Stories - Somali Faces

somalifaces

“I lost my father in the Shamow Hotel bombing in

“I lost my father in the Shamow Hotel bombing in 2009 that claimed the lives of many people. I was eight years old at the time. He was a cameraman for a Middle Eastern news organisation. My siblings and I were in another city when we heard the news. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make the trip for his burial as he was buried in a matter of hours. It took me months to recover from the shock and grief and visit his burial site. He was an important pillar of my life and was generous to the less unfortunate. He would often say that everyone benefits from shared generosity and it’s not wasted, even if it’s not reciprocated. My siblings used to call him dad but I would always call him ‘my life’ in Somali as he provided me with so many opportunities and support that a parent could provide. He used to tell me that I could be anything and not let others’ personal views about me restrict my ambitions. After his death, there were times when it was really tough to remember him, especially when other children talked about their fathers. It would emotionally eat me inside that he’s no longer by my side. But I reassure myself that Allah loved him more. He was my role model and it’s for this reason that I try to be more like him. Family and friends have noticed it and often tease me that I’m my father’s daughter in terms of how similar we are in terms of behaviour. I’m now training to be a professional photographer and camerawoman.”

(Mogadishu)

#somalifaces #somali #mogadishu #xamar

See Somali version in comments section.

“I met her in a beauty salon in Mogadishu, and t

“I met her in a beauty salon in Mogadishu, and the rest is history. I used to work for a company that sold beauty products, and one day, I entered this random beauty salon to sell our products. She was behind the counter, and her beauty captivated me. Unfortunately, I was too shy to approach her directly, so I managed to get her number from someone. I tried to get her on the line for two weeks with no success. Finally, in the third week, she picked up my call. However, I had difficulty understanding there. She was raised in the Gulf and spoke limited Somali. Using the little Arabic I knew, we talked and hit it off. We spoke daily for the next several weeks, and she introduced me to her family. Her father, who was living abroad, called me. He politely told me that his daughter was already betrothed to her cousin and that I should back off. I told her what her father said. Upset and angry, she rang her father, telling him that she only wanted me. Her father called me again and said I had to pay $20,000 for her dowry. Her mother was no different. She used to show us that she wanted our happiness but worked against us behind our backs. Slowly, the girl that I loved started changing her demeanour. I’m not sure if it was something her mother told her, but she would ask me for money every time we talked. I did this for a while, but in the end, I told her I felt this wasn’t right, and we had a huge fight, and we stopped talking. I thought she just needed a break. In the end, I saw her wedding on a Facebook video. For days, I could barely speak. I didn’t know she got divorced until she called me and said she married the wrong man and wanted us to repair our relationship. I told her that was impossible. I waited for her for a long time, and now I’ve moved on. I won’t be someone’s second option.”
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(Mogadishu)
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#somalifaces

“She promised me a family, but my fate said othe

“She promised me a family, but my fate said otherwise. We went to the same school and madrassah and got exceptionally close as we grew older. Back then, mobile phones were rarely used, so I sent her letters secretly, and she reciprocated by writing the most beautiful letters. I heard gossip that she would be married off by her family to her first cousin even though we both wanted each other and to establish a family. Truthfully, it messed me up for a while and at one point was contemplating suicide. I loved her, and her marrying someone else was something that I couldn’t accept. I tried to confront her but ignored my calls, so I went to her house and tried to jump from a nearby house to show her that I was serious. Even though I wasn’t planning to kill myself (it was a 3-meter fall), I wanted to show her how heartbroken I was. She witnessed my fall but was feigning emotion. I found out that she was already betrothed to a cousin of her from the Diaspora, and she knew this all along. Instead of telling me the truth, she played with my heart and led me on. I did everything for her. And it never crossed my mind that she would deceive me even though she told me that she was pressured by her parents. Ultimately, her family invited me to her wedding. My friends told me that it would be a foolish decision to attend her wedding, but I wanted to show that I had moved on so I attended her wedding. She calls me from time to time, but I refused to pick up her phone calls as I’ve a rule that there is no need for us to have such a relationship once someone is married. In a way, I’m glad it didn’t work out. I worked on myself instead, got my degree and I’m due to get married soon to someone I absolutely love and adore.”
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(Mogadishu)
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#somalifaces #somali #love

