BASHIR ASKS ME TO COMPLETE HIS STORY...

I received an email this morning from Bashir... He has asked me to add the following to his life story, which I profiled in an earlier blog...

" after the death of my father, me and 2 my brothers arrived in Mogadishu then we studied at the college where my father was working. all my primary, secondary school I studied at that collage without paying fees. at that time i was feeling my life is better than those Somali's whose parents still live.

because i got whatever i need inside of the collage Alhamdulilah. in one minute i didnt feel I'm orphaned or something like that.

after my graduation of the collage i enrolled the Mogadishu University, it was 2007.

I studied 4years of a bachelor degree at this university  during difficult situation because the time i started the university was the period Ethiopian troops entered the city.

War become my daily life, explosions, armed conflict and running gun battles, were what we adopted

I remember early one morning when i went to campus bullets were flying everywhere you walked on the road.'  blocking the roads, checking the buses and cars, was the main problem because we were delayed for university.

For 4years our situation was like that and sometimes worse, finally i finished the Degree of Business Adminstration.

I feel now a hope, to change my life for a war to a peace Inshaa Allah.

Living with the past

It's been 4 days back in South Africa and life as I know has returned to normal, but I am not... I am constantly thinking about evryone we have left behind in Somalia. The friends we came to kinow so well, our partners the Zam Zam foundation who have undertaken the great task of rebuilding their country, the innocent kids who are ill and displaced.....

I wonder if the kids we met at the hospital are doing okay ?

I wonder what today holds for the people of Somalia ?

I hope to return to this magnificent land. I never imagined I would've grown to love this place so much and I would have never guessed how much my passion for their success could grow.

I have met many before and since my return who still remain ignorant and indifferent, but I walk with the confidence of knowing that the many who do care and who are aware are far greater and stronger.

I have seen hope alive in situations where hope would be considered futile. It is HOPE that saves a life and hope that strengthens a nation.

In Somalia there lives HOPE.

Back in my own bed

It has been an incredible week, one where I felt like I was part of the doers. Being involved in humanity, the Al Imdaad foundation is perfect proof, that we can change the world..

We don't need money to change the world, more precious is the giving of your time. That changes the world.

Last day

So our journey has entered the twilight phase, we are readying ourselves to leave a country we have all grown so passionate about and whose beauty we have fallen in love with.

We have been briefed by the Zam Zam Foundation as to the medium to long term projects to revive Somali society. The plans are sound and well thought out, they have considered issues on various levels... I'll give some more details on these in the coming days.

There is definitely hope here and a bright future Somalia will be a paradise again - this time it looks like it will be a paradise for its own people and that is the best part.

We are off to various camps to finish up distribution...this will be my last entry until my return to South Africa...

The blog will go on though, there is alot to still share about this magnificant country and my overwhelming journey.

Do keep tuned an remember Somalia in your prayers. From Liaaqat, for now, keep well....

Somalia thank you for all you have shown and thought me you are indeed a great country with a great people, may Allah return peace to your paradise.

Somali Baby

Mogadishu - once a majestic city, now ruined by conflict

Qari Ziyaad Patel of Al Imdaad

Medical Aid dispensation

Measels scourge devastating children in Somalia

Feeding pipe for intravenous feeding for kids with measels

Al Imdaad Mother Child Clinic

Children of Somalia @ IDP camp

IDP camp

A Month's ration of food aid, millions benefitting across IDP camps

Al Imdaad keeps track of all aid ensuring transparency and effective delivery

Al Imdaad Australia at a mother child clinic. Nutritional and other medical provisions for symptomatic treatment.

The Team: (Front L-R)Ashraf Chohan, qari Ziyad Patel, Ebrahim Vahed, Iqbal Adam Patel, (Middle L-R) Ml Burhaan Mather, Yacoob Vahed, (Back middle L-R) Ml Imraan, Shafaat Ahmed Khan.

Walking with Giants

Its 14:30 in Mogadishu, I’m all alone at the guest house.. Some have gone to view a site where Al Imdaad plans to build a hospital; the others are entertaining a delegation from their home town on a separate mission here.

It’s the first time this week im alone for this long, 2 hours, I wonder where they guys are and what they are seeing and it dawns that I haven’t even introduced the people with whom I am traveling. I must apologize to both them and you, it’s been a lot to take in and keep track of and a lot to try and share with you where ever you may be reading this from.

