Historical centre under renovation with its sea coral madrepore buildings, including IGAD and district headquarters, new solar powered traffic lights:

Romney wants health insurance to be optional and the system less regulated, likewise for education; taxes, infrastructure and other spending cuts: all about individual choices and private sector. It's incredibly ideological and irrational: nobody can seriously defend sky high health costs that leaves much and many out, profit centred college and loans or neglecting inrastructures again when they are in such shape with high pollution and energy waste. The flawed premise being that the private sector do always best and social mobility exists yet everything proves the opposite as key innovations were all government sponsored in recent history, inequalities intolerably high with less and less profit reinvested productively, pollution and waste is pervasive and growth unsustainable without emphasis on human and physical capital (look at Sweden surprising growth, achieved through quality education, high level of innovation and social harmony through public redistribution or infrastructure etc).

No big deal Ibtisam, we are largely friends; we just have fundraising, audience and other areas to improve as we all agree on it and progress is being made. The basic car costs 84000 dhs in Dubai, around 17 000 dhs more for Dahabshill cut & full options (bundled with a 3 years loan), 20 000 dhs more for Djib customs and shipping: . The favorite kind for hire there; not the same potential as Slnd, where we are due together with the in-law, or Somalia but local services are booming with the net being commonly used for ads etc. Funnily, it's Somaliland textbooks that are used for deen & cultural classes when hooyo tutor relatives kids, such cute creatures and as religious as their parents or better. Have to locate used tyres sellers as it got the highest margins along medical supplies...

Thanks Ibtisam, pics are from Skyscrapercity; heat is mostly around June-August, there are ACs etc to cope with for those staying there (many opt for trips to Dire-Dawa, Taiz and other cities in Yemen, Somalia etc); one gets used to it nevertheless and everything is organised around that small constraint. We have a growing number of Somali diaspora investors active in banks, real estate etc; some businessmen formerly based in Xamar such as Xaaji A. Cadani, Sh Jimcaale of Hormood Telecom etc regardless of "Islamism" allegations (lots of less known Somalis being naturalised or getting local passports as well). Siesta beach in the city centre, parallel to the train railway; Sheraton hotel on the horizon: Views of the unique and greener Abbe Lake, the other lake not shown is salt covered Lac Assal (lowest point in Africa, its region is another world unique geological wonder):

Thanks Norf for your advise, I do fully appreciate your realism; I do not get involved but this time there was a matter concerning us very directly and it was just informal discussion, between "friends"; not naive to expect big changes overnight.

the North one Ibti; pple thinking it's about clans or family business: east for that, west for this, etc; hence boycotts and self-segregations etc.

wlc back Norf, hope it's not too tiring and everyone's fine. I've seen excuses made for violence, bullying etc "xumaan kama aha". Had a meeting with the mosque managers, an extremely frank one where I listed all that others complain about besides my own observations: "we just came to work together since long ago as a group, we are different sub-clans, we are letting trustees take over" etc. It's all great and uncontroversial in theory but the litmus test remains that trustees should be vetted, free of conflicts of interests and closely monitoring things: not silent acquaintances one tutor, business partner or remote ones etc (and willing to address the school, staff and other big controversies). If only people would say things to the concerned ones or stop smiling to them while having extreme views right next. Maybe we should have NORF there and start attracting people back, widen the audience.

