Somaliya La Yaabkii Iga qabsaday!

[lol]

Salaam Fellows, Ramadan Kariim.. It has been a long time indeed.. Been back home and whatever I saw can't be summarized here but I will give it a shot.

 

1. Goats leaning on the walls ( qaad bey ka dhargeen... can't balance their heads )

 

2. People you don't know who will respond to your conversations ( complain, nag, question and comment all at the same time whether asked or not)

 

3. Mean a** Mosquitoes ( Trust me no repellent is strong enough for these mutant mosquitoes.. They gotta have the bites)

 

4. Insects (Roaches, ants, lizards...) all part of the family (its not dirt.. they are everywhere)

 

5. Dabogur ( a girl claims that she has been dabogur-ed while she was sleeping ... meaning raped and noticed the aftermath in the morning.. apparently she has been sleeping through the whole ordeal ... aha not in my world "we call that prearranged")

 

6. Godobtir Nin baa nin dilay... gabar ka mid ah his family, ama clan or a relative ayaa reerkii laga dilay la siinaayaa oo la leeyahay tan ha idin dhasho kii aan idinka dilnay iyo in ka badanba. ( And the guys in the west wonder why women put them in jail... go figure)

 

Although I was completely satisfied with the fact that I have finally landed in a place where I was the majority and the white/black and yellow were minority yet the ignorance, poverty and the abuse that prevailed everywhere was disturbing.

 

I have met with an unfortunate sister who has AIDS in Galkayo ( Mind you 4 of 100 in Galkayo are infected with HIV/AIDS).. and I asked her how shegot it.. this is her story, " Nin aanu ilmo adeer nahay ayaa waxa uu ka yimid yurub. Asaga oo aad caato u ah oo jiran. Markii uu noogu yimid tuuladii aanu daganeyd odeyyaashii waxa ay ku taliyeen in la siiyo gabar walaasheey ah loona qalo neef ari maalinkasta si uu uga bogsado jirada heysay. Walaasheey ayaa sidaa lagu siiyey ninkii. Sidii loo joogeyba ninkii waa uu dhintay walaasheyga waa jiratay. Nin asaga reerkooda ka tirsan ayaa yiri waan dumaalayaa oo caruurta ina adeerkeey nin kale uma dhaxaayaan. Sidii baa walaashey lagu dumaaley. Sadex sano ka dibna walaasheey waa ay geeriyootey. Ninkii ay ka dhimatay waxey reerka ku taliyeen in aniga la ii siiyo oo caruurtu aaneey naga lumin. Ninkii waxaanu is qabnaba waa uu dhintay labo sano ka dib. Markaas ayeey yaabeen sababta keeni karta dhimashadan faraha badanle oo na soo saameysay. Markii dib la isugu noqday ayaa waxaa la go aan saday in nin dhaqtar ahaa oo mar mar tuuladeena imaan jiray loo sheego arinkii. Ninkii ayaana aniga i keenay Galkayo si leegu baaro maadaama aan ana soo xanuunsaday. Baaritaankii leegu sameeyeyna waxaa la ogaaday in aan cudurkan qabo. Markii la sii baareyna waxaa la ogaadey ninkii walaasheey la siinjiray ee caatada ahaa... in uu noo keenay cudurkan."

 

It was the saddest day of my life... I watched an innocent young sister lie on her dying bed for a disease she didn't ask for. That is what the men/women who got the disease did back home. There are so many stories... so many cases. Our culture facilitates the spread of this disease with, " Dumaalid & Xigsiisin".

 

Those of us who are diagnosed with AIDS, don't take it back home. They are poor people who are illetrate and believe this disease is for the Gaalo and not muslims. Leave it in the west. I am affraid it will soon wipe out majority of the population if prevention and educational programs are not implemented soon. Its spreading fast and those that are contaminated can't even admit it to the larger public. They will be deprived of the few months they have left to live peacefully.

 

SO my brothers and sisters devote a month or two of your years to your homeland...it needs you. Any kind of aid u can offer is needed.

 

Ramadaan Kariim and Eid Mubarak if I am not around to wish you all.

[Xafsa]

Godobtir iyo dabagur aa? Bisinka!!

