role of women in Islam (latter is their favourite section of the Quran). Then something strange happens
when the same men get a minute with a woman alone. Suddenly it is like a
sexually starved deamon takes over their bodies and they turn totally creepy! I
have had so many lines of the most inappropriate sexual jokes from usually older Somali men to fill a book, seriously. But I will give you just one example to illustrate my point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Late last year in Mogadishu an
older male friend, or I thought he was a friend, said something to me in front
of 2 other male friends that my heart skipped a beat in disbelieve. We were
sitting at a hotel lobby having dinner and joking after a tough day of Shabaab bombing in the city and when he got up to leave for his room, out of the blue said “I
hope you never starve and always have both your mouths fed”!!! My Somali isn’t as
polished so it took me a while to figure out what he meant and I did it mainly
as a result of the shocked look on the faces of my 2 male friends sitting next
to me. To my horror and surprise I figured out he meant “may you never run out
of food and dick”! How incredible is it that a so called respectable and well
known man in Somali politics circles would say such a rude and crude thing
while sober and in public? Don’t worry, I won’t scoop as low and add his
picture on this entry, even though I am really tempted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He ran off
quickly to his room before I had a chance to confront him so I did it the following
day at lunch, when he walked over to my table as if nothing had happened and
greeted me with a big friendly smile. I would have thought I dreamt the whole
thing up had it not been for the witnesses! He seemed genuinely surprised that I
“took the joke so hard”, “it was just an innocent thing otherwise I wouldn’t
have said it so openly. I thought of all women, you would be strong and open
enough to understand such a joke”…Like wow, why don’t you just rape me for a
joke, that is the only thing left! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It is that
psychotic and ‘normal’ to abuse women and sexually harass them with such ease, result
of accepted culture of violence and impunity. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-1035365211688501162013-08-13T03:00:00.001-07:002013-08-13T06:51:22.282-07:00A UNDP gimmick: providing vocational training for 1190 youths in a country of 67% youth unemployment, using their own figures!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">First item that showed up on
my twitter feed this morning was of few Somalis retweeting a story published
yesterday, 12<sup>th</sup> August, by the AllAfrica.com titled: “the UNDP
provides vital job-skills training for youth in Somalia”. This had me intrigued
since employment in Somalia is a subject close to my heart, so I went to the
site and read the article. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Usually websites, more so
than print media given the rapid pace of online media, would print a
current or recent relevant story. Instead,
AllAfrica.com, one of the biggest African news portals has published a story,
for internet years, ancient and based entirely on a self-claim success by the
UNDP.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The story is based on a study commissioned by the UNDP on youth unemployment and it found that a staggering "73% of Somali population is under 30 and 42% is between 19 and 29 years" I am no statistician but I could guess that much given the average Somali household consists of a single mother and 6 children! The report goes on to state that "the unemployment rate for youth aged 14 to 29 amounts to 67% - one of the highest in the world." The UNDP then goes on to share its success story of having given 1190 youths from across Somalia a vocational training...In 2012!! Out of 67% of an estimated population of 15 million!! The fact that the UNDP is able to share these embarrassing figures of vocational training in the context of the magnitude of youth unemployment is in itself telling of the carelessness in which the UNDP deals with Somalia! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This story is baffling, to say the least. Has the UNDP run out of new and interesting stories to tell
about its massive operation in Somalia to be sharing an outdated and a really embarrassing story of under-achievement? What
has the UNDP done in Somalia and on the subject of youth unemployment, apart from a study that tell us what we already know, that youth unemployment in Somalia
is really high…Duh! A 5 year old could tell you why Shabaab exists and where
they find their recruits! This outdated but still fashionable way the “do
good but you don’t have to prove you really did any good” industry uses the opportunity to 'share their peanuts achievements' when a “new
study of youth unemployment” is published is not only cheesy but really a
piss-take in addressing an issue as serious as youth unemployment in a
devastated country like Somalia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Secondly, we have no way of
knowing if the UNDP really did train these youth beyond their claim. It gets
better, the UNDP in this story claims 40% of the 1190 trained youth have found employment at the end of their training! Wow, with such success rate and knowing how the UNDP
overstretches its success stories, I would have expected them to paste these
youths pictures and job titles in the achievement section of their 500-page
report to justify all the money that gets spent on white-employment salaries,
Rest and Recuperation from the dreadful experience that is 2-day "field
work" and hardship allowances. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Meanwhile, will the UNDP
ever publish how many of its Somalia staff are Somali nationals? Why is the
UNDP employing so many non-Somalis when there are qualified and competent
Somali nationals for those positions? How many Somalis does the UNDP employ at
top policy, managerial and decision-making levels? We can easily find out how
many Somalis the UNDP employs at the bottom, as drivers, cleaners, cooks and
tea-ladies, and they are so many. The UNDP has been working in
Somalia for far too long to be publishing a report on a subject so familiar to
Somalis and then using these “findings” to celebrating having provided a
handful of youth vocational trainings!! The UNDP has the resources to address
youth unemployment in Somalia in a meaningful and honest way instead of this
gimmick and disrespectful manner. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AllAfrica.com article: </span><a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/201308130221.html">http://allafrica.com/stories/201308130221.html</a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-27085026168784667492013-08-08T05:02:00.000-07:002013-08-08T08:06:16.626-07:00Breaking news: President Hassan Sheikh wished Somalis a happy Eid and handouts for the poor from the better off!! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In his </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">special Eid day </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">speech, President
Hassan Sheikh urged the “better off” Somalis to "give and share with their
poorer neighbours so their children can also celebrate Eid"...Ahh,
how thoughtful and touching is this?!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What is odd about this kind
of emotive and thoroughly useless gesture, apart from the fact that the good
will only last as long as the cameras are rolling, is that Somalis do not need
a reminder from the President or anyone else to be charitable, they genuinely
give and share even when they have very little! Save your valuable airtime Mr
President and tell us something useful.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Secondly, Dear Mr President,
emotional blackmail does not feed mouths and will not detract from your inability
to come up with solutions to poverty and if there are that many poor children
in Mogadishu (let's not even talk about the rest of the country you are not in
charge of), it is top of your list of duties to create jobs for their parents
so they can feed them. On a special day like today, I was hoping you will give
us real good news </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">or keep silent, the way you normally do on most important national
issues</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">Today I expected news of </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">your detailed plans on how you are going to tackle
poverty, create jobs and support entrepreneurship so no child has to depend on handouts
for survival or to celebrate Eid. And your time frame to deliver on these.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Do you know how many
children can be fed by the cost of your London/Istanbul/Tokyo conferences jet
hires and entourage alone? While we were busy killing each other for the past
22 years, the world has changed beyond recognition and just in case you haven’t
been keeping up with the technological advances, there are amazing new ways to
participate in conferences and meetings across the world without stepping out
of Villa Somalia and wasting the little money you have! Skype and google video conferencing,
webinar, video streaming are just a fraction of the tools available to you.