Myself included the convoy consists of 13 people. We are from 3 countries, South Africa, Zambia and Australia.

Let me start off with the Al Imdaad team from the head office in South Africa; the director and founder of Al Imdaad is Yacoob Vahed, he is always silently busy ensuring things are in order or explaining the mission, situation on the ground or thinking of what more can be done or is being done.

Qari Ziyaad Patel, he is the doer, running the errands making the arrangements and reciting qiraat.

Ebrahim Vahed, Yacoob’s son, Before gwetting to really chat with him I already see that this younger man has his father’s spirit. He care and believes in his father;s dream and the more we chat the more this can be seen.

Ml Imraan, he is the spiritual leader and naturally he is appointed the Amir of the convoy, he is wise and learned. Always passing on spiritual advise and sharing duaas and wisdom.

Shafaat Ahmed Khan, what can I say about Shafaat this man and I have been colleagues since 2004 yet this is the first time we have met. He has always been an encouragement and supportive. He is a great man and I am glad that we finally met. He is a gem and has kept us going on this mission.

Iqbal Adam is the chairman of the Australian Muslim association, this individual is truly and intellectual, I have spent hours every morning after Fajr til breakfast enjoying his company learning about everything from Halaal industry of Australia to Hajj in dustry in Mecca and various political issues in between.

Ml Burhaan, he is also from Australia and is part of the Al Imdaad’s Australian division. He is a young and good amir, I think it’s a blessing that the young Australian committee has a young and focused aalim to refer to.

Ashraf Chohan, he is a former South African now living in Perth also affiliated with Al Imdaad. What a leka guy, cracking jokes and sharing thoughts, he is easy to relate to and a clever and good man.

Ml Yusuf, he is the journalist from radio Islam, a yound and quietly confident man, he makes excellent observations and presents the situation in Somalia excellently to the listeners on the radio.

Iqbal Akubat Is from the Lusaka muslim society he is very spiritual, yet balance, can laugh at and makes some good jokes too. A good balance, he reads duas and passes on advise too.

Yusuf Adam, chairman of the Lusaka muslim society, he is a wise elder and share some good ideas he is also very concerned for the people in plight and has done a lot to raise funds for the Somalis.

Faa’iq Dyer, last but certainly not least, he is the heart of the team, he keeps us going inspiring conversation with lots of pun and controversy but most importantly always keeping us cracking up with laughter, everyone enjoys his company and if you have traveled with him it will come as no surprise why….

That’s the team. I couldn’t have asked for better company in such a difficult mission. If we hadn’t been able to gel so well and understand each other we would all have depressed and at each other by now.

Walking with Giants

Its 14:30 in Mogadishu, I’m all alone at the guest house.. Some have gone to view a site where Al Imdaad plans to build a hospital; the others are entertaining a delegation from their home town on a separate mission here.

It’s the first time this week im alone for this long, 2 hours, I wonder where they guys are and what they are seeing and it dawns that I haven’t even introduced the people with whom I am traveling. I must apologize to both them and you, it’s been a lot to take in and keep track of and a lot to try and share with you where ever you may be reading this from.

Myself included the convoy consists of 13 people. We are from 3 countries, South Africa, Zambia and Australia.

Let me start off with the Al Imdaad team from the head office in South Africa; the director and founder of Al Imdaad is Yacoob Vahed, he is always silently busy ensuring things are in order or explaining the mission, situation on the ground or thinking of what more can be done or is being done.

Qari Ziyaad Patel, he is the doer, running the errands making the arrangements and reciting qiraat.

Ebrahim Vahed, Yacoob’s son, Before gwetting to really chat with him I already see that this younger man has his father’s spirit. He care and believes in his father;s dream and the more we chat the more this can be seen.

Ml Imraan, he is the spiritual leader and naturally he is appointed the Amir of the convoy, he is wise and learned. Always passing on spiritual advise and sharing duaas and wisdom.

Shafaat Ahmed Khan, what can I say about Shafaat this man and I have been colleagues since 2004 yet this is the first time we have met. He has always been an encouragement and supportive. He is a great man and I am glad that we finally met. He is a gem and has kept us going on this mission.