It seems the owner of local Inchcape Shipping Services & Cie, DHL franchise, Hargeysa Coca Cola plant etc, Ahmed Osman Guelleh is behind and managing director of this latest big brand: The importance of managing the flow of information between all business functions inside the boundaries of an organisation, especially one operating on a multinational scale, is a differentiating factor that sets operators apart from their competitors. GSK Group is one such company that has embraced the advantages that a full-fledged enterprise resource planning (ERP) system can provide. “We needed a system that is able to consolidate and standardise the company's monthly reporting structure, especially from a financial and budgeting perspective,” says Piet Engelbrecht, Financial Director at GSK Group of Companies GSK Group is a Djibouti-owned and run company that has grown to become one of the major players in the country, in a very short space of time. The group comprises 13 different companies that each specialises in specific disciplines. These include construction, multimedia, travel, shipping, surveying, ship chandling, logistics, manufacturing, general trading and courier services. (source) GSK Group A $17m bottling plant in Somaliland is the biggest private investment in a country that desperately needs foreign funds "The investment was put up entirely by SBI, part of the OGF group, a conglomerate with interests in shipping, construction and property founded in 1949 by Osman Guelle Farah in Djibouti, where he used traditional routes to ferry goods between Djibouti and the Ethiopian town of Dire Dawa."(The Guardian) "OGF group’s turnover has reached 15 million US dollars. An unprecedented growth of 30% in the 5 years to 2006. We anticipate this rate of growth to forge ahead in the next 5 years to beyond 20 million US dollars." The OGF group (Hargeysa Edna Aden's Hospital partner).

Actually, sugar is toxic at every level, hence campaigns by experts. Even flour (bread, pastry etc) is very similar unlike grains or gross flour and best minimised (when finely milled it is immediately converted to sugar): it fuels tumorous cells etc etc. It is ironic but I guess 70-80% of pathologies are potentially avoidable and with heavy prevention and regulation, astronomical health budgets could be reduced as low as 100-300$ per capita (or even less with compliant and frugal citizens). We got the $100/head covered (15% of state budget) in Jabuuti, but still a long way away from Cuban noted efficiency or the Che's vision, not to sound too idealist. Is sugar toxic - 60 Minutes - Dr. Sanjay Gupta Ali.

Apart from new regional fully equipped hospitals and the health system reforms noted by the WHO (training and support from Cubans etc), the huge energy and water schemes are well underway too with gradual, marked reductions in tariffs; electricity costs have been already been lowered by a third after the interconnection to cheap Ethio hydropower; water links are underway too albeit the huge geothermal potential, wind, desalination and other alternatives are concurrently developed to avert dependence (Telecoms prices have dropped by 80% simultaneously): "The government of Djibouti has already given the green light to one such project, reaching agreement for a $20m programme with the Global Environment Facility, World Bank and OPEC. The development phase will be in the form of a public private partnership. The drilling of exploratory and production wells is scheduled to be completed by 2013 with generation capacity of 56MW coming on stream by 2018.[...] Early next year, a €35m desalination plant and an adjoining windfarm supplying 20MW, will begin construction with a view to completing by the end of 2014. There is also a 62MW wind farm being proposed for the Ghoubet region. By 2018, Djibouti has the ambition to be one of the first countries in the world to have 100% of its electricity consumption from renewable energy." (source) Toyota bid for the pipeline, a railway system and fiber optics cable line to stretch between Juba and Djibouti via Ethiopia: It is expected that a detailed feasibility study will be completed in the coming few months and the construction will begin within six months. The initial study had estimated that the construction of the pipeline will be completed within 3 months for 3 billion US dollars.Source: Capital Doraleh Refinery: Swiss Darlen Development Limited. "In addition to Dr. Fouad, many other dignitaries including Mr. Aboubaker Omar Hadi, chairman of the Ports Authority and zones, APZF and Djibouti's Ambassador in Geneva, Mr. Mohamed Ziad Doualeh, participated in this meeting which identified the contours of the project.[...] These refined products are designed to meet the needs of Djibouti, Ethiopia, South Sudan and any other demand, especially in Africa. Hadi said that Djibouti was more than forty years the fifth bunkering port in the world. "That place, which we lost in 1967, we will regain it," he said. (La Nation) Islamic Banking Summit: Africa (IBSA 2012) to be held in Djibouti "The on-going shift by African countries from being aid-dependant to increasing trade and investment ties with the Middle East, Islamic finance is set to play a key role in facilitating more trade and investment flows between Africa and the Middle East. Increased interest from Gulf investors in terms of agricultural land acquisitions and the mergers and acquisitions of financial institutions, as well as a growing Asian investor base, particularly in manufacturing and project finance, is expected to grow the African economy significantly." (shift from regional banking hub to an Islamic banking hub with ultra stable monetary environment and local currency pegged to the US dollar).

