Let's share videos and stories of Somali professionals and entrepreneurs returning to the country:

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World Wide Somali Students & Professionals - WSSP
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Operation Restore Home 2012

In March 2011, Worldwide Somali Students & Professionals (WSSP) initiated a consultation with its global network of members. We asked our members how we can use our collective strengths to solve real problems on the ground in Somalia. Each year, members of the Somali Diaspora go home to establish schools, businesses and other valuable institutions. Some go home to reacquaint themselves with a country they have missed, while others go back to partake knowledge-transfer activities.

All of these endeavours are praiseworthy in their own right. However, what the consultation highlighted was the unmet need amongst all our members for an initiative that would add real weight by drawing on the unique strengths and reach of WSSP’s global network. Various suggestions were placed on the table, but almost all of the important and practically achievable goals could be grouped into one of the following priority areas: Agriculture, Education and Medicine/Health. After having identified the priority areas, we began a second round of consultations by contacting WSSP members in Somalia and requested for their feedback on the proposed areas.

This was important because WSSP believes in empowering people to take ownership rather than dictating to them what their main priority should be. WSSP members in Somalia welcomed the above proposals and the initiative was tentatively called Operation Restore Hope. This was later revised to Operation Restore Home: 2012. The change from “Hope” to “Home” reflects the realisation that in order to bring hope back to Somalia, we must first work to restore the basic institutions needed to establish a self-sufficient country. Indeed, without a home, there is no hope.

There is so much knowledge within the Somali Diaspora in each of the above priority areas. Operation Restore Home 2012 aims to mobilize up to a 1000 talented and committed Somali youth to go back to our country in the summer of 2012. The intention is to bring about tangible changes on the ground in each of the above priority areas by pooling the resources of all those involved in the project on the ground and around the world. -- Source (http://www.facebook.com/WorldwideSomaliStudents)

Somali Diaspora returning in significant numbers as investors, skilled personnel and employers:
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The Somali Diaspora is the major investor in the country and provided 80% of the start-up capital for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). For-profit activities contribute to economic recovery and improving livelihoods. Returnees establish businesses individually or as a group and pool resources or manage business at the executive level. Investment is spread over various sub-sectors such as small-scale industries, telecommunication, remittances and trade.

Another form of intervention, often linked to business networks, is the provision of emergency relief in times of natural or man-made crises. The Diaspora has proven capacity to send immediate cash and supplies to address the emergency needs of the victims. Funds are often mobilized by and distributed through the private media. Contributions of this kind stretch beyond local affiliation and are given from a sense of patriotism or religious obligation towards the affected.

The Somali Diaspora makes its most sustained and direct contribution to development and service delivery by establishing and supporting local institutions in the home region, district or village. Long-term, systematic support typically involves paying salaries for teachers and health workers and support for orphanages. The scale of this activity is hard to quantify because it involves hundreds (probably thousands) of small fund-raising networks operating across the globe. It appears that the practice of supporting facilities in the home area within Somalia is becoming part of the traditional culture of obligation towards those who are left behind.

Unlike the Irish migrants of the 19th century, Somalis have not left their homes permanently to start a new life elsewhere. In an age of globalization, characterized by accessible transportation and rapid communication, the Somali Diaspora has remained very intimately connected with the homeland. Many members of the Somali Diaspora with right of abode elsewhere continue to live, work and invest in Somalia. There are estimated to be 15,000 Canadian citizens in Somaliland alone.

Establishing small and medium enterprises is another quantum leap for the informal local economy. Investment usually takes the form of either establishing a new business individually or as a group from the Diaspora or part investment and part leading the business at executive level. Most of the major companies in the country fall into one of these categories. A top manager of a big telecommunication company informed the writer that 30% – 40% of their shareholders are from the Diaspora. Besides investment, most of these major companies are also managed and led by Diaspora.

The business intervention of the Diaspora is spread over a wide range of sub-sectors, such as small-scale industries, telecommunication, construction, remittances and trade.

The scope, level of investment and geographical distribution of the products or services delivered from these business sub-sectors are different. However, these investments have all created employment opportunities, which improve the livelihoods of many families, and also provide affordable services, gave revenue to the government and introduced new ways of doing business as a culture of good practices for the local businesses.

Examples include modern real estate facilities in the cities of Somalia, the Coca Cola factory in Mogadishu and the burgeoning Information Communication and Technology (ICT) industry managed by the telecommunication companies operating throughout Somalia.

The Somali Diaspora investment in the economy is particularly important, since they alone have been willing to risk investment in a climate of great uncertainty and economic risk. The role of the Diaspora in economic recovery has provided a foundation for political reconstruction in many regions of Somalia (Cassanelli 2007).

HornAfrik, the first FM radio established in Mogadishu, was a Diaspora undertaking. This was followed by successive creations of new outlets. The positive contribution of the FM radios in Mogadishu is another example of the Diaspora acting as change agents.

The early media outlets opened political space for the public through talk shows, direct interviews and teleconferencing of Somalis inside Somalia, the Diaspora, and sometimes the internationals who follow Somali affairs and the diplomatic corps of other countries.