Iqbal Adam is the chairman of the Australian Muslim association, this individual is truly and intellectual, I have spent hours every morning after Fajr til breakfast enjoying his company learning about everything from Halaal industry of Australia to Hajj in dustry in Mecca and various political issues in between.

Ml Burhaan, he is also from Australia and is part of the Al Imdaad’s Australian division. He is a young and good amir, I think it’s a blessing that the young Australian committee has a young and focused aalim to refer to.

Ashraf Chohan, he is a former South African now living in Perth also affiliated with Al Imdaad. What a leka guy, cracking jokes and sharing thoughts, he is easy to relate to and a clever and good man.

Ml Yusuf, he is the journalist from radio Islam, a yound and quietly confident man, he makes excellent observations and presents the situation in Somalia excellently to the listeners on the radio.

Iqbal Akubat Is from the Lusaka muslim society he is very spiritual, yet balance, can laugh at and makes some good jokes too. A good balance, he reads duas and passes on advise too.

Yusuf Adam, chairman of the Lusaka muslim society, he is a wise elder and share some good ideas he is also very concerned for the people in plight and has done a lot to raise funds for the Somalis.

Faa’iq Dyer, last but certainly not least, he is the heart of the team, he keeps us going inspiring conversation with lots of pun and controversy but most importantly always keeping us cracking up with laughter, everyone enjoys his company and if you have traveled with him it will come as no surprise why….

That’s the team. I couldn’t have asked for better company in such a difficult mission. If we hadn’t been able to gel so well and understand each other we would all have depressed and at each other by now.

Somali Children

Somali children are so beautiful and so sweet. They look at you with curious little eyes wondering from where you are and what you have come for. The moment you make eye contact with these little angels they faces light up and they give you the biggest happiest smile their little faces and parched lips allow them.

It is for me very heartbreaking and I feel so sad as I sit and think about them and all their little smiles run through the memories of my mind.

They are born into and grow up with so much suffering, so much difficulty and so much pain…yes it makes them strong and righteous adults but why should children experience such tragedy from birth ?

When a 20 something year old looks at you and with a smile says to you, this is life it is nothing to grow up in this situation, to them it is ok but to you, you who have played in the sun and know what it feels like to swoosh down a slide or swing as fast and hard as you can to try and touch the sky, it is doesn’t feel okay.

You feel your heart sink to the pit of your stomach and find your eyes facing the floor, swelled with tears, hoping that those around you won’t see. Suddenly your life feels so trivial and insignificant and your achievements seem to not feel like success.

For a Somali child to live to become and adult and to not be maimed or diseased or fatigued by conflict and disaster is success.

For a Somali child lala-byes are the sweet melodies of Quraan, hugs are the comforts of endless hunger and tireless pains, kisses are vaccinations for dying diseases.

At the medical camp we come across a class of kids, probably aged between 3 and 10 sitting together. Singing as hard as their dry little throats will allow, the ayaats of the Quraan. When they notice our attention on them, they build the moment of pride and passion in their recitation.

Somali’s, by and large don’t share the luxury we do of have books and kitaabs and e-catalogues containg everything about hadith and Quraan. For the madressah at this make shift camp the pages of their Quraan are long and broad wooden planks with Surahs hand printed in black.

I pull a 5 year old boy out of the crowd… I want to understand how he views the graveness of their situation. His name is Mohammed Hassan, thankfully both his parents are with him but they too have traveled from far; Baidoa Province west of Mogadishu. His family arrived here after and exhausting Bus ride. I ask him why they came to Mogadishu. With his finger by his lip he looks at me and says in Somali, because of drought and hunger. I ask him if he was scared he slowly shakes his head; NO.

I ask what do you expect it Mogadishu; he answers Hope.

Camp Life

Life at IDP camps is hot and difficult. Every camp we go to is over crowded and everyone is sort of squashed together. They build similar structure homes, but only very tiny versions. We are talking about a family of 5 – 8 sharing a space about 1 square meter in size. They cook on a tiny fire made from a few pieces of wood. A mother wipes her child’s runny nose with a stray plastic on the floor nearby…Al Imdaad’s Molana Imraan sees her and gives her a tissue left in his pocket.

Further down 10 year old Anisu Mohammed is toasting Anjero for her mother. Anjero is a flour water paste which she scoops up from a pot and spreading around in a circle on a flat p0late over the fire, after a few seconds Anisu turns the anjero around by peeling it off the surface with her tiny hand.

