BRAIN GAIN | Somalia | Videos & Stories

[Constantine MMX]

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

[Constantine MMX]

World Wide Somali Students & Professionals - WSSP

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

[Constantine MMX]

Somali Diaspora returning in significant numbers as investors, skilled personnel and employers:

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

[musa90]

Nice thread.

[Xusein]

TEDx Mogadishu

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

[Constantine MMX]

[Constantine MMX]

Abdi Bile Returns to Somalia

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.


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.


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

[Constantine MMX]

TEDxMogadishu Speaker Lineup

Ilwad Elman


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


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


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


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


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


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.

[Ras Siyan]

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.

[daahir]

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





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/articl.../15/feature-01

[Xusein]

Very encouraging news.

[Constantine MMX]

Originally Posted by daahir

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

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

[Xusein]

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

[juzme123]

[talya]

Keep them coming love it

[VelesHomais]

Looks like things are changing for the better.

[Constantine MMX]

Can expatriate Somalis rebuild their country?

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

[Xusein]

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.

[Constantine MMX]

TEACH SOMALIA

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

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

[Xusein]

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

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