Live and Exclusive from Hargeisa: Q A with Alpha Blondy

[Alpha Blondy]

many of you are probably considering moving to Africa. i've been here for 2 years and 9 months now. this is your chance to ask questions you have may have about relocating here. i'm more than happy to answer your questions regarding this or questions of a personal nature regarding my own short but rich experience here.

 

cheers,

 

al.

[oba hiloowlow]

what is the worst things living in the motherland? And why did you move to the Horn? Lets say i wanna open a business back home and want to start a new thing innovation what fields are potential ?

[Alpha Blondy]

in the summer of 2009 i read things fall apart and my perspectives changed forever oba. i was deluded saxib and felt British dee LOL, in hindsight, it was also my protected upbringing that misled me about the harsh realities of life. i believed in this potent mantra of democracy, multiculturalism and human rights before denouncing the WEST forever. for the next year or so, i begun a process of self-evaluation, of change, of finding purpose and belonging. i did that by coming here, i hope. talk is cheap - action is key.

 

the worst thing about the motherland is the difference of thinking and values between the locals and those from the diaspora and having to adjusting to norms here. i suppose the notion of cultural navigation and being able to straddle and negotiate your identity of being muslim, somali and black in the UK has no use here, since the people and the land are yours. here, seeing is believing and there are no foggy ideals. certainty, i don't doubt the importance of this but the nature and the manner in which it manifests itself is shocking. its a material society, those who have money and other material possessions are respected. everyone wants to own things, own houses, own cars, own load, own sharaf and own life and corrupt it. this nihilistic way of thinking doesn't bode well for the future of our people. its a broken society and values are eroding very quickly and being replaced by consumerism. the hierarchical system is also a worrying prospect of have and have not. i also don't like the way most locals undermine you by pretending they're more than somali than you. surely, this is open to interpretation. there is also an underbelly of moral corruption worst than anything i've seen in the WEST.

 

its an free market here sxb. opportunities are endless. there are ample opportunities in the manufacturing sector as its non-existent. there are also opportunities in the service sector. there was an interesting seminar held at mansoor hotel last week organised by the world bank. http://doingbusiness.org/reports/subnational-reports/hargeisa. download this pdf as it'll shed more light on your questions.

[Wadani]

[quote there is also an underbelly of moral corruption worst than anything i've seen in the WEST.

.

Can you elaborate on this and also furnish it with some examples?

[Haatu]

This is actually not a bad thread. Not bad.

[Carafaat]

Alpha,

 

Would you care to elaborate how often you engage in intercourse on monthly basis, both now and previously when you lived in the UK?

Could one state that there is a positive correlation between frequency of intercourse and your relocationing to Hargeysa?

[Alpha Blondy]

looooooooooooooooool@inaadeero arafaat,

 

walahi you have no manners ma iistiri?

[Oz]

That was an open goal alpha.... Lol. Besides awesome thread.

[Kulmiye]

Saxib, tell us a little secret about the chicks. are they all desperate for a ticket to outside or is that just a Somali rumor? and how many dudes have seen coming back to get married and going back?

[Alpha Blondy]

i'll be taking further questions for next hour and half. please, lets be civil and use this opportunity fully.

[Alpha Blondy]

for goodness sakes, i was asked by my colleague during my jeudi soir to sign some documents and was forced to waste 40mins of our precious live Q&A. i'm so sorry.

[Alpha Blondy]

Apophis;880959 wrote:

^^ I've been thinking of relocating just like you but I'm concerned about the job prospects, as it's often a case of

"who you know"

rather than

"what you know"

; so how hard is it to find employment (at graduate level) and what are the salaries like?

Apo,

 

yes! nepotism does exist and there is no denying the extent to which this affects job prospects. you needn't worry laakin as the bigger jobs and better paid jobs are all applied online. usually these jobs ask for at least a Masters degree and 5+ experience. this can waivers laakin for the most part as 'other skills' and experience are considered. in terms of salaries we're talking anything from $1500 to $3000 per month with some benefits included such as accommodation. locals jobs are usually $500 to $1000 per month, the latter is paid to those who are somewhat qualified.

 

as a recent graduate opportunities are ample. you can start by volunteering and there are plenty of volunteering opportunities with both big INGOs and small Local NGos as well as private sector companies and govt ministries that could turn into permanent jobs. in fact, i'd recommend working with govt ministries as you could learn the machinery of governance plus that would look great on the CV. securing employment is ultimately down to your efforts.

 

check these sites for constant posts of jobs;

 

www,http://reliefweb.int/

 

www.idealist.org

 

also Somaliland Youth Group on GoogleGroups is the best source of jobs!!!!!!

[Alpha Blondy]

Kulmiye;880939 wrote:

Saxib, tell us a little secret about the chicks. are they all desperate for a ticket to outside or is that just a Somali rumor? and how many dudes have seen coming back to get married and going back?

Kulmiye,

 

my interactions with locals is fairly minimal. i do not know their inner dynamics, to be quiet frank. for the most part, local girls are very much interested in those from diaspora because of the opportunities presented (1. passport, 2. a ticket to a better life, 3. financial opportunities, 4. fame and glory etc). i was offered $10k for a bogus marriage to a chick from an affluent family once, laakin, i wasnt interested as i'm still looking to marry my counsin at the behest of my uncle, of course, in a bogus marriage. in previous years, it was the case that men who failed miserably in the west would come here and marry a ripe young lass but it now appears that girls from the diaspora are now coming here to marry 'good' local lads. this is a fairly new phenomena and one that i'm actually quiet surprised to see.

 

unfortunately, it now a common attitude in hargeisa to insult those from the diaspora. the term has become very dirty and has alot of negative connotations. i'm not surprised to see this because for every 10, 8 are mentally incapacitated or dhaqan celis. my status as a young professional is very rare, runnti. i came here on my own accord.

[Wadani]

Alpha, I thought u were just man. I asked my question before Apo and u gave him a satisfactory answer and are yet to answer mine.

[Wadani]

True, but mine was much more interesting.