“She was divorced with two kids, and I was a fir

“She was divorced with two kids, and I was a first-year university student. We fell madly in love, especially from my side. There were times when I couldn’t fully concentrate during the lectures. The minute the lectures ended, I would give her a quick call so that I could hear her voice. Other times, I would be overwhelmed with a sudden surge of love and lose my appetite. I had never experienced a love like this before. I firmly believed that my future was with her, so we agreed to get married. The only obstacle was that I had no dedicated income source. I decided to reach out to my relatives and tap into the inheritance that my father left behind for us. I wanted to get my share, fund my studies and marriage, and use the remaining funds to start a small business. Unfortunately, my relatives prevented me from getting my share, and they made it seem like it was a long and overcomplicated process. I had to choose between continuing my studies and making a living or getting married to the love of my life. In the end, I decided to continue with my studies. I couldn’t live with myself if I navigated through life with no source of income and mouths to feed. I ended the relationship and moved to Mogadishu to seek a better university. Since then, I have had my fair share of challenges, from money problems to moving from one place to another. I still had some contact with her, and I always believed that I would go back to her once I finished my studies and secured a well-paying job. Several years later, that is what I did, but it was too late. She was now a married woman. I bump into her occasionally, and we exchange the usual courtesy greetings. She has moved on, and so did I and I’m now happily married. However, on the rarest occasions, thoughts of how things could have been if I married her creep into my consciousness. But I have no regrets.”
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(Mogadishu)
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#somalifaces #somali

“It happened during the exam season. A female fr

“It happened during the exam season. A female friend confided in me that one of her teachers tried to solicit something inappropriate from her. Initially, we were supposed to go together to get some guidance on parts of the lessons from the teacher, but I got distracted and hung out with my friends at the university. She went alone to meet him. The teacher agreed to provide guidance but on certain conditions. She was smart; she discreetly recorded their conversation based on an inkling of where the conversation was heading. At first, the teacher was ambiguous, giving hints instead of directly saying what he intended. After she probed him what he exactly meant, he said that he wanted to sleep with her and that he would award her with the top marks and also help her with her other modules. She refused, replying that she came to the university to learn and not use her body to get top marks. He told her that he’s a family man, and just wanted to be close to her and would not touch her. Not knowing what to do, she agreed but wasn’t planning on following through. Finally, she came to me and asked for my support. I was the course’s rep and told her that I would help her. We waited until after the exams were done and expectedly, he failed her. With the recordings and him failing her, she wanted to present the evidence to the university. I decided that I should confront him. I went to him and told him that I knew everything and that the best course of action for him was to rectify her marks. He was visibly shocked and didn’t expect that she would record him. He fixed it but was infatuated with the girl. In my presence, he tried to apologise to her and give her some money as compensation but the girl refused. As long as she received her actual marks, she was happy and didn’t want anything to do with him. They never saw each other again, but he’s still a teacher.”
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(Mogadishu)
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#somalifaces #somali #university

"Revenge killings have claimed many innocent lives

"Revenge killings have claimed many innocent lives. I narrowly escaped one many years ago. I was travelling on a bus heading to a nearby town. In the middle of the road, we were stopped by armed men. They were looking for individuals of a rival clan. The bus was packed with people, but they told four others and me to step out of the bus. Incidentally, I knew these four men, and we belonged to the same clan. They signalled the bus to leave, put us five on the side of the road and tied our hands behind our back. They asked us which clan we belonged to. The first three told the truth and revealed their real clan, which is the rival clan – my clan – that the armed men were looking for. The fourth man lied about his clan and instead claimed the clan from his mother's family. I didn't have that choice as my parents belonged to the same clan, so I had to think quickly when it was my turn. It's amazing that your mind can be a lifesaver when you're on the verge of death. I remembered the clans from my high school friends and claimed their clan. The armed men questioned us to recite our linage, a long list of dead ancestors, which they wrote down, and then asked us to repeat it. If I made a single mistake, an incorrect name in the long list of names I was reciting, my life would be forfeit. In the end, the armed men talked amongst themselves for around 10 minutes and came back to us. They asked us if we knew each other. We replied no. The first three men, who didn't hide their clan, were killed on the spot. The other victim and I, who lied about our clan were let go and told never to return. It was pitch black and we walked for an hour, fearing that if we started running, they would chase us. Once we knew they were out of sight, we ran for our lives until sunset."
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#somalifaces #revenge #innocent