Does your young and capable staff at Villa Somalia share these tools with you?
I doubt it, free trip to Europe and America is why most of them are working for
you, just saying. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I am aware the task facing you is daunting and a condition created by lawlessness for over two decades can not be reversed in a year in office and I am sure you meant well by
that speech but it was a letdown of the poor in Somalia. They deserve more from their President than asking their better off neighbours to throw something
at them on a special day like today! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Shame on you, Mr President! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-16096066631518878022013-08-06T09:36:00.000-07:002013-08-06T11:26:37.257-07:00Somali fingerpointing politics while we protect our clan thugs in office<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Will we ever see an
Isaaq defend the rights of Jubbaland, a Majeerteen the rights of Somaliland, an
Ogaadeen the rights of Federal Somalia, Abgaal defend the rights of Puntland?
Are even our intellectuals capable of engaging in politics as individuals instead
of from their clan's background and perspective?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yes, you have the right and should
protect your own home-town first but surely not at the cost of our common good?
How do we find that balance? How do we ensure our home-town villages and lands
are included in this complex Somali federalism negotiation while not walking
all over our neighbour's rights and peacefully co-exist in Somalia? How do we
create a Somalia that ensures every citizen's rights are protected, not just
the lands, and create an environment to unleash our potential as individuals
and ppl instead of constantly being on survival and self-defense mode? </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is a rich
land, more than enough to properly provide for every Somali to live a dignified
life. The obstacle to peace and prosperity is our mindset and our inability to
stay neutral in the face of clan bigotry! This needs to change fast if we are
not to slip back into the horrors of the last 22 years.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-47831122118029958022013-07-12T14:50:00.000-07:002013-07-14T12:13:58.208-07:00How corrugated iron, rainy season and poverty gave Africa too many babies.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If you have
grown up in poverty in sub-Saharan Africa and you have found a way to escape
that life, you will realise the mention of corrugated iron somehow jolts the
memories you have safely stowed away years ago and will act as a vivid reminder
of just how bad things were in uninsulated corrugated iron housing!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ok-J-buKg9I/UeBu1v94JBI/AAAAAAAAAo8/lNmmq8T2ja4/s1600/corrugated+Africa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ok-J-buKg9I/UeBu1v94JBI/AAAAAAAAAo8/lNmmq8T2ja4/s400/corrugated+Africa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When it rains in
Africa it does not come knocking at your roof politely but descends with such
angry force and within minutes streets are flooded. Living in a corrugated iron house was stuff of nightmare during this season or any other. When the raindrops
touched the thin corrugated iron roof, if you were asleep, you will jump out of
bed in shock wondering if 3<sup>rd</sup> world war has
started! The raindrops sound like a rapid fire attack and as soon as you get
your head around the fact that is it just rain, you won’t be able to hear your
thoughts again until the rain stops. People who grow up in these kinds of
houses (they are not fit to call them homes) have even built their own rainy
season mini culture. When the nightmare starts, you don’t bother having a
conversation because it does not matter how high pitched your voice is, no one
will hear you. If you were doing work that needed concentration, like school
homework or God forbid, in the middle of surgery, good luck to the patient.
