BY: Mohamed Omar Ahmed December 5, 2013.
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| photo courtesy: Abdi omar bile/archives |
Back
years in the history, Somalia was a place where the rule of law was respecting,
human rights were upholding, it was a peaceful place and peace to its
neighboring countries, a very productive member in the United nations and it
was a land of which the youth were getting their part in the market of
opportunities, regardless who they are, but what they are knowledgeable about
and also they were given chances to exercise their potentials and such.
But,
the Somali civil war had caught many people by surprise and shock on how was it
that a nation and people that have so much things in common can all over sudden
turn into a centre of tortures, systematic raping over the young girls,
detentions of the innocent people in cells and the looting the property from
one another, remember by people who are socially, religiously, color, or
bloodily related?, such question, for us as Somalis, needs much concentrations
and thinking.
Similarly,
after the collapse of our strong government of Somalia, we got many names
because of the failures that we encountered in the process, frequently, it is
referred as a failed state and the United States and others as a haven of
Al-Qaeda, but, personally; I puzzled when I hear such names and words.
However,
in the most of the Somalia regions, like, the self-declared state of
Somaliland, punt land, or the newly established state of Juba, there are a new
born babies and they are booming with youth, that is to say our population
roughly 75% are youth and 55% are out of the work environment since, they are
the productive elements in our society in one way, or another, but there are no
functional plans and Agendas on the tables for the youth in these regions and
states and Punt land is not an exception.
So far,
the challenges of which our youth in Punt land face can be numerous and they
can be looked at many aspects, but, Now, my focus is about youth who were left behind
(under- employed youth) after they finished their studies on different areas
and disciplines with Diplomas, Degrees and Masters within punt land and out of
the punt land and I want to deliver out on this paper With their stories of how
and why they were neglected and their will in the future and such as I go down.
Puntland
is where we have local organizations, international organizations, governmental
organizations and the private sectors are in place those are functioning, but, in
my view and other students that they hire people with regards of some minor
considerations like the tribalism, or otherwise and locally, the environment is
not youth friendly, but, I want to hear from my fellow students of their
responses on the subject of the matter.
For example, Abdi Omar Bile, a friend of mine
with a degree in computer science at East Africa University texted me this “I am feeling proud to finish my first
degree inside Somalia in one side, but, on other side of the story, I am not
feeling happy and I am worrying, because, I applied more than 7 times to a
different posts for a different organizations and agencies, five out seven ,
even I did not see my name on the short list paper and the remaining of the two
times, they deviated the facts, still I remember how the exams and the papers
were and how perfectly I discussed them, finally, I don’t want to end-up here,
I want to go somewhere an look for a better
job”. This guy told me some
un- necessary words in his story, but I felt to omit and not present them on
the paper.
Friends
those who I interviewed with had different and tragic stories, this one Mohamed
Adam Ali who has got a master in
international relationships and diplomacy at Kampala international university
in Uganda this is what he said “now, I have a
confident to handle certain work in relation to my area of specialization, but
who wants to make my potentialities working, remember, if you go our ministries and the local organizations
here in punt land work for those I knew
their educational background and this
the final word I want to make is this, what lefts us back is tribalism, if we
fail to sort it out, the youth will remain such situations”.
Somalia
cities in general is the home for the youth and Punta land is also the home of
many youth who have something to it and they are ready to be positioned, but
who wants to listen their demands and concerns, while, currently, the
governmental offices enjoy and occupy by an interest- touched group of which
their followers can get the advantages out of those offices and the rest are
there waiting including the youth.
Likewise,
a friend who decided not to display her name on the paper who has a master
in pure accounting shared me with her
story by saying “I
am from a poor background family those served to me to educate myself first and
then feed them back, because to whom much is given much is expected from, two
years is complete now the date I
graduated from and up to now, I am under- employed and my family are worried
about me on the fact that they sponsored
on me with the minimum resources they had, but, I am not going to
surrender and looking for a best alternatives from God”.
In
punt land, we have a functioning political system in place for about fifteen
years, where we were having from a regime to a regime with goodness and badness
point view, and every candidate, during his comp gains, make promises on making
things up and down and youth empowerments remain the top of them, however, we want
a president who wants the voices and responds the demands of the youth in punt
land in general without considering them in clan grounds that is about turning
words into actions simply.
Sometimes,
I call myself a youth activist in Punta land
and I am very proud for this work to help our younger via pens and
scientifically written judgments for our leaders to wake- up and help us.
it’s
shocking and sad when our youth are dying for hunger, poverty, and the most
often demoralized by the time they with
degrees and masters, but, there is no doubt for them to join militias, or other
being soldiers and misfortunately, the leaders and the business people are just there watching and feeding their
children and relatives, in relation this, the youth remain a productive members
in our society, if Punt land lose to
utilize their minds and powers, I believe
that it would soon other than
later fail and be an ash if you like.
In
the wake of the youth in Punt land ,they also change their situations that they
are in now through discussions into a new and better ones, currently, change
they believe in which is good for their survival and the well-being as the
figure there on the above illustrates as an example.
Finally,
I want to say to the Somalia youth at large that wherever you go to business matters
or for educational enrichments or go via dark journeys all the way to the abroad,
but remember, the finest soil is the one of your home.
As youth, we have to
appreciate the resources we have in our
land and, for me, I am Somalia, born in Somalia, but despite the challenges I
do face in life, it remains my spiritual land.
Contacts
Mohamed Omar Ahmed is a B.A in Development
Studies at Puntland State University (PSU) in Garowe and a novelist,
He can be reached at Mohamedkulan22@ gmail.com, or + 252-907593839.
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