Ibti, was talking about aid in general and how corruption is tolerated locally too. Interestingly and on another note, the Danish gvt is making headlines along their champion brand in Kenya; this insulin is already reliably distributed in Sland/Somalia since few years and for roughly the same price. Why all the fuss when the private sector did exactely this, and entirely on its own, long ago outside Kenya (accross Somalia!)? PS hearing from the horse's mouth about refined food and urbanisation effects on health...

Ibti, donors are very much aware of their key destructive role (Italians before, Frenchs accross Africa etc) and prevent any clean counterpart deliberately for all the rhetorics; it's seen as a good thing to get your own mashruuc/funding at any cost... ps I meant the SLand academician FM.

Why not try and have nicely a word with the father then. Interesting lady, people do have different sides; it's great to get fresh eggs and produces straight off there (btw, do tell dambass or ashes are great fertilisers, got my tomatoes ready within a month in 96). Make sure the kids get their 5- a day greens before the selling while we are at it too ('less the villa is spacious or her farming skills informed) There is this uncle who got the foreign funded anti-piracy scheme relocated to the Sland Foreign Ministry under his watch (of course, close links etc), now the plum position ($ 6000 a month? car etc) made him stay largely there. Nothing much changed as the warabe guy said. PS mostly there through voip channels for now sxb Alpha lol

lol Ngonge sxb, I intend to visit my tuulo as any of you, so are you coming along (didn't know you went there)?

Waste recycling is actually a very timely idea; profitability through fertilizer compost in itself is unbeatable and this Bengali social entreprise has been widely celebrated, while now replicating this organic waste management scheme accross 10 African cities with the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation: Waste Concern. Lots of opps in providing basics from tech appropriate, low cost medical supplies to adapted books or even innovative construction, of course in irrigation & water drilling too to boost farms; or locally very suitable lucrative niches such as honey marketing where huge gap in unmet demand exists: somalihoney.com (interestingly based in Arabsiyo; pure honey at a premium even at the farm's gate). So are you guys ready for some adventure (hospitality offered)?

So, kids to funfair then movie did not leave much time for liv vs ev I guess (heard about it, don't have tv); mine was about draining, old family issues and then joining their celebration by voip (a very complicated bunch...albeit generous at times). Ibti, magnesium deficiency may cause chocolate craving (seeds, whole grains, salad vs draining refined sugars). Ciid mirrored my life; full of promises and potential yet deeply unsatisfying had it not been for my practising side. Alhamdulilah, no reported disaster this time though; glad yours was joyful ciid fellow solers...

Ali Mataan? can recall a Mataan fuel station back in 1996 along the main road from madaxtooyada/ hospital to suuqa. Nice row of villas, with trees and colorful stones; rainwater flowing over sand was always a marvelous sight as kids. PS Xero Awr used to be mostly residential, the town has changed fast, these last years in particular.

Since all have skype plus now the 1st VOIP phones set-ups that allow us to call finally Djib free as US numbers, it was such an agreable surprise seeing the youngest sibling again after a while; 26 years fled so fast, I remember details of our visit along habo yellow mitsubishi estate car and the blue outfit gift at the French hospital that morning in July 1986 when he was born, the subsequent holiday in Hargeysa "idaacada" and the Thursday "baambooy" military band boy) parade, using qodax to spit tusbaale drone zzzzzzzing with the elder cousin now a mother of 4 in TO, aabo and adeero coming back bruised after fetching water (I know recently about the then clan dispute, abtiyo arrest there as a Djib student "SNM suspect" but released immediately by the threatening m clan safir lady in djb, habo's friend and ayeeyo's vow not to return till dhulka la "xoreeyo", or aabo almost losing his job as an activist and local SNM fundraising manager). Or how me and the eldest almost threw the last baby in the toilets that holiday out of jealousy (apparently I used to spit on the one next to me after his birth too: yaayaa nuunuu tufuuu). Crazy kids we were, me in particular, very curious and restless Why do we make such a big deal of life if 3 decades can pass so quickly (can see now why ayeeyo etc had such memory lol); tasbiix indeed as the sister said...