This rather life-disrupting rainy season has it is good side, tho. If it was a
tiny house with large families, like most sub-Saharan African family structures
with no privacy, this is the baby-making season as it is your only chance to
have sex and be as loud as you want with no one noticing. You are totally
private and free to scream as you like, for once, right next door to your 14
kids, half of them teenagers who would be embarrassed to death if they heard
their middle-aged parents scream with pleasure like hyenas celebrating a kill!</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-od0ymncCLTY/UeBwUSsbgfI/AAAAAAAAApM/BwuXpB0VgZ4/s1600/corrugated3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-od0ymncCLTY/UeBwUSsbgfI/AAAAAAAAApM/BwuXpB0VgZ4/s400/corrugated3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">During the hot and dusty
season, things get worst for corrugated iron housing residents. Without an
insulation to ensure the heat collected by the iron roof is not transferred
directly to the house, making it heat up like an oven, you can literally feel your
skull bake to the point where you can smell burning skin! The worst smell ever
and it is one of those horrid smells which tend to sit in the easily
retrievable section of the memory drawers. Those Africa-saving do-gooders with
their “less than a dollar a day” poverty theories don’t realise for people who grew
up in a poor corrugated iron housing every time we hear poverty, we retrieve
the memories of burning human flesh and the deafening sound of raindrops
hitting the roof. I want to turn the volume down on their
pulled-out-of-thin-air poverty theories as badly as I want to stop the violent
sound of raindrops on corrugated iron roof. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<u2:p></u2:p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">With such nasty memories
of corrugated iron housing, you can imagine my response when I visited my
cousin in Mpumalanga, South Africa, and she suggested we spend a pleasant sunny
Saturday in the nearby Barbeton historical town and check out the famous
Victorian corrugated iron houses. I said, hell no! Nothing beautiful about
corrugated iron and it was a day too beautiful to be retrieving awful memories
of baking human skull. Mpumalanga is a beautiful province in South Africa with
some of the most breath-taking landscapes and I was sure there were other more
pleasant little towns we could visit. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kMUSyjgqx1E/UeBwjD7UMMI/AAAAAAAAApU/KprxMaiObkU/s1600/corrugated+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kMUSyjgqx1E/UeBwjD7UMMI/AAAAAAAAApU/KprxMaiObkU/s400/corrugated+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Well, I am glad
I was persuaded to visit and I learnt corrugated iron housing does not have to
be the ugly and horrible experience of my childhood. In fact, I fell in love
with these amazingly designed and grand homes. They have added so many
beautiful little carved wood details to disguise the sharp edges of the
corrugated iron to create more aesthetically pleasing homes than I was familiar
with. They also made them properly insulated so residents don’t have to go deaf
in the rainy season, suffer from baking skull in the summer or freeze their
balls during winter. These houses are absolutely gorgeous and human-friendly,
who would have thought corrugated iron could be this beautiful!</span> <span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-58681725399237318472013-06-17T05:20:00.000-07:002013-06-17T06:01:26.499-07:00The missing fathers who only show up at make-a-baby o'clock!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A day for Somalis to reflect
while the rest of the world celebrates Father's Day. Alarming number of Somali
children are growing up without father figures and so many 'single mothers' in
hijab, seem to be dropping babies every year for men missing in action only to show
up to 'bestow' the women with yet another fatherless child!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Somali men have deserted
their basic responsibilities and still demand respect, for what, donating their
sperm? For the entitlement to be Presidents of a nation they haven’t managed to
feed and raise its children? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I am among the older
generation of Somalis in their 30s now who saw better days of Somali men. Time
when men honoured their responsibilities, took pride in raising and providing
for their families. Time when women were treated with respect and not viewed as
sex object or someone to rape and take their frustrations out on. Also, a time
when women had more self-respect and did not marry and conceive for any Jack
with a third leg. When women did not settle or justify their existence on
having babies…For any man!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some of today’s single mothers will, with
such audacity and confidence, advice other single women to “just dust-off one of the
loser Farahs and marry him. After all, the aim of marriage is to have babies
and if the man doesn’t hold his part, just kick him out after you got your babies”! Seriously?! Silly me,
I thought marriage was about a union of two people who have chosen each other
and actually enjoy each other’s company and then children were byproduct of
this happy union. I also thought children who are born out of happy union and
are given love and support grow up to be emotionally balanced human beings and
productive citizens. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is not blaming all the
mess that is today’s Somali society on the failed fathers but also on the
mothers and women who have settled for less, who do not have enough
self-believe to demand the best a man has to offer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I am lucky, in that I was
rasied by a responsible, loving and a totally dedicated single father. A man
who showed up at school in Somalia every Thursday to check on our performance,
if we have behaved ourselves and demanded we always get 1<sup>st</sup> in class
(this last one I didn’t really like but I appreciated it much later). A father
who managed to insulate us from the madness that was growing up in Waaberi
district of Mogadishu, a place with very little rules and routine and too much
fun for children. He taught us how to read, write, wash our clothes, cook and
know when social rules were too stupid to obey! Every evening was a family
time, we had time to listen to radio, write commentary, do home-work together
and just talk and laugh. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t see a lot of that
happening in the current Somali families I meet and it is very sad to see
children growing up pretty much on their own and with exhausted single mother
who can barely manage to provide for them and spend quality time with them. Of
course, there are many single mothers and parents doing well and I am happy for
the children growing up in those households, but majority, especially the
Somali families in the UK, I have not seen a sight more depressing! Single
mothers overloaded with children and responsibilities and living in tiny spaces who hardly see the sun. How on earth are they supposed to raise children well when
they have no space to breath? And our society, instead of talking about these
issues openly and provide support for the families, we are told, go ahead
sisters and have more babies! We congratulate women for being tough and raising
the children on their own. "Maansha Allah" seems to be reserved for the struggling
single mother for marching on when the husband ran off on her and their 6 kids!