 

The whole AIDS crisis is really over looked in somali walaahi. There is this lack of education adn no one is willing to educate the public about this disease because it is such a taboo topic. We need to get beyound this "ignorance is bliss" way of thinking and open our eyes. We need to deal with the here and now...some people think " waxaan annaga dhaqan uma lihin so it can't possibly be here" But its here so we gotta deal!!

 

 

hibo wlc back sweety!

[Changed]

( Mind you 4 of 100 in Galkayo are infected with HIV/AIDS)..

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

 

holy makaronni........Acuudi Billah...u are joking me right

 

 

anywho wlc back .

[nuune]

1. Goats leaning on the walls ( qaad bey ka dhargeen... can't balance their heads

yaabka yaabkiisa

 

5. Dabogur ( a girl claims that she has been dabogur-ed while she was sleeping ... meaning raped and noticed the aftermath in the morning.. apparently she has been sleeping through the whole ordeal ... aha not in my world "we call that prearranged")

yaab baa iga soo haray,saana maxay aheed

 

( Mind you 4 of 100 in Galkayo are infected with HIV/AIDS

amakkaag iyo wareer,tanaaba been dhahday wixii horoo dhan,walaahi waa wax lala yaabo hadana laga naxo,anigu yaab baa iga soo horay,miyaan naxaa mise waan yaabaa,garan maayo walaahi

 

eid mubaarak all

[dawoco]

Welcome back abaayo.

 

It's heartbreaking to hear such tales, but it's reality never the less.

 

My sister always says that i should go back to Somalia to get a reality check and become more focused on my future. I still have nice memories from home to hang on to and don't want to soil it with horrible reality yet.

But hearing all that makes me really angry and wonder whether it is worth to ever go back home.

On the other hand, i am somali and no one will build my country up for me......it's a sad situation

[Lefty]

4-100..Where did you get that figure ?

[lol]

Flying: Umaaaaaaah... I missed u immersely walaahi u can't imagine...thnx baby girl. Yeah we held a workshop for the religious leaders of Puntland just to make them aware of the AIDS and how it is affecting the population. Guess what their response was, " gaalo ayaa inoo keentay waa in la eryaa NGOska iyo intii la shqeysaba"... Imagine that.

 

Nuune: Walaahi aduunka amakaag iyo yaab lee igu soo dilay wadankii...

 

Miss: Its no joke sweetie...

 

Dawaco: Do go sister.. it will motivate you to want to make a difference.. It did that for me anyways..

 

Lefty: I worked for the eradication of FGM ( Female Genital Mutilation) and prevention of HIV/AIDS for two months.. don't you think I am bound to know the statistics?

[Gediid]

Welcome back Hibo.You only mentioned the problems you encountered while you were there,was there anything that made you smile other than being home among your people?

[Samafal]

Mind you 4 of 100 in Galkayo are infected with HIV/AIDS

This is shocking and somewhat depressing. Hibo walaaley I respect your statistics but do you have any reports, or written documents to support your statement because if this is the case it means 4% percent of the Galkacyo citizens are infected with killer desease and will die soon. I suspect you will have such docs as you were NGO worker.

 

Ilaahow noo naxariiso oo nagaqabo balaaayo Amiin

[Haashim]

Hibo baaye, anigu awalba dhiillo mooyee dhawaaq farax leh dhankaas kama sugayn,

 

 

inaan dabar go'nasanba anigu ka baqayaa idinkuna meelo dhowdhow baad eegaysaan.

 

Ilaahoow noo naxariiso oo ha na dabargoyn.

[Blessed]

Hibo walaalo welcome back .. we have missed ya.

 

Walaahi, I don't know how to take your post, it so very sad .. but in sha Allah khair. I have been thinking of going back home to do my part lately and you've just highlighted the need for us all to take something back to our people and make something of our homeland ...

 

SO my brothers and sisters devote a month or two of your years to your homeland...it needs you. Any kind of aid u can offer is needed.

In Sha Allah...!!

[lol]

Cawaale: absolutely alot of things made me smile.. such as beautiful landscapes... everything in its state of origin. The innocence and simplicity of the villages. It made me wonder why we are scattered so far apart when we are blessed with a land so breath-taking? But the problems and the poverty that prevails everywhere makes you loose focus and urge you to find a solution rather than praise the lands....

