Chimera Posted December 18, 2007 New Mall in Minnesota A new Somali Mall was opened in Minnesota with the blessing of Mayor R. Tryback and CEO of African Development Center Hussein Samatar Well done reer Minnesota Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar Posted December 22, 2007 Salma Aaden December 21, 2007 - Toronto Star - Salma Adam has been on a long trip; she's home now, here for good. Her travel began four years ago, when she was in her teens. Her parents died in Somalia during the war. In order to avoid an arranged marriage to an elder – the man already had several wives – she was spirited out of the country and into the United States by an uncle. From there she was given a bus ticket that pointed north. Salma walked across the Peace Bridge late one night, alone in the cold, wearing sandals and a cotton dress against the wintery weather. We sent her back that night, but we took her in the next day. Since then, she has graduated from Emery Adult Learning Centre, where she improved her English and earned enough credits to get into college. She will graduate next year as a registered nurse. I went to see her the other day at a federal government building on Dundas at Kipling. She was there to get her citizenship. That's what I meant when I said her travels were over. Home is here, now. I hadn't seen her for a couple of years. I wasn't sure I'd recognize her. Then I noticed a young woman in front of a citizenship and immigration plaque; she had just asked a passerby to snap her photo. And I saw that smile; Salma, no doubt about it. How has she been? She said, "Oh, I've moved house several times, going from place to place, but I've managed. I've been doing nursing jobs in hospitals and homes, anything I can do." How's school? She began to talk, non-stop, breathless, optimistic. "I was on the dean's list last month. I'm really very happy. Today's my day. It's been tough but good things always come if you work hard every day. "I think back; there were a lot of things in my way. You know, that day on the bridge I wished I didn't come. I wished my uncle hadn't asked me to leave. I wished I was still in Somalia. Did I know all the things in store for me? No. But keeping the faith will keep you moving." Has she spoken to her uncle? "My uncle doesn't have a phone. The town has a walkie-talkie. To talk to him, I have to make an appointment, and then he has to come." An unspoken loneliness in her eyes; will she go back for a visit? "When I graduate I will go back. It's still not safe. Perhaps one day I can sponsor my uncle." I hope so. How is she managing her tuition? "I have a Millennium Bursary. The first year I had a scholarship from the Maytree Foundation. For the second, third and fourth years I have been getting scholarships. I'm doing really well." She also got a little lump of money one year from Honest Ed, who was in the habit of giving grants to newcomers. Ed, you should see her now. The room where the citizenship ceremony took place was full to overflowing. Salma sat up straight, looked around the room and said, "I've made friends with all kinds of people; Filipinos, Pakistanis, I have friends from every group." There were 98 people from 36 countries getting their citizenship that morning; after the ceremony, Salma stood among them, posed for a few photos, ate a red-and-white government cupcake, drank a cup of coffee courtesy of Tim's and said, "Now I have to go to work. I have a job in the Health Sciences lab at Humber. It helps me survive. I have exams to prepare for. And I have a job interview coming up." Journey over? Just beginning. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kool_Kat Posted December 22, 2007 Honest ED would've been so proud of her... I am just not sure though about the arranged marriage to an elder man, the sandals and cutton dress, and the bus ticket...However, if that's the story she had to tell to get to where she is today, WHY THE HELL NOT!!! Good for you Salma, keep it up... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chimera Posted March 27, 2009 TB treatment success rate in Somalia reaches 89%, says report Tuesday, March 24, 2009 Mogadishu, Somalia (APA) - Tuberculosis treatment success rate in Somalia is 89 percent, according to a medical report issued at the end of a two-week anti-tuberculosis campaign. The TB campaign was co-organized by the Somali National Olympic Committee, the Global Fund and World Health Organization to raise awareness of the curable disease. Global Fund coordinator for south-central Somalia Abokar Ali Hilowle told reporters on Tuesday that more tuberculosis treatment centers need to be opened in Somalia so that the country may keep up with the global target of eradicating tuberculoses by the year 2015. “Currently we have 21,746 tuberculosis cases in Somalia and we hope that there will be a big decrease in that number in the upcoming years,” he said. He called on sick people to go regularly to the tuberculosis treatment centres so that the target of eliminating tuberculoses in Somalia can be reached. Source: APA, Mar 24, 2009 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Buuxo Posted March 27, 2009 ^That is good news Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chimera Posted May 8, 2009 Somali youth play chess to promote peace Somali youths will have yet another thing to pass their tough times and perhaps develop their mental capacities and promote peace as schools in Mogadishu now started to hold regular chess contests among their students, thanks to an initiative by local schools chess association. The first of its kind, the contests which kicked off on Thursday bring together chess players from a number of schools in Mogadishu who will be competing one another for the next week. Held in Mogadishu, the opening ceremony was attended by senior Somali government officials including the Deputy Speaker of Somali parliament Omar Dalha, head of Somalia's Olympic Committee, Aden Haji Yeberow Wiish, and the leader of Somalia's Chess Federation, Ahmed Abdi Hassan Wata. Somalia Chess Federation which is a member of the International Chess Federation has organized the event for the local Mogadishu Schools Chess Association, the only schools chess organization in the war-torn country. Sports is very much appreciated in the chaotic country where most of the facilities have either been destroyed or changed into military bases by the warring sides in the Somali civil conflict that raged for the past two decades. "Chess is not only a sport and past time but is also a mental exercise that will definitely stimulate the young brain and we hope this will contribute to the healthy development of our young people, and promote peace in our country" Said wata, the top official of Somali Chess Federation, as he spoke during the opening ceremony of the Mogadishu Schools Chess Contest. Other dignitaries who spoke at function praised the Somali Chess Federation for its initiative to organizes the chess contest and for encouraging the youth to take up the sport which many of the officials, agreed help promote peace in the war torn country. Dozens of enthusiastic young students from different schools soon started tussling at each other as they pondered over the chess board and made their deliberate and thought of moves to checkmate their opponent. "I have been practicing chess for the past several months for this contest and I am very hopeful that I will win over my opponent in this game," Twelve year old Muse Ali, said as he made his move. Parents and teachers were watching over the games anxiously and urging the students as they played the game which one of the teachers attending said would help the young not only enjoy the sport and improve their mental capacity but it will help move them away from the fighting and wars currently going in their country. "This is what will help them divert their attention from the bad things that are going all around them and help them get along will each other," Yasin Omar, a teacher at the contest told Xinhua. "We hope all the schools in Somalia would take to chess and allow their students to play this very important game that will be of benefit not only to them but to society in general," Omar added. This is the first time but will not be the last time, promises Wata, such contest is organized for schools in Somalia where the national education system and sport have been destroyed by two decades of civil war in the Horn of African country. Source:Xinhua Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BOB Posted May 8, 2009 Where is sister Nomadique these days by the way? SOL misses her dearly and if anyone amongst you happen to know her please convey my Salaams to her Insha Allah... Caafimaad iyo Cimri dheer ayaan u rajeynayaa Insha Allah. Peace, Love & Unity. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar Posted May 9, 2009 Anigana salaanta igu dar loo diraayo to that sister, Nomadique. She was one of the people that made SOL what SOL is today. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Buuxo Posted May 11, 2009 ^Bob & MMA, Nomadique waaye nabad-qabtaa...She doesn't come here anymore.But she was definately one great SOler.Salantiina waan ugudbin,inshallah. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
