Blue letters by Asia Aboosy : 2020

In Jan 2020, i took two months off and went to see hubby & family. Two months off of everything. Except for occasional posts on my personal platforms and selling my product physically.

But everything else was off.

I didn’t listen to any audiobooks. Didn’t check emails. Didn’t monitor any goals or habits. Just quality time with hubby & family.

I was privileged to see both in this travel. I was privileged to have my husband by my side in Mogadishu & Nairobi. I was privileged to spend time with my Hoyoo, sisters, sister in law & nephews.

Time flies !!

At times, I was inconvenienced by some of the realities in Nairobi & Mogadishu. And I had to keep checking myself as this is nothing but a fraction of reality for people who live their permanently, or chose to live there like my family.

Coming from the west, I realized, we take sooooo many things for granted like healthcare, infrastructure..and, more importantly, safety.

I am always humbled after my visits to homeland and my experiences there. I will share some of my reflections about Xamar in here:

Okay. So one thing that kept me terrified, most of the time, was riding bajajs (Tuktuk). I know it’s funny but that was my reality lol 😂.

Every time I rode one, I would read all my dua’s, and keep watching out for cars/ trucks and warning (read: annoying) the driver. Huge container trucks that can block a whole street are the norm in Mogadishu. Especially when you live close to the Bakaro market. They are always on the streets. I was mortified.

Trucks, people, cars, bajajs all fighting for the right of the road while not having proper traffic lights or street infrastructure can be a recipe for a disaster. But nothing happened; I haven’t witnessed one accident in my time of stay.

Another thing that I noticed and probably rubbed me off the wrong way; was the presence of foreign armies/tanks in Xamar. While I understand, again, that I come from a place of privilege, it irked my Somaliness & national pride.

One day I was at Digfeer hospital visiting. As I was coming out I saw two tanks coming in to the hospital. You would think a war was about to ensue in the area. But upon closer investigation and inquiring, I figured out that apparently they were escorting a Turkish (or Somali) official.

What even bothered me more was, the normalcy of the whole situation for the locals. They were like “oh yeah that’s normal”.

“Normal what ? Normal where?.” I wondered.

Having a foreign army cruise the capital city like that is NOT normal. It shows power and superiority and it undermines our sovereignty.

Of course, that’s my opinion.

Now, I understand that Xamar is not completely safe. But I think Somali tanks should escort them instead. Don’t you think?.

I also think, security matters should be on the TOP of the government’s priorities. If push comes to shove, I think *those officials* should go visit a health care facility in Xalane base. Not go to the middle of the capital and pretend they own these streets.

And by the way, another thing that I observed in Xamar, was how officials are treated differently. These public servants are treated like kings!!

Whenever an official is passing by the city all the roads have to be closed and the people *who supposedly chose those officials* have to suffer and be stuck for hours.

In other words, normal people are treated like second class citizens in their own city.

And who’s fault is that?

Our own!! Of course.

Who are these foreign tanks protecting us from? Our own brothers and sisters? From some other Somalis who are committed to killing us?.

Sadly, this is our doing.

I don’t know how Xamar can ever be cleaned from these monsters and corrupted officials. Who at times, work hand in hand and protect each other’s interest in the city.

At the end, it’s people who lose. On. Every. Level!

Officials are living their best lives in their gated communities and built smooth streets, and all the check points that exclusively protect them.

If officials were working on the people’s interest, they would put in the same effort to make the whole city safe; just how they managed to keep their areas safe. Don’t you agree?.

I keep coming back to the same conclusion; at the end, it’s normal people who lose and suffer.

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So guys, this was my second visit to Xamar. I didn’t share my thoughts after my first visit in the end of 2017-because I had all these dreams about Xamar prior to going and they were crashed by the reality. 😔

This time, I knew what to expect. Xamar is a beautiful city that needs good people.

In conclusion, it is my hope that one day, soon inshallah, I’ll be able to visit Xamar and not see any check points or foreign armies. It’s my hope that ALL neighborhoods will be safe and that safety won’t be a privilege, but rather a basic human right.

It is my hope that we restore our pride and leave this survival jungle mentality behind.

It’s my hope that Mogadishu becomes inclusive as it should to every Somali.

Till we see that day inshallah I leave you with my thoughts.

By: Asia Aboosy

Blue letters by Asia Aboosy

Saturday, April 11, 2020

Friday, April 10, 2020

My Second Visit to Mogadishu