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Less Maansha Allah,
misleading and misinforming women and putting up with the missing fathers,
please. Women need to be supported to make better choices in their lives. Why
take on this load and spend your few days on this earth slaving because society
expects you to make use of that womb and make a baby, who might grow up so
miserable that he will happily wear a suicide belt and take few people with
him! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yes yes, before you go quote
a Quran chapter on me, babies can be a blessing, I agree. I am not totally anti
children or marriage. I am anti create another ghetto culture and have more
babies than you can feed for loser ‘husbands’. Somali women can do better and
should demand more! However, given the reality on the ground for the slim
pickings of cool, sexy, great Farah, marry Steve or stay single and enjoy sex
for what it is. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My dad would disown me for
these views, lol, but he raised me to think and question stuff. So, here is to
a great father, whom we strongly disagree and sometimes can’t stand each other
but who did his job so well the guy deserves a goddamn medal! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Happy father’s day to the
responsible, loving and caring Somali fathers out there, you are very very few. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-42291604523284527752013-06-08T06:29:00.001-07:002013-06-08T06:29:11.220-07:00Dear white folks, it is illegal to take photos of or with African children! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dear white folks, 63 years ago it was ‘noble’ to take pictures with rough-looking black African kids
like you were in a zoo. It was still kinda cool<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and adventurous thing to take back
home from your “dark continent” adventures as late as 1990s. In 2013 however, access to
camera, flights and communication devices have been democratized and the world
is a bit more ‘transparent’. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2QiB6Oz5VHI/UbMuIduogcI/AAAAAAAAAoY/uRJT1czsH90/s1600/White+ppl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2QiB6Oz5VHI/UbMuIduogcI/AAAAAAAAAoY/uRJT1czsH90/s400/White+ppl.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Africans,
former zoo residents, are out of the zoo and on social media and can see all
the weird pictures you post with trusting and ‘cute’
black African kids with big smiles. I don’t think they like it a bit. Ever seen a black African tourist in Croatia posing with a random blonde kid? That shit doesn’t happen so what
makes it normal for you guys to come to Liberia, Ethiopia, or that country
called Africa and pose with a random black child? So weird! Maybe next time you
will be content posing only with the giraffe and leave the children alone. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-56473856026240103892013-03-11T15:22:00.001-07:002013-03-11T15:29:40.799-07:00The African Union Rep seems to have no regard for violence against African women!!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I was chatting with my friend,
Saida, on Facebook just minutes ago following her frustrated status updates
regarding the African Union representative to the 57th Commission on the Status
of Women (CSW), not showing up! I had no idea about the event let alone Africa
sending an official rep on behalf of women in this continent (I wonder how many
women groups have been consulted) and when Saida, part of the Kenyan
delegation, told me the rep just took off before an important session, I was
amazed and furious. So, I googled and found a link with basic info, see bottom
of page for details.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Saida posted this on her
FB: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">”@</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/UN-CSW/119683658216049?group_id=0"><span style="background: white; color: #3b5998; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">UN
CSW</span></a></span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Amazing....the
rep of AU who is supposed to speak on all of our behalf in the African
continent is missing! Are we surprised that we never influence processes as
Africans?”</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
commented on her wall asking for clarification and she replied: </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: #EDEFF4; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Imagine how embarrassing,
the chair called out for AU rep several times the eventually said " oh i
do not see the AU rep so we just move on to....." This is the high level
negotiation and general discussions on what the outcome document for
elimination of violence against women/girls is going to look like, what
language will make it to the document and what commitments states and non state
actors will make to addressing VAWG [Violence Against Women Globally]. I am
just not impressed!”</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Women in Africa face
violence on daily bases and at many levels, from domestic violence, rape, lack
of education and job opportunities to cultural and religious based oppression,
to name but few and this is how the African Union representative acts in a major
global event to address the status of half of Africa's population??!!! I am
outraged and if anyone reading this knows where to send formal complaints
(which will be acted on, preferably), please share. This is totally
unacceptable and it is up to African women to ensure their rights and interests
are well represented and protected. Please share this on your networks and
social media pages and make some noise. Time for African officials to be held
accountable. She/he probably went for a beer brake knowing mostly likely no one
will complain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Here is the link to the
event and have pasted the body of the event page bellow it.
http://www.eige.europa.eu/content/event/57th-commission-on-the-status-of-women-csw. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The <a href="http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/57sess.htm"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #4a7f88; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">fifty-seventh session</span></a> of
the Commission on the Status of Women will take place at the United Nations
Headquarters in New York from 4 to 15 March 2013. Representatives from <a href="http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/index.html#membership"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #4a7f88; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Member States</span></a>,
UN entities, and <a href="http://esango.un.org/civilsociety/displayConsultativeStatusSearch.do;jsessionid=E4C6E32B01C4BAFBADC45BF22AB82D01?method=search&sessionCheck=false"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #4a7f88; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">NGOs in consultative
status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)</span></a> from all
regions of the world will attend the session. The two-week session will include
a high-level round table, interactive dialogues and panels, and parallel
events.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The 2013 session will focus on the following
key areas:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 13.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #222222; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">1)</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Priority Theme:
Elimination and prevention of all forms of <b>violence against women and
girls</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">2)<b> </b>Review Theme:
The </span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">equal sharing of responsibilities</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> between women and men,
including caregiving in the context of HIV/AID</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-50673204828339275642013-02-14T09:04:00.005-08:002013-02-14T09:04:56.249-08:00Happy Valentine's day<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I got back just in time for my valentine date<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was so worried I won’t get a flight in time<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like any relationship, we have our ups and downs<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some days I want to go away and never come back<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes I think we are better lovers with few thousand
miles between us<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But after a short separation I get these butterflies and
long for a reunion<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today, I am just super happy to be sharing a glass of
champaigne with my love, Africa!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Basking in its sun, friendly faces, colours, the future is bright,
I feel more alive than ever in her presence. <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-18536388438181166512013-02-08T05:06:00.000-08:002013-02-08T05:22:52.472-08:00Asking for forgiveness with the biggest Tusbah/Rosary I could find<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-37tlowm5QSs/URT1Z0pvx8I/AAAAAAAAAmk/bd59r5DjUo0/s1600/DSC04028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-37tlowm5QSs/URT1Z0pvx8I/AAAAAAAAAmk/bd59r5DjUo0/s1600/DSC04028.JPG" width="225" /></a></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Hv22vxWmXI/URT1Z3yBSbI/AAAAAAAAAmo/L3hxwxmx1Rw/s1600/DSC04024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Hv22vxWmXI/URT1Z3yBSbI/AAAAAAAAAmo/L3hxwxmx1Rw/s1600/DSC04024.JPG" width="225" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-67627620343482698252013-02-01T08:55:00.001-08:002013-02-01T08:55:10.875-08:00Maybe critical thinking and a bit of selfishness could free us?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My European winter break has
so far been an amazing experience, a different take on London and British-Somalis.