Dear Friends of Somali Faces, . We have been busy

Dear Friends of Somali Faces,
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We have been busy delivering critical aid to drought-struck areas in Somalia’s Gedo region. With your support, you have put a smile on the faces of the less privileged and the needy families affected by the drought. We have delivered food materials and water to over 400 families in the two most affected zones in the Gedo region.
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We want to thank everyone that donated to this campaign. We can never do this without God and your dedicated support. May God reward you all, for indeed you have saved the lives of many that needed saving.
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Salaam saaxiibada Somali Faces,
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Waxaanu mashquul ku ahayn in aanu gaarsiino caawimo degdeg ah qoysaska ay samaysay aabaartu dalka gobolka Ged. Anaga oo kaashanayna taageeradiina waxaad ka farxiseen qoysaska abaartu aadka u saamaysay. Waana kuwa u baahna tageero iyo gacan qabasho degdeg ah. Waxaanu gaarsiinay raashin iyo biyo in kabadan 400 oo qoys ku nool goobaha abaartu sida daran u samaysay gobolka Gedo.
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Waxaanu jecelnahay in aanu u mahad celino qofkasta ka qayb qaatay barnaamijka lagu caawinayo dadka abaartu samaysay, ilaahayba mahad oo dhan iska leh, marka xigta tageeradiina la’aanteed ma ay suura gasheen in aynu caawino inta jilicsan ee u baahan tageerada iyo gargaar degdeg ah.

"We have survived many droughts but this year we a

"We have survived many droughts but this year we are struggling with a crisis that is new to us. Instead of a drought crisis, we are also dealing with a pandemic and a locust outbreak that destroyed everything. Most of those affected are internal refugees who have no support system from inside the country or families in the diaspora. In this village alone, we have buried far too many, especially our young children. We need help and we need it immediately. We know that if the little water we have left runs out, we will die. All our animals died of hunger and thirst. The world failed us when hundreds of thousands of Somalis died in the 2011 famine. Please, don’t wait for us to die as our animals did. Please don’t forget about us."
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Please see link in our bio. Time is of the essence.
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#somalifaces #somalia #drought #fundraiser

"I have made at least 10 trips to our local water

"I have made at least 10 trips to our local water well to try to collect water. The water isn’t there anymore. My mother tells me it’s no use and that we have to wait until help arrives or we find other means to survive. That will not stop me from going back. I’m hopeful that our well will be filled with water again. It has to because we don’t have nowhere else to go."
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"In ka badan toban jeer ku noqday goobta u ku yaalo ceelka biyaha laga soo dhaansado si aan uga soo helo biyo, markasta aan ku noqdo waxaan kala soo noqdo faro maran. Hooyaday ba ii sheegtay ceelkan lama isticmaali karo, marka waa in aynu sugno inta ay ka imanaayaan cid biyo inagu caawiso ama aynu raadino si kale ku heli karno biyo. Laakiin mirkaas igama joojin in aan marba ku noqdo, markasta waxaan aaminsanaa rajo ah in ceelkayagu noqdo mid biyo buux dhaafiyaan markale, sababtoo ah ma garanayo meel kale aan u dhaqaaqo si aan usoo helo biyo."
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Please see our bio for link to drought relief fundraiser.
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#somalifaces #somalia #gedo #drought #fundraiser

This is a 70-year-old drought victim who lost her

This is a 70-year-old drought victim who lost her livestock due to lack of water. The only possession she has got left is a donkey's cart. She is currently staying with others who are in a similar situation. The wells have dried up and she doesn't know what the future will hold.
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Through your support, we are raising as much as we can to provide quick aid relief to drought victims in Gedo, Somalia. The ones that are most affected are the ones residing in remote villages and settlements. They are usually cut off from receiving urgent aid so Somali Faces personally delivers them the critical materials that they need.
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You can donate using Launchgood:
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see our bio for link
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Or via
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Paypal: paypal@somalifaces.org.
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#somalifaces #somalia #Drought #gedo

