Lost Boys

[Faheema.]

^ Completely agree with you there CG...and when they do commit a crime it tends to be sophisticated and not your everyday petty crime.

[NinBrown]

Northerner bro...Its true you dont need to meet one, but the point I am making is that if people dont know what it takes to achieve something then they wont achieve that. Did you know 70% of medical students in the UK one or both of their parents have a medical background.

 

I think is good we are concentrating on the achievement of Somali kids....however, the environment they live in will ultimetly shape their future. Unforetunetly as Somalis we live in the most deprived areas in the UK ,and hence most of the kids will become products of that environment.

[NGONGE]

Lost boys? You people make it sound like some sort of a crisis! I'll of course concede that there is a problem but I refuse to believe it's a life and death one that requires all this talk about family planning and the like!

 

Some people float and others sink. It's life. Nothing to it. Move on to the next subject and stop giving Marc Smith ideas for his next sensational video.

[Faheema.]

Originally posted by

NGONGE:

 

Some people float and others sink. It's life. Nothing to it. Move on to the next subject and stop giving Marc Smith ideas for his next sensational video.

LoL@ sensational video is that what they're call it these days.

 

While that might be the case in the end, I believe some people need a helping hand (be it the environment or a role model) in order for them to realise their potential and achieve what they want in life.

[NGONGE]

^^ Of course. It's a very noble thing to do if you can spare the time.

[Faheema.]

^^ Are you saying that you wouldn't have time for your own kids/nieces & nephews? that is where it all begins right

[NGONGE]

I don't really have the time for the nieces and nephews, as for my own kids; I don't think I have much choice there. They crowd my house and I find myself obliged to teach and educate (purely for selfish reasons) so that they don't grow into troublemakers that would crowd me and destroy my furniture (not to mention my reputation).

 

At any rate, I taught them all how to use a computer and the eldest can already read. I'll just have to set SOL up as my home page and hope this little village raises them for me while I am busy setting the rest of the world to rights.

[ElPunto]

Originally posted by Caano Geel:

take the UK, by the time your 16 the society has already defined a large aspect of the life you will lead (education, health, wealth, prospects..) and it takes a lot of personal character to redirect your self away from it. So really if your talking about changing a society and not remoulding characters away from and to various paths, you've got to get in on the formative years.

 

If the role of parents is then to help their children in these early years, you have to take into account the amount of attention a given child has from their parents. Take an ideal case, 2 parent and say 4 children, assume that you have loving caring providing ... parents that share their attention equally between the children. In this case, at best children get *1/4 of a parents full attention* each. Now take 6 children, they now get 1/6 ... you get the point, the point (couldn't help it).

 

so having given you my condensed 'how in god's name'... gimme your anti

Ok - it's not too difficult. Here in North America, Blacks have the average household size ie 2/3 and Somalis upwards of 5. Both groups pretty much do the same socioeconomically. In fact in certain places ie. Minnesota Somalis are doing better despite their large family size.

 

Additionally, the idea that having more time to devote to children necessarily equals better outcomes is flawed. Granted - the probability is favourable that more time spent with your children is better. But how many of us know individuals in our families who were brought in similar circumstances and are at vastly different places in life. I know in my own family there are too many to count.

 

And then you have the additional factor of sex. Why is it that Somali girls and boys brought up in the same 'large' families are doing so differently? Shouldn't the size of families affect both sexes to the same negative degree or close to it? Why is it not?

 

I reject categorically the idea that family planning is the solution or any arguments in that vien. I think that is way too reductionist. I would accept the idea that one of the factors contibuting to the 'lost boys' is that problems are unlikely to be diagnosed and remedied early enough where the parent has too little time to devote because of the number of kids. (But then again - you can say the too little time argument about busy executives and time does not denote quality - I really dislike this argument instinctively)

 

Personally - I think the primary factors leading to this problem are:

 

1- The individual choices these 'loser boys' make

2- The shameful and outrageous absence of Somali fathers

3- The Yob culture which these rejects adopt as if it were their own - (wtf do you have an earring for? - damn!)

 

 

One other note - I think people should be careful about distinguishing what really matters. It matters not whether you get married at 15 or you or your spouse are uneducated and unskilled. What matters is your character and work ethic. If all that you and your offspring manage to accomplish is to be low skilled wage labourers - that is fine. There is nothing wrong with that. Clearly to be educated is to allow yourself more in terms of opportunities and material comfort but that is not how everyone is made.

[ElPunto]

Originally posted by -Lily-:

The Point, this nonsense of ‘opportunity’ is what everyone keeps throwing at these youths. Have they been raised to appreciate what an opportunity is? Or is their version of an opportunity pick pocketing the elderly man at the bus stop for some cigarettes?

 

It is not nonsense at all. 'Have they been raised...' - I think this is the crux of the problem. People really need to ponder at what age any individual should step up and take responsibility for one's own actions. Fortunately for us our religion gives us some gudiance - the age is puberty or 15. Let's take 15 years of age. And yet here we are making excuses for these people - many who are much older than that. I'm not saying there are not external factors that have shaped these loser boys but the primary reason is the individual choices.

 

I don't think it is rocket science to assume these losers see, hear and possibly read(one hopes!) of individuals who arrive in the country with nothing and then end up doing very well. Why is it inconceivable for these people to think and ask themselves - how can go I about in that vien?

[Laba-X]

Originally posted by ThePoint:

the primary reason is the individual choices.

...And choices have consequences!

[Centurion]

One other note - I think people should be careful about distinguishing what really matters. It matters not whether you get married at 15 or you or your spouse are uneducated and unskilled. What matters is your character and work ethic.

Yes, and the 'character' of underachieving teenagers are quite developed.