Thanks to Facebook and social media for bringing out so many progressive and
engaged Somalis compared to the lot that drove me out of London few years back.
About a year ago, a friend set up a Facebook Somali women’s page, within a
week, we had over 400 members! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Couple of weeks into the new page, hell broke
loose! It was clear the page administrators and the person who set it up were
total liberals Vs many other traditional and conservative members. The liberals
discussed anything under the sun. There was no taboo subject, after all, what
is the point of having a private girls-only space if we can’t chat about sex,
men and hijab? At times, the heated debates and the attempted censoring of some
debates by some members got a bit too much. After around 2 months, it was clear
we needed to introduce basic house-keeping rules to ensure we have a healthy
and supportive environment for everyone to feel comfortable enough to
contribute and share ideas freely. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Like any other platform,
majority of members were silent and just observed (and sometimes shared some of
the content with their male friends!), and the vocal minorities had very
interesting debates, heated arguments, original content was shared and I was
amazed by the number of interesting, educated and super bright Somali women out
there. Majority of the members were from the UK, US, Canada and few
Australians. This was the first time in my life I met so many Somali women I
could relate to, discuss issues with without being put in a clan or hijab box.
I wondered then, how on earth did we manage to have a 22-year civil war and a
total absence of women in public life and politics with this caliber of women
around?! Something does not add up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some of the women I met on
that page have become dear friends, almost like long lost sisters. It made me
wonder how many more are out there and what can we do to widen the network and
take it beyond the Facebook page? I have since added all the girls I connected
with on my personal friends list and in the last couple of weeks in London, I
have managed to finally meet some of the London-based members face to face, and
wow! They are even more interesting and amazing in person! I want to spend a
lot more time to get to know each one of them deeper, hear their stories, find
out what made them join that group, and what do they dream to accomplish in
life…So many questions. Which, I am afraid, I won’t have time in my brief visit
to find out but now I have put faces to the virtual connections and am sure we
will be able to skype and chat online and I will have the opportunity to get to
know them better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What I found fascinating is
that from the brief discussions I have had with the girls, each one has an
intriguing personal story and past. I am particularly intrigued by the story of
two of the girls, both used to wear headscarves and recently decided not to
anymore! This interests me a lot because I know the pressures one has to cope
in making a bold and an unpopular decision. Some women pay a high price for such
a choice, like being cut off by family and friends, like I was many years back.
I am fascinated by their stories also because it is great to see young Somalis
questioning things, re-evaluating culture, family relations, using their own
judgment about important personal decisions and not allowing ‘society’ to
decide for them. This is a breath of fresh air. One of our biggest challenges
as Somalis is lack of questioning and courage to determine one’s own life path.
We are forced to follow what is handed down to us from parents, culture, clan,
society and often one’s own voice is discouraged and drowned from an early age.
Thinking differently or as an individual is strongly discouraged, if in any way
it diverts from the ‘norm’. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Questioning custom and religious practices is a
serious offence. In fact, you are much safer, if you don’t think at all and do
as you are told, doesn’t matter if you are 10 or 40! This goes for all aspects of life, not just in
relation to religion. You do as your family does, you respect the rules even if
they don’t make any sense to you. Beyond your family, your loyalty lies with
the clan. You stand by them no matter what. And when you are abroad, don’t you
dare criticize “your own flesh and blood/Somalis”. They are family, whatever
bad things they might have done, whatever weaknesses they might have, they are
family and we don’t expose or publicly criticise family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So, you can imagine my
excitement when I meet 2 young women who go against this culture and say ‘I am Muslim,
a strong believer but I just don’t need to wear a headscarf to prove it, that
won’t make me any more or less Muslim’.
Somalis have long been practicing Muslims but had their own traditional
costume, which by the way, was not hijab or this new ‘umbrella’ outfit
introduced only during the civil war. These ladies restore my confidence in our
ability to reclaim our personal space, live a more authentic life, a life true
to us and not to please or out of fear of society. This kind of resistance to
social pressure, when we manage to multiply it by many more women and youth,
then we might have the breakthrough we need to end the circle of cultural
violence in Somalia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-22665453829545450252013-01-31T07:20:00.001-08:002013-01-31T07:45:26.035-08:00Somali airport drama: episode...Like 50!<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It is becoming a routine or
do I just have that ‘luck’ of bumping into confused Somalis at every airport?