Dear Friends of Somali Faces, . We are still raisi

Dear Friends of Somali Faces,
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We are still raising critical funds for drought relief in Gedo, Somalia. Gedo is currently facing a triple threat of locust outbreak, COVID-19 and extreme drought and has affected an area of 600km.
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We have reached 90% of our target and I believe we can achieve more. Through your donations, we helped over 60,000 drought victims in 2017. Most of them were from villages and settlements in remote locations with no access to international aid relief. We hand-delivered food materials and water tanks trucks to their settlements. With your support, we plan to do the same in Gedo, Somalia.
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Our response team has already started delivering water tank trucks to the most affected areas. Your support can help us bring lifesaving relief and supplies to those suffering from the worst drought in decades.
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Please share and donate generously.
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Please see link in our bio.

#somalifaces #somalia #gedo #Drought #covid #africa

During the 2017 drought in Somalia, 6 million peop

During the 2017 drought in Somalia, 6 million people were facing food shortages with several water supplies becoming undrinkable due to the possibility of infection. With your help Somali Faces, Somali Faces raised emergency funds that brought immediate relief to over 60,000 drought victims.
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The situation is now direr as communities are buckling under the multiple effects of below average and erratic rainfall, the floods, COVID-19 and locusts that have but all destroyed any hopes for better harvests. Somali Faces is on the ground collecting their personal stories.
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Currently, the Gedo region is suffering from imminent famine and if no critical aid reaches the region, the drought will spread elsewhere in Somalia. Tens of thousands of people who have already fled their homes are at risk of starvation. Dozens have already died of dehydration. We need your help once again in delivering relief (food and water).
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With your help, we will deliver food materials (bags) for families containing: rice (Bariis), sugar (sonkor), flour (daqiiq/bur), vegetable oil (saliid), beans (digir) and dates (timir). We will be renting several water trucks that will provide immediate relief for the animals and the victims in remote settlements where water is critically scarce.
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Finally, Somali Faces will also raise awareness of the impending famine by personally collecting human stories of its devastating effects.
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Please see link in bio and share and donate generously.

#somalifaces #drought #somalia #fundraiser

“We should embrace adversities for it can unlock

“We should embrace adversities for it can unlock our potential. I lost my father at a young age. It was around the time when we arrived as refugees in Kenya, escaping from a brutal civil war in Somalia. Abject poverty was around us. I used to walk a great distance to fetch semi-clean water whilst my mother took care of my siblings, some who were sick. After a few years later, and being accustomed to poverty, we moved to the United States. I didn’t have any high expectation, except to feel normal like other children. You see, I never really experienced the joy of being a kid. I didn’t have that option. As the oldest, I had to grow up fast and be a helper to my mother. Arriving in the US at the age of 10, I could barely speak a word of English, except for some bad words like ‘shut up’ that I picked up in Kenya’s refugee camp. We eventually settled in the state of Washington after living several months in Texas. In high school, I joined many extra-curricular activities just to belong, to feel accepted. We lived in a mostly white neighbourhood, and at times we felt unwelcome. To take my mind of these things, I started working part-time and put lots of effort in high school so I could attend college early. Alhamdullilah, I graduated and got married and I’m now a mother to two beautiful children. I always wanted to give back to the community and my initial plan was to work for the UNICEF as they helped us at a critical time. However, I decided to start my activism at home, motivated by my children who see me as their role model, and I draw inspiration from them. I pushed myself even further and went back to get my Master’s and now I’m a doctoral student. The US has provided me with so many opportunities and I’m grateful to consider it my home country. However, I’m also aware that deep-rooted inequalities exist, which is why I’ve decided to run for political office in King County Council District 5, whilst still doing my doctorate and being a parent. I know what poverty and inequality feel like. I’ve witnessed it and I want to make a change –any change– so others should not have to go through what I went through..."