This media space enabled people to express their views freely. The media outlets portray not only the suffering of the Somali people but also the good side of Somali life, including the beauty of the landscape and the potential investment opportunities of the local economy. They present the success stories in both for profit and for not for profit undertakings.

In Somaliland, the contribution of the Diaspora in business is very high. Most of the visible business in Hargeisa is either owned or managed by returnees. Peter Hansen has described the expatriate returnees as “a transnational aristocracy” (Quoted by Lindley).

These Diaspora men and women took enormous risks to invest their lifetime savings in a place where uncertainty remains very high. As Hassan Ahmed Bulbul, a Diaspora owner of a hotel and restaurant in Hargeisa, explained, “There was no guidance and support available at the time I came back with very limited Diaspora returnees on the ground who could give guidance and support regarding the pitfalls to avoid and locally appropriate approaches to use when starting business in Hargeisa”.

In addition to emergency responses, the Somali Diaspora has played a strong positive role in seeking to address multiple development deficits of present day Somalia. Diaspora organizations have supported or established service delivery facilities and many are organised to provide regular funding flows to pay salaries in schools or hospitals. -- Source (http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:Om21PXbKLXMJ:www.so.undp.org/index.php/Download-document/70-Forging-Partnerships-with-the-Somali-Diaspora.html)

Nice thread. :cheers:

TEDx Mogadishu

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There is hope in Somalia. An influx of African Union troops has pushed insurgents out of Mogadishu and representatives from the country’s clans are meeting to discuss the formation of a new government and draft constitution. With sustained peace on the horizon, the Somali diaspora is returning home and starting businesses. International investors are exploring opportunities and the first Somali bank has now opened.

While the stability remains fragile, Somalis are optimistic that a turning point has been reached after 21 years of conflict, and we are witnessing the rebirth of Mogadishu.

TEDxMogadishu celebrates the power of ideas to positively change the world; we aim to build community by bringing together like-minded people who believe in this mission.

What is TEDx?

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At TEDxMogadishu, live speakers will spark deep discussion and connection. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.

Official website: http://tedxmogadishu.com/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/tedxmogadishu

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Abdi Bile Returns to Somalia
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Former 1500m world champion encouraging national progress through sport
After winning the 1987 IAAF World Championship 1,500m in Rome, Abdi Bile became a national hero in Somalia.

The sight of him holding aloft the blue and white Somali flag as he ran a lap of honor is embedded in the minds of a whole generation of his countrymen. The victory came at a time when Somalia was descending into anarchy and the resulting celebration offered a temporary respite from their hardships.

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At Hargeisa Stadium in Somaliland, Bile (far right in red sweatshirt), reunited with old friends: (left to right) Mohamed Yusuf, Somalia’s former assistant sports minister, Omar Ethiopian, a former Somali teammate who is now president of Somaliland Athletics, and Hassan Finiin, a former teammate now Somaliland’s national coach.

Bile attended George Mason University then and, after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, remained in Virginia ever since. The man who also ran the mile in 3:49.40 and who famously beat the two-time Olympic 1500m champion Sebastian Coe for the gold medal at the 1989 IAAF World Cup in Barcelona, has watched his beloved country be torn apart by bitter clan rivalries. A humble patriot, he has blushed at the constant stream of atrocities committed by Somali pirates and warlords.

While millions of expatriate Somalis have started new lives in the West, Bile has waited for the right time to intervene. And so five months ago he quietly made his triumphant return, temporarily leaving his wife and three children at home in Annandale, Va., to explore ways to improve the lot of Somali youth.

“It’s my responsibility,” says Bile, now 48. “I always wanted to go back home. I was waiting for things to get little bit better. It’s been 25 years since I won the world championship. It has taken longer than I anticipated, but I cannot be sitting in North America waiting forever.”

“Everywhere I go people are so nice and kind and welcome you with open arms. It is wonderful to be at home. There is a lot of politics in this region. I don’t get involved in any of that. Being a sports person I get the respect from all. People listen. It’s something you have to go along a fine line. I try to just talk about sport and that’s what I focus on. That’s how people know me.”

Bile left his homeland in 1983 for George Mason as a talented but as yet untested runner. He competed for his native country in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, but didn’t reach the finals in the 800m or 1500m. (He was DQ’ed in the semis of the 1500m after running what would have been a Somali national record of 3:35.)

Under the guidance of coach John Cook at GMU, he became one of the world’s top middle-distance runners, winning two NCAA 1500m titles before his breakthrough on the international stage in the late 1980s. Although injuries kept him out of the 1988 and 1992 Olympics, as well as the 1991 world championships, he returned to win a bronze at the 1993 world championships in the 1500m. His swan song came at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where he placed sixth in the 1500m.

Now Bile’s oldest son, Ahmed, is a promising young runner who ran the 800m in 1:51 last spring as a sophomore at Annandale High School. He also won Virginia’s Class AAA state cross country championships last November as a junior and later finished 14th at the Foot Locker national championships.