My short flight from London to Copenhagen yesterday ended up with another
drama. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">On boarding the plane, I met
a Somali lady with a baby, a pushchair and 2 heavy bags. She could hardly manage the
baby and the pushchair so I offered to take the bags off her. Budget European
flights are not designed for parents with young children or the elderly who
need help boarding the plane. You take your crap on the plane if you have to
take one at a time and staff are usually unhelpful, as the system seems to have
been designed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">On the plane, the baby kept
crying, understandably so. Sitting on a mother’s lap in an already squeezed space
should make any baby cry. They are lucky not to be hindered by the ‘grown-up’
rules and just cry at the misery of budget flights. I could see the mother
getting irritated and impatient at her baby. Tying to make him abide by the
rules and shut the hell up. She kept shuffling him and the small pink bag on
the floor, trying to breathe herself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">An hour and half later, we wait
for everyone to get off so I could take her heavy bags down to the passport
control. I asked if her husband or a relative is waiting for them outside. She said no and she has to take a train to Malmo, a Swedish city about
20 minutes train ride from Copenhagen airport! In this freezing cold and with all
those bags and a baby?? Yes! I could picture the husband in their warm home
watching TV and sipping on hot cup of tea while she goes thorough hell. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Immediately after passport
control, I can't wait to be done with this and get her a trolley, put the bags in and wish her luck with her onward journey. The trolley has a space for the baby so I am sure she can take
it from there. But no such luck, she goes thorough her handbag and realizes she
has lost her purse with her bank card, ID card and train card, shit! She asks
me to stand there with her bags and the baby while she goes back thorough the
passport control and into the plane to search for it! I tell her that won’t
work and she might be thrown in jail for acting like a terrorist. She doesn’t
know what to do and how to get to Malmo since she doesn’t have cash on her. I
tell her am sure we can find Easyjet office or some customer services desk and
maybe someone has handed in her purse.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">First, to the baggage claim area
for her extra luggage, so heavy it feels like there is a dead boy in it! We
pull that along and find the “arrival’s assistance desk”. Turns out she doesn’t
speak Swedish well and doesn’t understand Danish, so I explain to the
officer behind the desk in English. He immediately calls someone and after few
minutes comes back to say “sorry the plane had left and they only found
headphones, there is no red purse. I recommend you call Stansted airport to ask
them to search it again”. I ask if Easyjet can cover her ticket to Malmo
given that she has a baby and her purse is on that plane. He is quick to state
that it is the passenger’s responsibility to look after their personal
belongings and Easyjet is not by law obliged to purchase her a ticket. Great,
now I have to pay for the damn ticket and I don't have much money myself. I am really done
with this shit, Somalis at airports always in need of help, not my duty and
tired of it. I tell her I will get this ticket coz she has a baby otherwise,
the last species I want to help are women with loser husbands. What bothered me more was that, she
was taking all her frustration out on the baby! This cute little boy, a year
old, cheerful and totally oblivious to the mess his mother is in was smiling
and playing loudly. You would thing that is great, no? A happy baby leaving you
to sort things out without adding to your stress, but no. She seemed annoyed at
his happiness and kept saying, "why is he playing? If he didn’t cry throughout the flight, I
wouldn’t have been stressed and lost that purse"! Damn, depressing shit. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I came out to find Morten,
who has patiently waited outside for nearly an hour while we deal with this
drama. I quickly update him and ask where we can find a ticket to
Malmo. I change some dollars, get her a ticket, and luckily the train to Malmo
leaves from the airport so we take her to the right platform. While I wait with
her and ask her to please not take out her frustration on the baby, Morten runs
around asking for passengers boarding a train to Stockholm if it goes via
Malmo. One of the passengers tells him yes but he would need a ‘special’ ticket
for that particular train. We check the timetable and the next train will come
in 16 minutes. We give her the ticket, leave her on the right platform and tell
her what time the train will arrive. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I hope that baby slept in a safe and warm bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-80549744818103343932013-01-08T19:51:00.000-08:002013-01-08T19:51:10.563-08:00Granny frog and Karma<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She would say “who will
marry you with those skinny legs and flat arse?”… “Homework? What for? It won’t
get you a husband! Leave those useless books and come make dinner. If you have
no arse and legs to attract a future husband at least you can impress him with
your cooking and cleaning skills”…I spent years wondering what makes someone
this bitter? And how do you say such nasty things to an 8 year old?! Culture
only explained part of this deranged mentality. The part where women have been
beaten down so much that they start believing they are only worth exchanging
pussy for rent-free house! Islam wasn’t much help in explaining this either.
Thank goodness for an alternative believes. Buddhism, for example. They believe
in rebirth, that souls are born more than once and sometimes take different
forms. As my Buddhist friend was explaining this, a large ugly frog popped out
of the nearby pond, it all made sense!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-90323182547341850722013-01-04T12:03:00.002-08:002013-02-01T18:55:03.631-08:00Arranged marriage by hijab<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She met Leyla@ the bus stop
for 5 minutes, they exchanged polite but impersonal small talk. Leyla was
impatient to return home and get rid of the hijab she wore to cover her bad
hair day. She showered and got back into her signature green skinny jeans and big
curls. She didn't realise but the damage was already done! Ever since those 5
minutes the lady has been plotting an arranged marriage between her 'religious'
son and Leyla, the decent muslima in hijab! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-32640017809185929522012-12-10T05:51:00.000-08:002012-12-10T05:51:18.107-08:00Prayer<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“A'uthu billahi minashaitani
rajim”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I wonder what I should cook today
to go with the chicken…Anything other than pasta or rice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Bismillahi
Rahmani Rahim”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He is always expecting me to
make him a nice meal while he doesn’t even pay the bills on time<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Al-Hamdu
lillahi Rabbil-'Aalamin”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This house
is too noisy, can’t even hear my own thoughts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Ar-Rahmaani-Rahiim”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Amina is almost 10, I just
wish I could find someone else to explain to her about ‘period’ and how to
manage it.<span style="background: white; color: green;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Maaliki
Yawmid-Diin”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And these kids, they have to
start helping out at home, am done slaving for ungrateful lot<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Iyyaaka
na'-budu wa 'iyyaaka nasta-'iin”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is Ayaan’s wedding tomorrow
and I don’t have a new dirac, I have to borrow one from Asli. I wonder how
things have developed with that loser husband of hers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Ihdina-Siraatal-Mustaqiim”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ouch, that hurts. Am getting
too fat and old to bend! Maybe I shud look into this new yoga thing everyone is
going on about. But I don’t have trousers that would fit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Siraatal-lathiina