Ebrahim is 80 years old, he is skin and bones…… he is too weak to stand for long enough for the the doctor to complete his instruction on how to take the medicine. He has traveled over 200 km, a lot of that could probably have been on foot. He has nothing, absolutely nothing. No worldly possessions at all… but that’s okay. The real pain and tragedy of Brother Ebrahim’s story is that he has absolutely no one left. He is all alone with no one not a single family member. How much can a person endure at such a late stage of their lives ?

At another camp on the other

Everyone at these camps expresses gratitude for the kindness of the world. Without a doubt the assistance that has come to Mogadishu is saving lives every day. Every level of this society expresses gratitude to our convoy and asks us to pass the message on to our people back home. They also say that Allah has brought them the drought and Allah will take them through it.

The Story of Bashir Sheikh Ibrahim Warsame

Bashir is 21 years old, he is our interpretor and guide, he is our friend and protector. Bashir is of the few who are lucky enough not to have become a teen soldier or a security agent. He carries no gun and isnt involved with any conflict or group, it's because every Somali male has a gun; most of them either a rifle or AK 47, that I say he is of the few lucky.

He was born in Bay province, south central Somalia in 1990 so all his life he only knows war. So real is conflict that as recently as a two months ago Bashir would awake in the middle of the night to the thunder of explosions across Mogadishu.

His family was an agricultural family and his village, Mursal, their clan is called Leysaan, they were harrased by the Harbargidir, a clan found north of Baidoa. His most horrific memories is that of Harbargidir murdering, maiming and butchering his tribesmen, friends, cousins and families before his child eyes. He says the stain of blood where his neighbour was killed was on his door step for 1 week.

Eventually his clan with the aid of Ethiopia rebelled, but the tragedy is here my dear friends. Bashir's farther, Sheikh Ibrahim Warsame, was returning from his work in Mogadishu that fateful Sunday morning, they travelled with militias to protect them from bandits along the way.

Leysaan rebels and Ethiopian troops planned to intercept the Harbargidir en route. Instead they came across Bashir's father's group and mistaking them for the enemy, his own people shot at them killing his father.

3 days later Bashir's father was found outside the town under a tree, he had tied his scarf around to reduce the blood flow from the bullet wound to his head , he also sustained two bullet wounds to the abdomen.

He was found holding a Quraan which he was bringing back for the community's masjid.

Bashir was 9 years at the time........

Medical Relief from Al Imdaad

Understanding Somalia

Somalia is a beautiful country and one can imagine how magnificant this city Mogadishu once was. The sad reality is that today it is completely destroyed. The face of buildings across the city is riddled with bullets. in all shapes and sizes...more often you will see that the walls of some of the buildings are crumbled heaps - in fact 90% of Mogadihu is in rubble and I wish that were an exagerration!

There are so many things happening here in the country. The lack of political structure and clan warfare has without a doubt been one of the major contributing factors of famine.

The second factor is the biggest facade that we have all fallen prey to. Somali's have been forbidden from fishing in there own waters, if a Somali fisherman goes deep where the fish are the brand him a pirate, in the meantime there are tons of foreign fishing fleets in Somalia's water raping her seas. There are foreign forces intervening in this country and they are ruining the country with the aim of maintaining the status quo of poverty and deprevation.

It is this poverty and ongoing violence that has prevented Somali's from moving forward and surviving the drought.

Please the next time you see a Somali share with them your love and support these are truely beautiful people who have endured alot of undeserving hardship.

IT has been two days of travelling to both medical and feeding IDPcamps here in Mogadishu. What is quiet apparent is that most of theaffected people have travelled from central Somalia where the drought,ongoing for 2 years, has severely affected and hampered life forSomali's. the conditions are horrific....4 million Somalis areaffected and desperately i need of all kinds of assistance. Food andvaccinations take precedence followed by nutritional supplementation.Alhamdulliah, most people describe a renewed hope thanks to the AlImdaad Foundation. The NGO has embarked on a multilayered approach tothe disaster with a long term 6 month rebuilding campaign. Thechildren at the IDP camps continue madressah and Quraan has beenwritten out on long wooden planks.The contributions from around the world are making a difference andwhile much has bee done there is much more that must still happen.These are primarily women, old people and children that are found atthe IDP camps...things are terrible. We must keep doing. They need usto help