Being away from his family — and missing Ahmed’s spring track season — isn’t easy, but it illustrates the selfless sacrifice Bile is making for his people.

Bile comes from Las Anod a city of 250,000 in a disputed area but is spending time in Puntland a region in the northeastern corner of the former Somalia. It remains part of Somalia but also has its own government.

With other educated Somalian exiles, Bile has helped found a non-governmental organization called Somali Comprehensive Development Association (SOCDA). Their collective expertise includes agriculture, economics, the environment and physical education. They understand that they face a difficult task and must solve problems in many different areas in order to see progress. His plan is to promote grassroots sport.

“There are no facilities; no basketball, no soccer,” Bile concedes. “I am trying to build a training center. National teams always have some training camps all the time. If some runners come out of that training camp, it will have a name, people will look up and see the possibilities, coming out of Somalia.”

SOCDA has devised a physical education curriculum and set up a makeshift training camp in Hargeisa the capital of Somaliland, far from the troubles in Mogadishu.

“There is talent here,” Bile insists. “The kids really want to train. The camp was close to my house. I was with them most of the time, encouraging them. Some mornings I was running with them.

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Young Somali athletes train at Hargeisa Stadium in early April.

“Sometimes at 4:00 in the morning, I see them running,” he adds. “We have morning prayer at 5:00 in the morning. Usually I would see them running to the mosque to pray. Then they go to school.”

Bile, an extremely humble man, was unsure of how he would be received. The younger generation has had no sports idols to speak of and Bile has been out of the limelight since he retired following the 1996 season. They have seen the reception he has received wherever he goes — stadiums filled with people chanting his name, for example — although they were not born when he was at his world-beating best. Nevertheless, they have shown him the respect of a returning national hero.

Several young athletes went from a 30-day training camp to an IAAF-sanctioned half marathon in nearby Djibouti. The first Somali runner finished in sixth place and the top finisher from Somaliland, Abdullahi Muse Shaqalle, was 13th in 1:10:33.

“A lot of people from this region, some Kenyans, Ethiopians and some kids from Somaliland, the ones training here, went to the race,” the returning hero reveals. “They did very well for having trained for just one month. They really did well.”

Much of his time, thus far, has been in making plans for the future. He has met with various sports federations and political leaders. One of his former national teammates, Omar Ethiopian, is the president of the Somaliland Athletics federation. Another, Hassan Finiin is the Somaliland national coach. In December he attended a luncheon hosted by the president of Puntland, Abdirahman Mohamud Farole, which was a giant step towards achieving SOCDA’s stated objectives.

“You have to start things from zero,” he explains. “This month I start from zero just with more talking to presidents telling them they have to give a youth sports priority, they have to change their way of thinking, to give more resources and to put physical education into their program.”

“I have finished writing some proposals. I want to have a base. It has to be a place where we always have athletes training and seminars for athletes, things like that. We want a place where we can produce world class athletes. We have talent. I see the way they think. They have the will and they want to train. They are willing.”

Bile coached in Saudi Arabia for a couple of years and has seen what money can do. He is under no grand illusion that success in Somalia will be immediate. The overall picture is much brighter however and he can see a change in thinking is imminent.

“It will take a long time for people to think that sport is worthwhile doing,” he says. “Setting some budgets aside when they have so many priorities and problems is hard. Sport is the last thing they think of. In that sense I try to be open work little by little I I think just talking to them is making headway. Everybody I meet we just talk about youth and how bad it can be.”

One of the more encouraging things he has witnessed was a national youth soccer tournament held in Puntland this past winter. In all, 15 regions were represented. Most surprising was the fact that the embattled capital of Somalia, Mogadishu, was represented by a team. - Read more (http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=22581&PageNum=1)

TEDxMogadishu Speaker Lineup

Ilwad Elman
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Ilwad (Elle) Elman runs the Elman Peace and Human Rights Center in Mogadishu with her mom, Fartun. Her father was an ardent peace activist in the 1990s, spreading the mantra “Put down the gun, pick up the pen” around Somalia, but was assassinated in 1996. Elle returned to Mogadishu three years ago while the conflict still raged on in the city. She works closely with victims of rape and sexual assault, as well as rehabilitating child soldiers by teaching them vocational skills.

Liban Egal
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Liban Egal is the founder of First Somali Bank, which recently opened in Mogadishu and is the first commercial bank in the city since the government collapsed 21 years ago. He emigrated from Somalia in 1988 and spent the next 20 years in America, starting a string of businesses in Baltimore, Maryland. Liban visited his hometown last August and found a world of opportunity, but realized that a lack of proper banking infrastructure was limiting investment and rebuilding.

Hassan Mohamed H
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Hassan Mohamed H. (Kaafi) is the President of Plasma University, which started as a small institute named Plasma Institute of Medical Lab-Science in 2005 and became the first private higher education institute that offered two year Associate Degree in Medical Lab Technology in the country. Plasma University now comprises six colleges. Each college consists of at least three faculties/schools.