asc all Xaaji Norf is a dedicated father; got something for the kids when you come around sxb. Does one learn to be a good father naturally?

So, what is on this ciid, trips to the family? I begrudge doing this, them being scattered, no longer close ones left etc Celebrating via voip maybe lol and listen getting bribed to do this, marry that etc Call it analysis paralysis but I block on making any key decision while there are so many factors and choices... some counselling by the elders may be needed

wcs, Those cosmetics are poisons, read long ago how litterally toxic or unknown were each of their listed chemicals (even cleaning products at home should be limited and possibly alternatives such as baking soda used). It even contaminates one's future children and are cause for the general decrease in fertility. Some toxicology reading should be compulsory: no chemical is fully safe and even those basic products manufactured in the West contains known toxics such as aluminium in deodorants etc. Vit D3 tablets in some places, esp. with the winter, are however largely being recommended as crucial for health, detox, mood etc (sun exposure in general is much better, tanning salons whereby artificial UV lead to the skin synthetising its own slightly different and less toxic vit d3 hormon and which some say are 2nd best choice are not always convenient). The advocated dosage range mostly from 1000 to 10 000 IU but it depends on one's deficiency, very common in many places and in some groups, the lenght of use etc (I would go for this Somali DR advise of daily 5000 IU of quality d3; GP monitoring recommended as some people may have risk factors, especially with the higher doses and long term usage)...

Mashallah, but let's aggregate those developments in the general section. I remember the town as a kind of legendary outpost where civilisation wanes but settled by "cousins" Burco has come a long way and business needs to be decentralised from Hargeysa.

Having been just reading a report on FDI growth in Africa, including intra-African investment, it is interesting to witness the local flurry of projects in S. Sudan pipeline and connections, new additions to the already developed Telecoms system which classify Djibouti as one of the top African hubs redelivering services to the entire region along Nigeria and S. Africa (connecting Somaliland through fiber optics, Puntland operators via microwaves etc) etc: "Yesterday, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fishery Resources responsible for marine resources announced the signing of a partnership agreement with an Algerian industrial group specializing in the agri-food sector (turnover of $4 billions). The Cevital group, based in Dubai, which committed to invest $50 million in fishing infrastructure in a first phase, expects to export part of the production." (La Nation) Its local partner, Red Sea Fishing (redseafishingdjibouti.com, turnover of $3,6 millions) was on local news for starting local boat manufacturing; a major upgrade in produced boats is expected. It recently welcomed a Sri Lankan fleet due to fish in Somaliland (a fishing cooperation was signed between Djibouti and Hargeysa), while already exporting marine products to the region.

Ibti, I meant you should visit as neighbours are expected, be all nice, diplomatic, while letting others know about the situation (Imam, elders etc). I would not endure witnessing those things but understand your cautiousness. Ngonge, I know Somalis tolerate abuse and violence to some extent but when directed against children, it's just terrible. Got this bad tempered relative to deal with, strange how people get away with things when others let them do so...

It may be that the mother got issues, the dad is absent etc; you can check with her nicely and contact elders or other relatives; even in Sland there must be clear cases outside intervention is warranted (besides, you are neighbours and that is like family in Africa). Abuse is rampant everywhere with Somalis and due to stress, varied pressures and life issues; even in the mosque, rules and police to deal with violence etc is needed. NORF can not be easily bullied though, save maybe by this climate