(King County, United States)

#somalifaces

"The saddest day of my life was losing my beloved

"The saddest day of my life was losing my beloved teacher. We called him Macalin (Teacher) Ahmed and he taught my sister and I Maths and English at a local school in Kismaayo in Somalia. One day, my sister and I were speaking a secret Somali youth language called ‘Af Jini’ in front of him. It’s essentially a street language that is popular amongst the youth in Somalia. We were gossiping about him, and he overheard us. He let us know that he understood the lingo, so we assumed some sort of disciplinary actions but instead, he decided not to do anything. From that moment on, he took me under my wing, and I helped him with some of the administrative stuff in our class. One time, whilst he was grading some of our work, he paused for a moment, his eyes still fixed on the paper and said to me something that will forever stay with me. He told me that if you ever decide to move to a peaceful country, where there is no war, I truly believe that you will reach your full potential and become someone very important, mark my words. It took me over a decade, and a permanent move to the United States in 2015 to understand what he meant. A while after that, he got very sick. I used to visit him on a daily basis but one particular night, his health deteriorated quite fast, so I immediately went to his house. When I entered his room, it was packed with some of his students and family members. Everyone looked at me because they knew we were quite close. Suddenly, I could hear him whisper, ‘Who is that?’, to which the others in the room replied with my name. Even though he was in pain, he made an effort to look at me and we briefly made eye contact, but I couldn’t bear seeing him in so much pain. I became very emotional and ran out of the room quickly. Several minutes later, one of my classmates ran after me and said that our teacher passed away. I lost the only person in my life who ever recognised my full potential, way before I did. As a young child, I always found comfort in kindness and words, more than food and clothes...."(see rest in the comment section). #somalifaces

"Like many others, I grew up never even knowing th

"Like many others, I grew up never even knowing that it is was possible for me to become a pilot. At the age of 14, my dream was to become a pilot. My inspiration came from my grandmother who raised me. She flew commercial and would travel a lot for work. Unfortunately, at the age of 16, I gave up on that dream since I didn’t have any direction. I decided to enrol on a nurse course, however, I dropped out a month later and instead decided to become a law enforcement officer. However, in the end, I did not continue with it either. At the back of my mind, this urge to become a pilot resurfaced. My family were not supportive because they considered it a dangerous occupation and thought it would be impossible for me to raise a family while being a pilot. But one day, while browsing Facebook I came across a video about a female captain who works for Emirates, which inspired me so much that right away I decided to google ‘how to become a pilot’ and a few flight schools popped up, and I immediately signed up. My family are now my biggest supporter after witnessing my determination. Being in a male-dominated industry, it takes courage, commitment, and lots of money to pursue aviation as a woman. My biggest challenge I had to face so far was funding my own training and running out of finances while I got closer to my flight test, which resulted in postponing written exams and flights. My main goal now is to become a bush pilot so that I can facilitate the delivery of supplies in remote areas in Somalia."
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(Edmonton, Canada)
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#somalifaces #internationalcivilaviationday
#somalia
#canada

"From the moment I was born, all I ever saw, heard

"From the moment I was born, all I ever saw, heard, smelled and touched was abject poverty, but that did not stop me from being named amongst the top 100 students in Somalia. My name is Qasim, and I'm what you call an internally displaced person. I live with my parents in Garbaharey in Gedo and have been living here for quite some while. Going to school is not easy. As our refugee camp is on the outskirts of the city, it takes me a while to walk to school. I don't really mind the long walk to school, but my greatest challenge is crossing the riverbed when it floods because it obstructs my path to school. I mean, it's not nice to arrive in the classroom with wet, muddy shoes – it's really it's embarrassing. After school, I tend my family's sheep until dusk. Usually, my classmates do their homework and reading at night, but I am unable as we don't have electricity. So, what I do is wake up very early in the morning and make use of the early daylight to get some reading done before I head off to school. I'm glad it worked out, and my parents are so proud of me. I already promised them that one day I would make them happy by removing them from this poverty. But that all depends on how well I will do in higher education. Since I'm amongst the top 100 students in the country, I've been promised a scholarship to study at the university level. But now I've been told that there is a huge disagreement amongst the country's politicians that can jeopardise my chance to do well in life. Please don't let them take away my only chance to make it. I've really worked hard for it."
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#somalifaces #education #strive #somalia #africa #somali #struggle