Amina Hagi Elmi
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Amina Hagi Elmi is the founder of Save Somali Women and Children (SSWC), an aid organization designed to improve the lives on Somalis and has implemented many different projects across the country including employment initiative programs, providing aid, digging wells and providing clean water. Amina believes that in addition to food and water, dignity is critical for women arriving at internally displaced person camps. In turn, she created “dignity kits.

Mohamed Abdi
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Mohamed Abdi is a real estate professional who founded Dhul & Guri in the UK to support the Somali Diaspora buying and selling properties in Somalia. He returned to his home country in 2011 to work for Telecom Somalia before leaving in February 2012 to open a Dhul & Guri office in a newly peaceful Mogadishu. Despite many challenges, Abdi is revolutionizing real estate in the country by introducing modern tools and innovative ways to transact in Somalia.

Ahmed Jama Mohamed
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Ahmed Jama Mohamed is a chef who returned to Somalia from London in 2008 to help rebuild his country. In London, Ahmed operated a number of restaurants (which are considered the best Somali restaurants in the UK) and has now opened three restaurants in Mogadishu. With the situation in Mogadishu stabilizing, Ahmed plans to continue expanding and providing jobs for upcoming Somali chefs.

Encouraging news! Somalis of the diaspora are doing a great job, I'm sure when lasting peace and security are achieved, much more will be done.

The return of Somali expatriates has contributed to flourishing businesses and a revival of local economies and education in the country.




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A new hotel owned by returned Somali expatriates is under construction in the Hodan district of Mogadishu. [Mahmoud Mohamed/Sabahi]


"Local officials and experts say this influx of Somalis from the diaspora is a sign of improving security conditions in the country."
"Abdullahi said that when he returned, he found the capital to be very different than what he had been told. "It was no longer that dangerous place that people would talk about," he said. "I found the residents of Mogadishu struggling for a better future. Also, the affects of fighting are slowly disappearing from the city. I am happy to be back in Mogadishu and I think that life here is better than anywhere else."
http://sabahionline.com/en_GB/articles/hoa/articles/features/2012/05/15/feature-01

Very encouraging news.

The return of Somali expatriates has contributed to flourishing businesses and a revival of local economies and education in the country.
http://sabahionline.com/shared/images/2012/05/15/moagdishu-hotel-construction.jpg
A new hotel owned by returned Somali expatriates is under construction in the Hodan district of Mogadishu. [Mahmoud Mohamed/Sabahi]


Mogadishu on the up

It is Friday morning in Mogadishu and Lido beach presents a scene reminiscent of seaside towns around the world. At the top of the beach, women sit with their wares, selling water and ice-lollies from cool-boxes. The middle-beach is dominated by young men playing football using driftwood as goalposts. At the water's edge, boys and girls, the latter heedless of their long flowing garments, hurl themselves into the waves or bob on the surface like apples.

"We're on holiday", says Ibrahim, a Londoner in his twenties who was born in northern Somalia. Ibrahim is travelling in a group of 20, all from the UK. "We came here for the beaches", he said. On the road behind him, blue lettering advertises the Indian Ocean Star, a new beach-front restaurant and bar.

Bashir Osman has facilitated journalist visits for years and now plans to capitalize on the swelling ranks of visitors like Ibrahim who are choosing, for both business and personal reasons, to come to bullet-ridden Mogadishu. Osman has purchased 500-metres of beachfront land a few kilometres south of the international airport compound, where he hopes to open a restaurant and eventually a hotel. His infectious fondness for Mogadishu belies a strong philanthropic streak.

People are returning and reconstruction is under way. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), 3,800 people returned to Mogadishu in March alone. From afar the city glints with shiny new tin roofs dotted among dust-covered ruins and camps. Private operators are offering electricity in the old town for US$30 a month. Fishermen are enjoying a healthy demand for shark-fins from Dubai and the Middle East, with a shark fetching as much as $500. Building materials lie in piles on street corners, where camel's milk and cappuccino vendors ply their wares.

International NGO and diplomatic missions are also coming back - according to a UN source, Britain has already identified the plot for its permanent diplomatic base on the airport compound - and property prices have spiked. According to Osman, a 100-square metre plot near K4 in the city centre sold recently for $2million.
-- Source[/b] (][b)

Looks like the time to go back is now. If you wait later, you will just be too late.

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Keep them coming love it

Looks like things are changing for the better.

Can expatriate Somalis rebuild their country?
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The relative calm in Mogadishu is encouraging expatriate Somalis such as Mohammed Martello to return.
Andrew Harding - BBC

Mohammed Martello was standing on a sand dune beside the beach just north of Mogadishu, with a big grin on his face.

"Look at that view," sighed Mr Martello, an estate agent who returned home to Somalia recently after years spent living in Luton, England. Nearby, two elegantly dressed Somali women - one in business, the other a politician's wife - emerged from an air-conditioned car to view the plots with keen interest.