first thoughts

we have reached mogadishu after 24 hours of flying and waiting. thereality of conflict has smacked us in the face. mogadishu isexperiencing its second month of peac but the paranoia of warlingers....Our hosts refuse to let us out of the compound withoutsecurity presence. and we are only allowed to go to those placesdesignated.... security here is former army fighters who now protecttheir people with AK47s....I feel safe and its amazing, but extremely restricting....We dont have internet access so I'm not sure when the next post will be.The people are warm and kind and the work is great. There is so much istill need to share reagarding Al Imdaad and my first 24 hours...willdo that as soon as I am able to ....

Morning breaks

I woke up a couple of times last night, half from mixed up dreams and half wondering if it's morning yet.

It ended up not raining last night, though the air was thick with the smell of a looming storm.

October is the rainy season in Somalia...
Desperate hope fills everyone's heart as they pray for rain.

Imagine if it were us, if we were trekking hundreds of kilometers across a desert searching for survival. Imagine leaving behind your old folk, loosing your babies and burying your spouse.

No amount of imagining will make us understand. How can we ever understand such devastation ?

We have taps all around us and refrigerators and stores too. We live in paradise. We, desperately search for happiness. Our stomachs are always full.

I think about the story of the Somali man who had to make his baby suckle on his wife's corpse; just to be strong enough to carry on the journey.

Has suffering become only another news piece ?
Muslims believe the faithful are one body, that when 1 part pains the whole body hurts....
How many tears have rolled for the Somali's?

First Rains

I usually pay particular attention to when the first rains of spring fall in my part of joburg... While I don't remember exact dates I noted it's coming later.

I doubt I will ever forget this year's... tonight.

I feel the twist of joy go bitter, because tomorrow I leave for Somalia..
There are two things I really find myself thinking;
How different our worlds are n that I have no idea of how Somalia's hurts.
The second thing I wonder is what is the real lesson here ?

Looks like a storm is brewing.....

Al Imdaad foundation saving lives and rebuilding Somalia

Somali women and lifestyle

A POEM BY ASINA AWAKE ON THE FAMNE

Dying from sever hunger
Bones decaying infront of my eyes as i forget how it is to be a youngster
dried tears, no need to be in anger
Thats Shaitan't characteristic, i'll just obey Allah, submit, and surrender
YOur daily Dua is all i request
For that will give me an assurance that my life might turn out for the best
I understand this could possibly be a test
But this is a lesson for you
You who throw away food
You who satisfaction indeed subdued
you who over eats to the point ehre the food changes your mood
You who's rather spend 10 dollars watching Hollywood
I don't blame you as you haven't experienced this pain
Can you imagine starring at the sky for hours just to witness one dropp of rain?
Maybe that's too much strain on your brain

History of Somali Part 3

History of Somalia Part 2

History of Islam In somalia

The Journey Begins

As I sit preparing myself for my journey to Mogadishu, I cannot help but reflect upon a verse of the Quraan:

"...We have created you all male and female and have made you nations and tribes that you may know and honor each other..."

How is it that the Somali community has been in South Africa for 120 years now but still my association with my brethren has been limited to kind smiles and polite gestures ?

The opportunity has arrived and I am about to set off on a journey over the next two weeks discovering a learning everything I can about Somalia and Somalis.

From the outset one gets the sense of the uniqueness of this humble nation; they are of 1 tribe, practice 1 religion, speak 1 language and have 1 culture.

The average Somali is a relaxed individual, timid and humble, yet strong and independent. Perseverance and courage are disguised behind brilliant smiles of kindness.

Somalia has found itself trapped by a disaster of epidemic proportions. Many believe the famine suffered by the region, Somalia being the worst affected, is a natural disaster - this is the furthest reality from the truth!

Decades of political meddling and the undermining of social evolution by outsiders have caused Famine.

Piracy, which is described so horrifically in main stream media, is the off shoot of this interference, along with the pillaging of the seas by foreign fishing fleets.

What lies above and beyond the politics? What undiscovered treasures and beauties are there? How many tales will there be tell of victories against suffering, and resistance in the face of oppression?

I am set for a remarkable journey, one which fills me with enthusiasm along with anxiety for it is an untold tale which is my province to tell.