 

We are not talking about teenagers who work and have set their eyes on marriage, we are talking about parents urging and pursuading their underachieving teenagers to get married sooner- so as to get settled, and perhaps lead a more passive life(they hope).

 

The old somali proverb 'Qofka tiisa daryeela ba tukale ku dara' is definately true here, how can we expect teenagers (15-19) to get married and raise kids, when they themselves do not have the maturity or the sensibility to make something out of their own lives?

 

 

Large families is what we've brought with us to the West, it hasn't been ideal for our households- nevertheless at least the number of children per household should decrease with this generation. The more worrying issue which can come under this umbrella of 'family planning' is that of increasing numbers of teenage marriages.

 

The disparity between the sexes, is significant and we can assume the lack of a genuine father-figure is perhaps to blame coupled with greater exposure to 'the streets'.

[ElPunto]

^I don't know. Presumbaly the argument is that perhaps marriage will change their ways and foist on them responsiblity. Additionally the parents don't want to seek it elsewhere

 

I'm not sure it makes a whole helluva lot of difference. These 'kids' can refuse the marriage after all.

 

And it's not even underacheiving kids that are the problem per se - somebody has to say 'would you like fries with that' - it's the criminal element.

[LayZie G.]

I want to start by saying that I understand what each and everyone of you are going through.

 

Lately, I have come to the conclusion that we, every last one of us that are members of SOL have a good heart.

 

Its shows in your posts, it shows in your usual rants that you love your nation and your people, as much as I do.

 

I love my nation and there is nothing more I want than to be proud of my people with my head held up high.

 

Its no secret that I am disgusted with single mothers in canada who continuously abuse the welfare system with my tax dollars, but how do I stop it?

 

Its no secret that Rahima has seen so much hardship in her community in melbourne(being passed from generation to generation), and the same is probably true in perth, sidney etc.

 

More importantly, we have all tuned in to our brother in islam aka Mr Smith, who took it upon himself to broadcast the very same issues going in his community, through youtube, and what an awereness it has generated.

 

He used the internet, a global phenomena to work for him. He doesn't broadcast his sessions out of pure hatred for his people(atleast thats what I have taken from his video's), he does it because he cares. (I really hope you understand that caano geel, instead of being just fed up with the message, do something, let that enegry work for you too )

 

 

We spend part of our working hours, and our spare time in SOL, inorder to come together as somalis from all walks of life, and discuss issues and exchange ideas.

 

Why can't this union that SOL has given us work for us, instead of against us?

 

Why can't we utlize our time here, after all we are here because we care, we want to be in a constant contact with issues that face our great nation and the people of somalia, soomaha? atleast thats why I come here.

 

I propose that we create a network.

 

We will start small, we will create local area contacts from all over the world(one base for each continent, majority rules). This is strictly on a volunteer base, funds from our own pockets, through fundraising will be needed.

 

 

Our brothers and sisters in North America will be divided into two bases, depending on turn out.

 

We will have several locations in europe(seems the numbers are higher in europe than anywhere else), london, UK will serve as the head quarter of the network. We will setup location in Australia as well as Asia, and most importantly numerous locations in africa.

 

Our aim will be to serve and better our communities. Message being, for the people by the people.

 

We will organize ourselves and we will create a national awareness in due time, maybe get endorsements.

 

This type of network will cover more ground work, than we can possibily imagine.

 

Some of the things we will implement could include national conference's, workshops, scholorship programs(to attract the youth) setup locally, but it will be the same message being distributed all across the board, where-ever somalia reside. A little town in "jilib" to the city of perth back to manchester, UK, we will all be on the same page.

 

We will have speakers, local hero's, community leaders come and speak on a national scale that will be organized year in advance.

 

So, the question is, who is with me?

[ElPunto]

^OMG!!! Not a single italicized word! Are you ok dear? Is all this warm weather affecting you adversely?

 

I think one should start small. There are Somali community groups in most major cities now. If one isn't volunteering with them - then all the bellyaching is really of no use.

 

And in case you're wondering - I've got that base covered.

[LayZie G.]

^ you didn't get my point, Mr point.

 

Volunteering locally is fine, but inorder to get the message across universally, we need to have a sense of urgency in a big platform such as the "NETWORK".

 

For instance, "climate change" is a crisis, one that the average person knew off, but didn't know to what extent it affected them.

 

 

So what does Al Gore do? He gathers around his people, little or no funding and makes a movie, goes out discussing it in national conference's.(it help that he was the former vp of a powerful nation)

 

He took it upon himself to challenge the world leaders and to make an awareness of just how serious climate change was to us.

 

The reward of hardwork was priceless for him(nobel peace prize, but guess what? It really got the attention of some of the world leaders.

 

It was front and centre of each world leader's agenda, because the grand scale on the way in which AL gore's message was presented to the world was something that no man or woman could turn the other cheek on, much less leader's of the nation's of the world.

 

So, as an individual, you can put 1-2 hrs of volunteering, most of us have done it, but that only helps few people.

 

This network I speak about, will help thousands and thousands of our people. Why you ask? The message will be the same across the board, the sense of urgency that is needed will be the force of the "NETWORK".

 

Underdog said that the youth of today want hero's, ok, here you have a world wide name(the network ___), made up of from men and women, of all ages, coming as one, put their resources together, all the while bettering the communities they serve.

 

We all want something to identify with soomaaha?

 

This project I am presenting will be start in the right direction.

 

The message is clear, action, action and some more action.

 

We can't sit back and see generations of children evaporate infront of us, atleast I can't sit back and allow that to happen.

 

Point Dear,my concerns are shared by most soler's if not all of them.

 

Everyone is saying the samething about our people, broken homes, troubled children, absent fathers.

 

I honestly want you to get the full picture here, not waxa "italics" kusoo qoro iyo wixii kale.