"We've sold 115 houses… Prices are skyrocketing. Everybody is looking for property. I want to make enough money to buy a good house for my kids in Chelsea, London! Posh area! Now is the time to stabilise Somalia - 110%!" gushed Mr Martello.

His enthusiasm is not merely a sales pitch.

After more than 20 years of war and anarchy, Mogadishu is enjoying a rare, extended period of relative calm.

Amidst the rubble, homes are being rebuilt, cafes and hotels opening, thousands of members of the diaspora are returning, and everyone is talking - with varying degrees of confidence - about a future without bloodshed. -- Source (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19254249)

Can expatriate Somalis rebuild their country?


Of course they can. And the potential is huge for our country to be much bigger and better than it ever was before the war.

IMO, the biggest barrier to Somalia's revitalization is not Al Shabab but it's politics and government in general. It will hold back any progress and is sucking our people dry.

TEACH SOMALIA
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Somalia is at a crossing point where a new phase of rebirth is about to commence. It’s vital to shift from the process of aid relief to sustainable development through highlighting the importance of education.

In light of this spirit the Somali youth in particular United for Somali Students (USS), Somali Awareness through Education and Volunteering (SAVE), Feed Somalia (FS) and Global Somali Response (GSR) members are launching a new joint campaign called Teach Somalia. With energetic and dynamic members from all over the world who are philanthropist at heart and have the desire to empower the less fortunate, we believe this campaign has the potential to be one of a kind building on the successes of the recent Feed Somalia movement in the summer of 2011.

Ultimately, the long term goal is to inspire a new generation of thinkers, academics, entrepreneurs and responsible members of society through education. -- Source (http://teachsomalia.com/about/)


Benadir Faculty of Medicine - One of the many Somali institutions they support with fees and scholarships:

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Nice! The campus looks great and I love the efforts.

I think Xamar has the potential to have some great universities in the future.

I know someone here who is going to Mogadishu in October and starting a business. I'm not going to out him or myself but I actually think this is for real. This is an amazing time for people to start fortunes and help develop their country.

^Anything related to the below story, your neck of the woods, right?:

Conn. Attorneys Take On the Challenge of Opening Office in Somalia

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Abdul Abdurahman -- Ryan Bausch
--

Abdurahman was told that things are starting to change for the better in Somalia. In September, there will be a presidential election, as the country hopes to set up its first stable government since 1991. That president-elect will then pick a new prime minister.

Abdurahman said many Somalians fled to Canada, England or the United States, became highly educated and are now giving up their comfortable lifestyles to return to Somalia to help rebuild. "They were there when it was dangerous and risked their lives," said Abdurahman. "It's gotten better and we have them to thank."

'RECONSTRUCTION AND HOPE'

The only thing missing, government officials told Abdurahman, was a legal presence. So Abdurahman talked it over with Bausch and they decided to visit Somalia and see it for themselves.

Even though family members and friends told them "don't go, it's very dangerous," the two lawyers left in July and visited Mogadishu. The Sahafi Hotel, where they stayed, provided the men round-the-clock security, especially for Bausch, who as an American was a potential kidnapping target.

Despite the warnings and danger, Bausch saw something else. "I saw reconstruction and hope," said Bausch. "I didn't see crime on the streets. I didn't see guys with guns. Open rebuilding is what I saw."

Abdurahman and Bausch met with six government cabinet members in Mogadishu and the public officials expressed their desire to have the Connecticut men come to Somalia and open a law office. The two lawyers wouldn't be handling criminal or immigration cases but other areas important to an emerging nation -- oil and gas law, maritime law, international trade and writing legislation.

As an example, the lawyers said, as Somalia opens back up to international business, American companies that have previously drilled for oil in regions with large petroleum reserves will likely try to reclaim their interests. "These companies will need someone to interpret these [new government] regulations and how it affects them," added Bausch. "Our focus is on getting business back to Somalia."

The two lawyers extended their stay in Mogadishu from four to eight days and registered with government officials so they could legally practice law there. Their American legal training and qualifications were sufficient. Abdurahman is licensed to practice in Connecticut. Bausch has been admitted to the bars of Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York.

The two men intend to visit Somalia again in the fall and register to practice law in the Hargeisa region, which is in the northern part of the country and still has a separate government. Ultimately, Bausch and Abdurahman plan to open an office in a business district of Mogadishu. They plan to relocate there anywhere from six months to one year from now. -- Source (http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202570296230&thepage=1&slreturn=20120806021103)

YES that's the one!

Encouraging news! Somalis of the diaspora are doing a great job, I'm sure when lasting peace and security are achieved, much more will be done.

+1.

YES that's the one!

Well I'm glad he's taking the plunge, the legal aspect of potential enterprises back home was always a small pessimistic voice in the back of my mind, at least now I know who to contact in the future, Insha'allah. :cheers:

There's much more optimism than a year ago though. Some are trying to plunge in before it becomes too late, this is the time to make the big bucks. What I wonder though is how it's possible to correlate US common law with that of Somalia where the legal system is totally different.