 

Yacquub: Absolutely. There is a Doctor called Abdinasir.. he is currently working in Galkayo.. I can surely get you documents if you like that will confirm my claim.. but what do you plan to do once I present you these documents? Are you going to be " reer fadhi ku dirir" or are you going to go back and make a difference and sacrifice your well moulded cozy life?

 

Murad: I don't think insults of this nature was called for.

Hibo baaye, anigu awalba dhiillo mooyee dhawaaq farax leh dhankaas kama sugayn,

waxaas oo kale in aad ku hadasho ma aheyn. Cid dhileysatay ma jirto.. aad iyo aadna waad u af xuntahay ee get some manners.

[lol]

My beautiful Ameenah: I am really glad that you feel that.. I hope to see you there...I sure do plan to go back more often...Thanx for the warm welcome.. I knew I had my nomadic family behind me... Ramadan Kariim sweetie.. I c u have been made a moderator in my absence.. congrats.. how does it feel to wear the hat???

[miles-militis]

Dear Hibo – as much as it pains us all to read your findings as to the AIDS/HIV epidemic in Somalia, Galkayo in particular, there really is very little that could be done other than educating the locals with regards to the destructive nature of the decease, its primary carriers – expatriates in the Diaspora, and creating public awareness of its adverse impact, social or otherwise.

 

n/b: I think Muraad meant “dhiillo” which in Somali means “state of melancholy and desire to do sth” not its crude yet close synonym with a single “i” which I reckon you mistook it for.

 

Here is the data and studies with regards to AIDS/HIV in Somalia:

Point to the following link - a .ppt presentation, HIV/AIDS Epidemic (21 pages) in POWERPOINT format , then go to slide 13.

http://www.radiogalkayo.com/banner/pma_art.php

 

STD/HIV/AIDS in Somalia - 1

- The status of HIV epidemic in Somalia remains uncertain because of inadequate data on the prevalence of HIV infection, STDs, and HIV risk behaviors.

 

- The only available data to estimate the prevalence of STD/HIV/AIDS infection are those studies conducted by UN agencies and other organizations, and also data collected from the major hospitals and MCH centers.

 

- In 1988 – 1990, HIV seroprevalence among sex workers in Mogadishu 0.5% were HIV positive, where a follow up study in 1990 with the same group, the rate jumped to 2%*.

 

- In 1990, another seroprevalence study among sex workers in Kismayo and Merca showed 4% of the sex workers were HIV positive*.

 

- Two studies conducted in Hargeisa and Bossaso in 1997 indicated that among women tested at the antenatal clinics, 2% were HIV positive*.

 

STD/HIV/AIDS in Somalia - 2

 

- In 1999, assessment study on STD/HIV/AIDS in Somaliland conducted by ICD indicated that the HIV prevalence for blood donors in Hargiesa was 1.4%.

 

- In 1999, another STD/HIV/AIDS prevalence study in Somaliland conducted by ICD with WHO collaboration had the following results:

 

- Overall prevalence of HIV among antenatal patients was 0.9%.

 

- HIV prevalence for TB patients in Hargeisa were found to be 7%, and 1.6% in Las Anod.

Another survey for TB patients in Borama found HIV prevalence of 8.8%.

 

- The prevalence of STDs in Somalia is quite high based on previously published and unpublished studies.

 

- In 1997, STD/HIV/AIDS prevalence in Somali and Somaliland conducted Hinda Jama supported by WHO revealed high prevalence of various STDs.

 

- ICD studies in Somaliland also showed high STD prevalence.

 

- Another study in Galkayo also showed high STD prevalence.

 

- Other data collected from the Hospitals and the MCH centers indicated high STD prevalence.

[Haashim]

Hibo baaye Af-Soomaaligaa marka hore la bartaa inta aadan dadka caayin, anigu ku caayi mahayo, laakiin waxaan ku leeyahay oo qudha af-soomaaliga soo baro.

 

DHIILLO = MURUGO

 

Murugana waa waxaad noo sheegtay (4 out of 100 are HIV positive), maalin dhoweydna waxaa la sheegayay (62 out of 300 warlords in Nairobi are HIV positive) murugada/dhiillada ka weyn bal ii sheeg.