"I will never forget the expression on her face. M

"I will never forget the expression on her face. My mother and I went to Hajj in 2019 for the first time. I didn’t know what to expect, but I already convinced myself that it was going to be a life-changing experience. During the Hajj, I was placed in a mina (tent) with fellow Australians – majority of them from Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. My assigned group started with the throwing of the jamarat, but I lost contact with them and instead joined another group that was doing the tawwaf (circumambulation). I performed the tawwaf and shaved my head. After the tawwaf, I lost contact with my group and encountered a Somali Kenyan brother who was a student there, so we started looking for my group. The frustrating part was that I left my wallet and phone at the mina camp. Not to mention that it was quite hot that day. We found a quiet spot and just stood there for a while, talking. Suddenly, we saw a group of Somali pilgrims, that was entering a van. The driver was charging them 100 riyals for the ride. I noticed one elderly Somali woman that was sticking her hand out, trying to plead with the driver to take whatever she got. Apparently, she was short on cash (25 riyals) and she lost her son in the crowd. I desperately wanted to pay for her transport, but I didn’t have any money on me. I went to the driver and politely asked her to let her in on an account that she is an elderly woman and that he made enough money already. Just when he refused again, I saw the saddest expression on her face, wallahi it broke my heart..." (see rest of the story in the comments section)

#somalifaces #makkah #hajj

#blackouttuesday

#blackouttuesday

"I am a third-year nurse student. Since the pandem

"I am a third-year nurse student. Since the pandemic spread in the UK, the NHS made a special register for 3rd-year students to help out. They placed the more experienced nurses on the COVID-19 wards and drafted us to help out on the other wards. Because I have asthma, I was placed on the neonatal ward, which is the ward that houses new-born babies that need intensive care. This has taken a toll on our kids as they rarely see my husband and I on account of both us being keyworkers. So they spend most of their time with my mother. I fear for my son the most as he has asthma. Because there is an increased chance of being exposed to the virus daily, so my worst fear is being a carrier that infects him."
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(Manchester, United Kingdom)
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"Waxaan barta kalkaalisanimo, oo aan sanadka saddexaad ka marayo. Sidii uu safmarkaan dalka Ingiriiska ugu faafay, NHSta waxay diiwaantay ardayda sanadka saddexaad ka dhigta kalkaalisanimada, si ay isbitaallada wax uga caawiyaan. Kalkaaliyaasha horay u soo shaqeeyey waxa loo xilsaaray inay ka shaqeeyaan qeyb loo qoondeeyey dadka COVID-19 ku dhacay, inteena kalena qaybaha kale ee isbitaalka ayaa na loo qaybiyay. Neef baan qaba, sidaas awgeed waxaa la i geeyey qeybta ilmaha dhallaanka ah ee jirran la seexiyo. Maadama aniga iyo ninkeygu ba aan isbitaalka ka wada shaqeynno, ilmihii waxaan u geeyey hooyaday, mana ina arkaan oo taa way saameysay. Wiilkeyga yar baan u baqanaya waayo neef buu qaba waxaana ka walwal qaba in aan cudurkaan u gudbiyo."
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(Manchester, Boqortooyada Ingiriiska)
#somalifaces #coronavirus #somali #manchester #england

"I believe this pandemic is an immense blessing in

"I believe this pandemic is an immense blessing in disguise. I say this as someone who recently recovered from covid along with my kids. It's made clear to me what's indispensable for a human and that we should prioritize the meaningful things. It's made it apparent how despite being relational creatures, we're relationally dysfunctional. We connect to screens more than we connect to each other and our kids. Our lives are dissociative and being isolated has shown us that it's not sustainable. God could have created Adam and Hawwaa simultaneously but there's a great deal of hikma in that Adam experienced deep loneliness despite having the company of angels, being in paradise and having all that knowledge. The intellect can't substitute connection because it's through connecting that who we are and what we learn reifies. We need to be mirrored back. This also exposes our innate powerlessness that comes with the human condition and that there's absolutely no outstripping it. We need God, and this time is high time to turn to Him through trust and faith because it's what makes the uncertainty of life meaningful."
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See Somali version in comments section.
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#somalifaces #covid19 #somali #sweden #pandemic #africa

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