Liban Egal, 43, banker

THE GUARDIAN

Leaving behind his ex-wife and three children, he returned to Mogadishu a year ago and set up the country's first private bank, along with an internet service provider – now the biggest in Mogadishu, he says – a software company and data collection firm.

"I left before the civil war, when the city was beautiful," he explains. "I loved it and always wanted to come back. The question was always when. I'm a risk taker: I've always had a level of tolerance about risk taking.

"People thought I was crazy but I could see the tide was turning against al-Shabaab. Every month it was getting better. Now it is amazing to see how popular the city is. A lot of people are coming back from the diaspora in Europe and Kenya. They are trying to see what businesses they can do and are trying to rebuild their fathers' houses where they grew up. They want to come early enough to take advantage of the process."

First Somali Bank currently has 211 account holders and hosted the first TEDx Mogadishu gathering earlier this year. "I always knew this is a long-term project. In this country there are no contract laws or regulatory frameworks for banks."


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/19/somalians-planning-better-future

Somalis living abroad return to Puntland to invest, reconnect;

By Hassan Muse Hussein in Galkayo

Security improvements in the past few years are encouraging the Somali diaspora to return home to invest in their country and reconnect with their culture.

Seeing an opportunity for investment, older Somalis are returning to start businesses and help rebuild the country, while young Somalis who were born abroad or have lived most of their lives outside Somalia are returning to discover their roots and connect with their parents' culture.

This trend has helped create an environment of fusion and opportunity for both returning expats and the communities they settle into. Returning Somalis are able to find many lucrative business prospects and can help revitalise their hometowns by providing needed services.

Ahmed Omar Hirsi, spokesperson for the Puntland regional administration, said the government welcomes people returning to invest in the country.

Hirsi said the administration has created an awareness programme to encourage expatriates to participate in development efforts and to invest in the country through education and commerce.

"We encourage educated [expatriates] to work with the government and to invest heavily in the country to spur economic growth," he told Sabahi. "We welcome those who want to work towards progress."

Faduma Diriye Nur, 38, returned to Garowe from Cologne, Germany, where she lived from 1992 to 2011 and graduated from university. From Germany she established the Samafal centre in Garowe with the help of friends.

Samafal educates the wives of imprisoned pirates who are left to live in poverty. The centre teaches them skills they can use to attain work and improve the lives of their families.

"The strength of families lies in women, but it is clear that they do not have enough education, so I decided to establish this centre in Garowe," Nur said.

Nur received contracts from the United Nations and international non-governmental organisations to improve women's education and skills training.

"Samafal currently educates up to 200 women who study computers, sewing, cooking, hospitality and customer service so they can find employment in hotels and offices. About 30 graduates now work using the skills they gained," she said.

Ali Hassan Hariye, 43, returned to Somalia to invest in business enterprises after living in Nairobi and London since the civil war began.

"I came to Puntland in 2005 and observed that the city of Galkayo was in dire need of improving its businesses," he told Sabahi. "I opened Galkayo Supermarket, which has five employees. We sell clothing for men and women, food, assorted drinks and other small essential items. I am now in the middle of constructing a hotel, which has been in process for a year."

Hariye moved to London in 1994 and worked there as a taxi driver. His wife and three children are still there so they can finish school while Hariye works on his investment projects in Somalia. He said he encourages his friends in London to also return and invest in the country. -- Source (http://sabahionline.com/en_GB/articles/hoa/articles/features/2012/09/13/feature-01)

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Thanks for posting that vid. I've been following what that group has been up to so it'll be good watching that vid when I get the chance. :cheers:

^The current campaign was most likely them testing the waters, which is why they only send 70 skilled individuals back to the country, instead of the 700 that volunteered. I think as their logistical capacity increases so will the number of individuals from the group going back.

Ottawa police officer to open school in Somalia
http://hiiraan.com/images/54126-16489.jpg
After leading four years of fundraising, Ottawa police Const. Mahamoud Elmi leaves Sunday to open a new school in his native Somalia.

Elmi, a police officer at Ridgemont and St. Patrick's High School, raised $55,000 with the support of students, parents and fellow police officers. Another $35,000 came from an Ottawa development agency.

The Somali Hope Academy is located in his parent's hometown of Bur Salah, in northern Somalia.

It has eight classrooms, a library and running water. Classes will be free and taught in English for 300 elementary students.

Elmi said offering a place where education was free was important to him.

"In Somalia, if you want to send your kids to school you have to pay for it, and that's hard for most families," said Elmi. "Twenty years of war; you have entire generations missed going to school. It's not right to be left behind."

Grade 12 student Sharif Ibrahim, who played basketball in fundraising tournaments, said it was important for him to help others who were less fortunate.

"Some people don't have the privileges we have," said Ibrahim. "You can't take it for granted. We're all humans, we're one, we're together and we have to help each other out."

Fundraising events will continue to help pay the staff of one principal and five teachers, and purchase books for the school.

The official opening of the school is next Thursday, and Elmi says 100 children have already pre-registered.

Elmi said he hopes the school will serve as a symbol of hope for the people in the area.