'an-'amta '</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://salmanspiritual.com/faatihah.html" title="Click to Continue > by Browse to Save"><span style="background: white; color: windowtext;">alay</span></a><span style="background: white;">him”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I hope this Hassan Gurguurte
guy brings real change and stability so we can soon go back home, one more
winter and I will lose it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Gayril-magzuubi
'alayhim” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She came in late last night,
that is the 3<sup>rd</sup> time this week! I have to have a word with her. She
will bring shame on the family name if the neighbours learn she came back home
at 8pm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Wa
laz-zaaalliin</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Perfect, just in time to
take the chicken out of the oven before I burn it again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Aamiin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Controlling a monkey brain
is bad enough, now try praying in a language you don’t understand…5 times a
day! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-17430969405586389722012-11-10T10:46:00.000-08:002012-11-10T10:46:17.153-08:00Letter from Mogadishu
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">On the 5<sup>th</sup> of
September, 2012, I packed up my bags and moved back to Mogadishu! I know,
sounds mad to choose to live in a city known as the “most dangerous city in the
world” when I have options. But you see, I am absolutely tired of visas,
immigration offices, work permits, deportation threats, sneaking out of
countries coz my visa expired, and learning new languages. I will rather dust
off my Somali than improve my Portuguese or Swahili, I figured. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Secondly, if Somalis in the
Diaspora, who are known as “fadhi ku dirir”, or “armchair activists”, and I was
one of them for years, don’t move back to Somalia, we will have crazies,
extremists, former government-hand-out-dependents, anyone who couldn’t find a
job in the West, run this beautiful country to the ground. We literally have to
vote with our feet and come back in droves to reclaim Somalia. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This is my second time ‘moving
back home’ but this time I wasn’t running away from London’s depressing gray
sky. I packed up my bags in London in 2004 and said “I am going back home”,
showed up in Mogadishu and 4 months later, I was back in London, with the same
“I am going back home” slogan! For some odd reasons, I have always felt a pull
to this city even though I don’t have a lot of positive memories from when I
lived here years ago. That decision was speeded up when I worked on the 2012
Presidential campaign for a former boss and good friend. I was supposed to help
him only for a week in the first week of August, but I ended up staying for the
whole campaign period. Looking back, I think it was a blessing in disguise to
have stayed, at the cost of getting into a difficult situation with my then
bosses at the NGO I was working for. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I have landed at the deep
end of Somali politics and at a crossroads for this country’s bloody history of
the past 22 years. I have met few of the presidential candidates, so many of the
MPs (who were electing the President), traditional elders, women, youth, and
lots of whealer dealers. The month and half of the campaign taught me more
about the state of Somali politics than an MSc in politics did! It was raw
politics, so much clan dealings and negotiations that in the end, didn’t get
the candidate I was campaigning for elected despite so many promises and
optimism! I was amazed by the sheer lies of the many MPs who spent a lot of
time with him and promised they would vote for him. In the end, only 8 gave him
their votes compared to nearly 40 of what we thought were solid voters for our
camp for the first round (there were 3 rounds)! This will take time to digest
and learn from, because there might be good reasons for this kind of brave lies
and promises which I can’t understand at the moment. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Despite the loss in our camp,
we have gained a lot from this election. My first support was for the candidate
I was working for to win but when he lost, I was so glad to see a fresh newcomer
defeating the overly confident, brutal and loaded former President lose! I
chose not to be at the election venue that day, thank goodness! But I was glued
to the TV and on social media watching the reactions of Somalis in the
Diaspora. It was an emotional day and there was so much buzz on social media
that Somalia became a trending topic on Twitter! During the day, I went for a
drive, to get away from the tension of everyone gathering around the TV to
watch the process. I knew the real election would be delayed so I went to the
beach with some friends and driving thorough Mogadishu was like a ghost town!
OK, so the image most people have of Mogadishu is that it is a ghost town with
nutcase suicide bombers, which is not all accurate. Part of the city is very
busy and you won’t even feel you are in an unstable city, with lots of traffic,
noisy traders, police every corner. The other part, lives up to the reputation.
Ghostly, ruined buildings, empty of its former residents and just a stark
reminder of how far this civil war has gone. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I got back in time for the
elections and it was one of the most stressful experiences as emotions ran high
both on TV and on social media. Our candidate sadly lost on the first round but
the battle to remove the incumbent President was more agonizing and longer
process. At the first round, he had the most votes, 64 out of 220 votes and 23
candidates! I thought that was it, it was over for Somalia’s chance to turn a
new page. I kept calling a friend inside the election venue who usually has a
good idea of how things work in Somali politics. He reassured me that since the
second runner up has only 4 votes less, it is over for the President! I turned
to social media to see if anyone agreed, but no, the mood was one of defeat. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">You could hear the noisy
shock of the nearly 2,000 people crammed in the election venue, thorough the
live TV coverage. The minute the results were announced, almost everyone, apart
from the President, were on their feet. Presumably, those with the lowest votes
just got annoyed and left to evaluate the financial damage and others had to
reshuffle their allegiance and do last minute campaign to either boost the
President’s votes or make sure they give all their support to the runner up.
The first round was supposed to produce 4 candidates with the most votes among
the 23, second round was supposed to eliminate 2 of the 4 and last round to
produce a President. However, the first round produced such an unexpected and
imbalanced numbers that it upset the neat plan, with 64 for the incumbent President,
60 for a totally fresh face, Hassan Sheikh, 37 for the incumbent Prime Minister
and 20 votes for a businessman newcomer! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">To make the situation even
more tense, and maybe because they realized they had no chance and now the real
fight was to block the incumbent President from staying in office, both 3<sup>rd</sup>
and 4<sup>th</sup> runner ups decided to throw in their towels! They both also gave
short speeches calling for MPs to support ‘change for Somalia’, which we all
understood to mean vote the new guy in. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Few hours later the result
was announced, after a lot of behind the scene last minute desperate moves by
both sides, incumbent President apparently giving cash out to MPs to buy their
votes, from the tinted-windowed black landcruiser parked in the courtyard of
the election venue. There are also reports for the Mogadishu mayor lobbying for
him by asking the candidates with the least votes to give the President their
support! The mayor is supposed to stay out of this, or at least not be so
blatant about it, it shows the over-confidence of all those in his camp about
his re-election! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The second round counting
was such a surprise I couldn’t believe it, I don’t think anyone could. The
count was like, for every 20 votes, 3 went to the President and the rest to
this totally fresh new face to politics! If there was a written profile of the
new guy online, google search would have probably crashed that evening!
