Xamarweyne district is thriving despite what happened in the nineties.

[galbeedi]

 

The bloody diaspora folks like bad news and more bad news.

Why can't we Somalis be optimistic once in our lifetime?  wishing for better things to come, " Ina macal cusri Yusra" is a divine statement that after hardship there will be a moment of ease. The biggest thing in life is hope things will change. Without hope there is no future.

We magnify our mistakes and weaknesses while underrating our strength. While in Alberta Canada, there were some shocking events involving Somali youth who were involved in serious crimes which put the community under pressure. Yet, when you look, the refugee community who landed in this part of the world a generation ago, we  have produced doctors, lawyers, engineers, community leaders and other luminaries who are shining among the Arab and African immigrants.

I am raising this issue because I had just visited Xamarweyne today. Xamarweyne was the heart of the original civilizations of the Banaadir region. It is hard to grasp from the outside, but if you had lived among the  real Reer Xamar,  as I did in the eighties as a young high school student, that memory will never fade.

I jumped to a Bajaaj in mid morning and headed to Xamarweyne. The driver asked me where in Xamarweyne and I said, " just take me to the Shineemo Super area". He laughed and said there is no Sheenemo Super . Then I knew he was a newcomer.  I said take me close to Via Egito and Marwaas Masjid .I walked the rest but could not identify exactly where I was,  but finally walked all the way to  Maxakamada and walked through the narrow street and reached the ocean. The Port seemed to be quite with one or two empty ships at the dock while  a couple of tag boats were pulling another huge ship full of containers to the dock. I watched kids dip and jump to the Godka deep water area, and passed other sitting on top of the rocks while strong waves of the Indian ocean beet the shore.

Then I went to the " Kawaanka Malayga Xamarweyne" where fresh fish is cut for the customers. 200 pound lion size fish is cut for the customers and the young fishermen would approach you quickly to sell their fresh fish. You could bargain and get the best price. I observed that probably 90% of the fishermen were local Banaadiri, Jareer Weyne and Mogadishu original natives with very few Faradheer. These kind of skills isn't something you could learn with gun or acquired easily like other professions. It is a tradition these fishermen had  inherited generations ago. In the seventies Kacaanka Barakeysa used to distribute fish to the locals in order to teach Somalis the benefits of the fish. Today, most Mogadishu restaurants have a fish menu. Fishing boats filling the shores of Liido Beach shows life of working at the sea and catching goods is still alive and well which means there is a civilization in Mogadishu. Kawaanka Xamarweyne being busy and thriving means Xamarweyne is alive.

 

When you enter Xamarweyne, you could see that the the bustling trade of wholesale is still booming. Some of the streets are wide with few cars despite blocked roads. The population of old Banaadiri is scars in these area, but as I entered the old narrow streets of Xamarweyne, suddenly you meet and see the local Reer Xamar and their shops. Their famous tailor shops with over hundred years of tradition is there. They could tailor the best suit you usually see in luxury boutiques. They tailor Cabaayado, wedding clothes, shirts and everything between. Despite the mayhem that took place here in the nineties, the old tailorship of Reer Banaadir is booming.

There were horror stories about Banaadiri original people being driven out and disappearing. That might be partially true compared the to size of current Xamaeweyne population, but still  they dominated the old town and have a presence in the business district. many of them probably came back to reclaim their real state assets . If streets are  cleaned daily Xamaewyne could be a great business district. I went through the narrow streets to find my old Banaadiri neighbors , but I had no luck. The character of the buildings had changed and it was difficult to recognize after thirty some years. Naively, I was little bit nostalgic, and was trying to find Reer Xaaji Bana and their young kids who are grown old just like me to be somehow around.

I went inside one of the tailors and bought some fabrics and asked the Banaadiri guy to make nice Cabaayad for my wife. That is the best I could do for my old neighborhood.The message I am sending is that Xamarweyne is alive and thriving. I know people went through tough times, but life is returning normal. At the narrow streets across the ocean, I saw kids in Madrasa reciting Quraan and you have Masjis within the perimeters of the  ocean waves. The bad thing is that the checkpoints are making the streets across the Indian ocean more like a fortified military zone.

 

Anyway, I will go back tomorrow to get my clothes and wonder the old Xamaewyne and see where Uunlaaye Bakhaar and Shineemo Super used to be

Anyway, as Allah says, " There is an ease after hardship"

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

5 hours ago, galbeedi said:

I jumped to a Bajaaj in mid morning and headed to Xamarweyne. The driver asked me where in Xamarweyne and I said, " just take me to the Shineemo Super area". He laughed and said there is no Sheenemo Super . Then I knew he was a newcomer.  I said take me close to Via Egito and Marwaas Masjid.

Waa wareey, Via Eejito aan maqlo goormaa igu dambeysay. My late hooyo u raaci jiray markuu iskoolka xiranyahay oo meeshaas ka soo adeegan jirtay. She seemed like she knew everyone there because every few steps dad ayaa na istaajin jiray, salaan iyo iswareysi. Isbarmuuto qaboobna waaka cabi jirnay. Old growth trees ayaa jidkaas ku taxanaa, wali waa xasuustaa.