"A place where they feel welcome to learn without being discriminated [against] because of their financial background or whether they're male or female. Everyone deserves an education," he said. -- Source (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2012/09/14/ottawa-police-officer-opens-school-somalia.html)

Somalis return to their homeland
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I went to Somalia this year between July and August. While I was there, even though I couldn't explore all of Mogadishu because my mother is white which makes me half only, I saw many buildings being restored, a lot of projects beginning and high security during daytime. During night we heard one or two grenades near our district at least once a week and police shooting thereafter. So at night times you aren't even really allowed to leave home for now, if the police sees you they will capture you and detain you for a few hours. This was also during Ramadan so I dont know if there are more projects and work going on the other months.
I even saw white people going through Liido Beach but with high security, I could walk there alone but like I said it was Ramadan and I didn't go on the days when people would go and the beach would be crowded as it is not 100% safe at least for me.
Now I think Mogadishu is safer then ever, they have an active police force with stations situated all over Mogadishu and businesses are thriving, crowded with people and even the markets are always crowded during day.

Y0KMzWmw2B4


I've been following the activities of this group for sometime, if our country has any chance of rising from the ashes it must be lead by the youth, and WWS&P seems like the best forum to bring scatter somalis together and i wish them all the best.

PharaohLiban welcome to SSC. Please share some pictures you took while you were there if you have any. :)

I went to Somalia this year between July and August. While I was there, even though I couldn't explore all of Mogadishu because my mother is white which makes me half only, I saw many buildings being restored, a lot of projects beginning and high security during daytime. During night we heard one or two grenades near our district at least once a week and police shooting thereafter. So at night times you aren't even really allowed to leave home for now, if the police sees you they will capture you and detain you for a few hours. This was also during Ramadan so I dont know if there are more projects and work going on the other months.
I even saw white people going through Liido Beach but with high security, I could walk there alone but like I said it was Ramadan and I didn't go on the days when people would go and the beach would be crowded as it is not 100% safe at least for me.
Now I think Mogadishu is safer then ever, they have an active police force with stations situated all over Mogadishu and businesses are thriving, crowded with people and even the markets are always crowded during day.

Great stuff and welcome to the forum. It's great to see insider accounts in Somalia itself anytime, and if you have any pics of buildings, development, and scenery, that would be great. We also have EvolvingPrimates who is in Xamar I think but he hasn't posted recently.

PharaohLiban welcome to SSC. Please share some pictures you took while you were there if you have any. :)

+1. And welcome to the forums! :)

PharaohLiban welcome to SSC. Please share some pictures you took while you were there if you have any. :)

Great stuff and welcome to the forum. It's great to see insider accounts in Somalia itself anytime, and if you have any pics of buildings, development, and scenery, that would be great. We also have EvolvingPrimates who is in Xamar I think but he hasn't posted recently.

+1. And welcome to the forums! :)

Mahadsanid! I dont have any good pictures or any of the constructions going on, I have one on the 'Tomb of the Unknown Soldier' though. I will try and find the pictures my cousins took because they were with me and had a digital camera ;) In shaa allah

YPBm_7uXG3o

YPBm_7uXG3o

Very innovative and efficient, exactly what is needed back home.

Wow. Khadar, great post! That projects has me very excited and I will certainly keep an eye out for how it develops. If the project is successful implemented at mass-scale so that it reaches a level of econonies of scale, it will single-handedly revolutionise the Somali economy. Just imagine electricity being readily available at a mere cost of 4 cents per kilowatt. Fascinating stuff.

Hadii aynu Soomaali nahay malaa weli rajo way inoo jirtaa.

Y0KMzWmw2B4

Reverse brain drain: Heading home to Somalia
http://somalilandsun.com/images/Ayan%20Hussein%20at%20her%20newly%20opened%20Kulan%20Art%20Caf%C3%A9%20in%20Hargeisa.jpg
HARGEISA, Somalia — The Kulan Art Café is a bright airy place with murals and framed paintings by local artists, potted plants, fresh coffee and ice cream, homemade cakes and a menu featuring Western staples like pizza and hamburgers.

In Hargeisa, the capital of the breakaway state of Somaliland, there is nothing else like it. Nor is there anything like it elsewhere in Somalia, which is attracting increasing numbers of diaspora Somalis as the country gradually emerges from decades of conflict.

Among the returnees is the café’s owner Ayan Hussein, a striking woman in her 40s who decided to return to Somalia two years ago.

Clutching her three young children Hussein fled the capital Mogadishu in 1997. They settled in London, first as refugees then as British citizens. The north London suburb of Hampstead became their home, and her children grew up as Londoners.

With an eye for fashion Hussein worked as a freelance stylist, designing weddings for wealthy clients and advising fashionistas on the right handbags to carry. She often worked at Browns, an uber-trendy boutique in London’s West End.

But after 15 years she decided it was time to return to Somalia. “There has to be some point in your life when you go back to look after your relatives and contribute to your country. It’s a beautiful time to come back,” she told GlobalPost over a cup of Ethiopian coffee at Kulan one recent morning.