Everyone was on social media and on the phone asking, who the hell is this guy?
How did he pay (no other way can he defeat Shariif, the deep pocketed) to get
these many votes? The answer is probably, a lot of Arab money and he was lucky
enough to be in a place where he was competing against a guy who symbolized
what Somalis are trying to bury and leave behind, a never ending transitional
government and a deeply corrupt one at that. Talk about being at the right
place at the right time, with a bit of work of course, to get 60 votes in the
first place, takes a lot.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This was a massive
achievement. Somalia has been under a limbo “transitional government” since
2006 and we needed to move on to a more permanent and stable government. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Apart from the hope raised
by these changes, the people I have met during the campaign, especially younger
Somalis with a vision of future Somalia I could relate to, has ignited a fire
in me to want to return and contribute somehow. This is a place I dreamt of
returning and living peacefully, under a functioning government. This was an
opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I just had to make the move and think later,
about how to survive in a city where you need a bodyguard to move around. Apart
from the fact that it is very expensive, it is also not how I ever imagined
living. And how do you make a decent living in Mogadishu if you want to stay
away from politics and don’t have money for business? Too many questions and I
would have easily backed out, the solution was in dive first and think later,
as usual.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237453485829282974.post-16018496288936545392012-10-13T03:35:00.001-07:002012-10-13T03:55:51.477-07:00Donkeys, the last ethnic minority in Mogadishu.<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I get inspiration and energy from Mogadishu markets. They are so alive with activity, noisy traders,
heavy traffic, teaboys hassling. For the time you are there, it is like a time machine, you will totally
forget you are in a city that hasn’t fully returned to normality. I love the
traders optimism, I suppose they have no choice. People have to make a living.
But still, they could trade in a low-key market with less chance of suicide
bombers hiding in the massive and disorientated crowd. Majority of the traders
show up in their thousands very early in the morning, 6 days a week, hoping to
make enough to cover their basic needs. Some tho, make more in a month than
most of us with useless university degrees make in a lifetime! It is a
fascinating place to get a glimpse of a resilient free market that has survived
22 years of civil war, countless governments, warlords and extremist groups. A reminder that all this nation needs is an effective but minimal government to facilitate business and it will fly. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Walking through the market,
a friend explained that when I Al-Shabaab controlled the city, they cleaned up
the chaotic streets of the market and created a working system. They have ordered all
the shop owners who used to ‘rent out’ the space outside their shops to petty
traders to stop renting out an illegal space that is supposed to be a public street. They
ordered the removal of all the shacks blocking the streets and now you can
comfortably drive or walk thorough Bakara market. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">People are selling
everything you can imagine, from construction material, cheap made-in-China
nylon clothes unsuitable for the Mogadishu heat, to university degrees! Yup,
you can have a degree from “Oxford University” conveniently made in Bakara for
few dollars. No need to pay a fortune and spend years stressing in the real
Oxford Uni. I passed up the opportunity today coz I couldn’t think of a subject
I would like to have an Masters degree on. I will think hard and go back to get me a home-made
MA in minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I spent the last month and a
half in a Presidential campaign, meeting crooks, so called elders, wannabe ‘Ministers’
with absolutely no clue how government is run. It was an eye-opening experience
but also depressing to get a glimpse of our future misleaders. A day spent in
Bakara market gave me hope that we are not doomed. With this level of hyper
active entrepreneurship, surely, we can’t totally go wrong? At least the ratio
of honest hard working folks to the get-rich-fast from politics fat men gives
me a bit of hope. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The most curious thing about
Mogadishu markets is the visible presence of female traders at every level! How
can we have a culture where women are equal, if not more dominant in trade, to
men in business but totally invisible in politics?! Some of these women must
be wealthy and influential, how come they are not trying to push for their
agenda in politics and support women candidates or political organisations? I
have so many questions and I can’t wait to meet women traders to ask them
directly. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Of course, not everything I
have seen in Bakara was good. I find it baffling that some male traders are
rude, call you names, shout at you and expect you to buy something from them!
WTF moment, lots of moments, actually. Men shouted at me “naa hooy,
naa hooy, kaaley oo wax naga gado!”, which loosely translates to “hey you, hey
you, come and buy something from us!”. In Somali it sounds a lot more
aggressive. What do u say to that? “Mofo, thanks, but no thanks?” Lol. You will def scream "Dayuusbaro" and probably get shot. You better ignore them and walk on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The other totally depressing
thing you see everywhere in the market is the mistreatment of donkeys! They are
overloaded, beaten, harassed, and looking malnourished. These animals must be
the ultimate slaves for humans, how horrible for them. I am told since there is
no enough food and they won’t work properly if they are not fed well,
they are given drugs! Mixture of qaat leftovers and pills!! No wonder they look
so skinny and permanently hangover, poor things! I won’t be surprised if one
day these 4<sup>th</sup> class slave citizens of Mogadishu go on rampage and
take over the city. That day, I will arm them and help them find an escape
root, eff this inhumane treatment. If you ever think you were born in the wrong
clan and get treated like shit, think of these guys. They don’t even have a
clan elder to speak on their behalf. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04559277668646252427noreply@blogger.com3