Meeting Abdi: a reporter in Mogadisho

[hodman]

Ninkan dhagaysta

click on the bottom player to listen

 

Somalia usually makes the news for stories about piracy. But people who live there face increasingly dismal and dangerous conditions that get less coverage in the media. Somalia has been without a functioning government for 18 years.

 

The journalist Paul Salopek has been to the capitol Mogadishu a number of times since 2002, most recently about a year ago. He tells Dick Gordon about the changes he's seen. He also introduces us to a young Somali who we hope will become a regular presence on The Story. Abdi is a schoolteacher who loves Hollywood cinema and used to be known to his friends as The American. Not so any longer - recently, Abdi received a threatening call telling him to drop that "evil" nickname. That's just one example of the violent hold Islamist groups now have on the residents of Mogadishu. Abdi's first essay airs today.

 

* Read an article Paul wrote about his friendship with Abdi

* See slide shows and articles from Paul's reporting in Somalia here Ninkan dhagaysta

[Aaliyyah]

Thanks Hodman for sharing this link. Of course piracy is just a fraction of the story.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Abdi is a schoolteacher who loves Hollywood cinema and used to be known to his friends as The American. Not so any longer - recently, Abdi received a threatening call telling him to drop that "evil" nickname.

Haddee run tahay, kuwaan yaabkooda igama dhamaado. Taloow haddee Maykal Maryama uu noolyahay oo ay qaban lahayeen kuwaan Dhalinta la baxay maxee ku sameyn lahaayeen? I am sure magaciisa kaliya xoog ma ugu badali lahayn.

[Jacpher]

I heard it on npr tonight on my back home and I thought Abdi waxoogaa buu xawaajiyeeyey bariidka. A twenty four year old Abdi teaches Engish, French and math, has a girl friend and dresses like rapper with a nickname tall American, in Moqdisho? Cusbada ka yaree dheh Cabdiyoow.

 

It is disheartening to see school kids and civilians paying the highest price in Somalia's eighteen year civil war and still continue to do so. Yaa rabb!

[Cabdow]

^ I agree, abdi haduu darbada nagakala aayari lahaa waa fiicnaan laheed!

 

Intay goori goor tahay, Soomalida hadaynan dhalintan wajiga duubta ee labaxay 'shabaab' iska qaban, walle bari wax badan wey ka shaleen.

[hodman]

Lol I was thinking the same thing! How did he learn French horta? And that whole thing about how he used to go swimming with his sweetheart all the time is another xawaaji

[Abwaan]

Originally posted by Kanzy:

I heard it on npr tonight on my back home and I thought Abdi waxoogaa buu xawaajiyeeyey bariidka. A twenty four year old Abdi teaches Engish, French and math, has a girl friend and dresses like rapper with a nickname tall American, in Moqdisho? Cusbada ka yaree dheh Cabdiyoow.

 

[STOIC]

I listened to the whole show though he may have added alot of "cusboow" to his report I'll give it to the brother on how eloquent he was speaking the English language (though with thick accent)...IF he goes at this rate he will maybe one day become a reporter...