The more than 20 years of chaos, warfare and destruction that ripped Somalia apart propelled many of its citizens abroad. Today Somalis constitute one of the largest, most far-flung diaspora communities on the planet, with an estimated 1.5 million in the US, Europe and the Gulf States.

In many cases they were the lucky ones. But although they left they continued to support networks of relatives in Somalia, sending back up to $2 billion a year in remittances according to World Bank estimates.

As Somalia’s war begins to subside, the trickle of returning diaspora Somalis is becoming a tide. The more hardy among them head to the capital Mogadishu, where the beginnings of an investment boom have been discernible since Al Qaeda-aligned militants left in August 2011, but where suicide bombings still threaten.

Others, like Hussein, choose the far safer option of Somaliland — a region that has run its own affairs since declaring independence in 1991, but has yet to be recognized by any foreign state.

“I know Mogadishu is getting better but I have family here and it’s safer,” she said.

Diaspora Somalis often bring with them skills, education, money and new ideas, making them better equipped to profit from Somalia’s fragile peace. But they also face culture shock and resentment from those who stayed behind.

Hussein admitted she finds it easier to identify with others from the diaspora because “they understand the ways of living outside.” Her businesses reflect this.

The inspiration for Kulan Art Café came from watching as her own children struggled to settle into their new home, and wanting to provide something familiar from “our other home,” as she calls London. -- Read more (http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/somalia/121221/reverse-brain-drain-somalia)

^^ Nice post! She also owns several ventures in Mogadishu, I remember watching another interview with her.

Diaspora Somalis often bring with them skills, education, money and new ideas, making them better equipped to profit from Somalia’s fragile peace. But they also face culture shock and resentment from those who stayed behind.

Hussein admitted she finds it easier to identify with others from the diaspora because “they understand the ways of living outside.” Her businesses reflect this.


This isn't really an issue IMO; it's a good market to tap into. More businesses that provide services to the diaspora and foreigners that have more money to spend is a nice way to get money, and if locals are employed, they will also have money to spend to help other businesses.

Doctors of the Somali Overseas Medical Association helping patients.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/380612_121637918001713_2095841070_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/64031_119239714908200_1609287200_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/548722_121637988001706_1841567174_n.jpg

^How big is this association in terms of members?

Somali women seek a brighter future in Mogadishu
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/65463000/jpg/_65463178_safia464.jpg
..After a period of stability, Somalis are coming back by the plane-load.
"You can hardly get a seat," one man tell us at Nairobi airport, on his way to Mogadishu….

.. Among them are many women, who want to play their part in rebuilding a country that has been at war for more than 20 years….
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20033839

TEACH SOMALIA
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/431413_371244316282176_573476201_n.jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/s720x720/549678_371244282948846_2117531411_n.jpg



Benadir Faculty of Medicine - One of the many Somali institutions they support with fees and scholarships:

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/403922_354399801299961_1911858249_n.jpg

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/s720x720/532133_354400804633194_717680990_n.jpg

Found Teach Somalia's campaign video

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s2NUlSfBJa4#!

Go-2-School campaign

http://laanta.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/mqw.jpg

Wasaarada waxbarashada iyo adeega bulshada ee xukuumada Somalia ayaa shalay soo bandhigtay qorshe waxbarasho oo sanadkan 2013-ka ay ugu talo gashay iney ka faa’iideystaan ardayda Soomaaliyeed ee aan heysan fursadaha waxbarasho ka dib markii ay saameyn ku yeesheen duruufaha adag ee dalka ka jiray 22-kii sano ee la soo dhaafay.

Wasiirada wasaarada horumarinta adeega bulshada Drs. Maryan Qaasim ayaa shalay qorshahaasi kaga dhowaaqday munaasabad lagu qabtay hotelka Jasiira ee magaalada Muqdisho taasoo ay ka soo qeyb galeen qeybaha bulshada sida aqoonyano, waxgarad, culumaudiin haween, xildhibaano iyo qaar ka mid ah bahda waxbarashada iyo Jaamacadaha ka jira dalka.

Drs. Maryan Qaasim ayaa sheegtay in dhallaan gaaraya qiyaastii 4 milyan oo da’doodu ka hooseyso 18 sano jir aysan heysan waxbarshadii ay u baahnaayeen xiligan taasoo keentay bay tiri in duruufaha nololeed ee heysta qaarkood looga faaiideystay iney ka qeyb qaataan dagaaladii iyo dhibaatooyinkii ka dhacay dalka.

“Wasaaradu iyadoo ka duuleysa arintaas, kana damqaneysa waxay isku duba riday qorshe waxbarasho oo balaaran kaasoo aan jecelnahay iney ka faaiideystaan arday gaareysa hal milyan oo uu kala qeybsan heerarka kala duwan ee waxbarashada, waxaana qorshahaas gacan naga siinaya maalgelinta ku baxeysa qaar ka mid ah heyadaha QM oo dhowaan aan kula soo kulmay Nairobi” ayey tiri wasiirada.