LET THIS SINK IN! Mogadishu is about to surpass Nairobi in population...However, it is not something to be happy about..You ask why! Soo gal NEEFYAHOW

[Amirah]

Wow! I learned so much in just this one thread then I have my 2 months here!

Reminds of me France during the reign of Luis the 14th, he build a magnificent palace in Versailles, pure gold shinning marvel of a palace, but yet the King was squatting on a pot, & pooping. No water pipes. Didn't even copy the Romans who had aqua toilets. Toilets seat made of stones, and underneath it a long line of water leading all the way to outside the city main water like an ocean or river

lol Basra you sound like you might have been there during the reign of Louis 14th from how well you describe it lol.

Bit seriously, you nailed it with the rest.

Cities in somalia don’t have subway systems, public transit, city wide plumbing, police force, fire force, complex power grid, social services, community centres/recreation centres, parks, city bylaws, any protocols on building types. Literally anything that is needed for a large city.

I could bet good $$$ that even by 2121 no part of Somalia/SL etc will have even half of the things you mentioned.

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It’s almost impossible to have have any positive change when honest discussion are attacked instantly. An entire group of people who just want to be told incessantly how amazing they are and how great everything is going and let’s sweep everything under the rug. Until we can have open honest dialogues about all topics, the ugly, sensitive and shameful etc we’ll always stay stagnant wherever we are.

I’m not being pessimistic, don’t get me wrong, I’m just looking at reality. That initiative you mentioned isn’t ran by the government. That’s the crux of the problem, it’s not about taxing, because they have the funds, A LOT of it, look at the Somali government’s budget and 30% of it goes to paying officials.

They get millions from the UN in aid money. You can only go so far with NGO’s doing everything the government should be doing.

In the end, this is a temporary solution. Long term solutions should be put into place, not things that will work for the next few years. It’s still not too late for Somalia to get its act together, so we shouldn’t be complacent with what little is being done, a lot more should be happening at a far larger scale. Downtown Mogadishu isn’t the only place in Somalia.

Until the old tribalist farts are taking out and replaced with younger, more openminded younger ones, I don’t think anything will change. Some of the issue also is the younger generation are also being influenced by these same outdated ideas and values.

So sis, why are Somalis saying “it’s prospering, come back to the country!” etc. Is it a case of misery loves company? Xaasidnimo? I mean, let’s be real, many Somalis in the west sacrificed their children’s future by living in run down areas in order to save up money to buy a huge home. Maybe it’s them feeling like they have no choice but to be ok with living in Somalia because they didn’t make a life in the west. Who knows? Either way, I’m weary of what I see in the media, and there’s a lot to improve before Somalia becomes a fully functioning environment. No amount of carefully curated social media content by whomever will convince me otherwise.

Surprised by this too. I’m even planning on getting my ticket next month or so and I expecting well functioning cities from what I saw online and not slums. Part of me is hoping people here are exaggerating a bit because I haven’t heard anything remotely this bad from past visitors either. Isn’t @AishaBarri there now? She told me Hargiesa is awesome modern city.

 

[Caaro]

Surprised by this too. I’m even planning on getting my ticket next month or so and I expecting well functioning cities from what I saw online and not slums. Part of me is hoping people here are exaggerating a bit because I haven’t heard anything remotely this bad from past visitors either. Isn’t @AishaBarri there now? She told me Hargiesa is awesome!

you won’t know until you see it for yourself. Go to somalia for at least a month, experience it and judge it for yourself.

Nothing is an exaggeration, but I think you’re just imagining it wrong. It’s not like you’re gonna go around and have garbage at your doorsteps, more like dagax and some caago lying around. Only when it rains heavily during rainy seasons does water flood the streets and create garbage deposits. Otherwise it won’t rain enough to cause anything. It looks like this 90% of the time:

flattened cans, plastic bags, and other items. Nothing a well paid garbage crew sweeping through the streets can’t pick up. Or a neighborhood wide clean up with volunteers.

 

[repo]

At least 20% of Mogadishu is IDPs. I think that figure is probably underestimated, many could have slipped through the NGO system. If it continues on this trajectory, it will be a large favela with gated communities for the rich and diaspora. What can be more 3rd world than that?

 

[Inquisitive_]

So sis, why are Somalis saying “it’s prospering, come back to the country!” etc. Is it a case of misery loves company? Xaasidnimo? I mean, let’s be real, many Somalis in the west sacrificed their children’s future by living in run down areas in order to save up money to buy a huge home. Maybe it’s them feeling like they have no choice but to be ok with living in Somalia because they didn’t make a life in the west. Who knows? Either way, I’m weary of what I see in the media, and there’s a lot to improve before Somalia becomes a fully functioning environment. No amount of carefully curated social media content by whomever will convince me otherwise.

I made the move to Xamar and although a lot of what you say is correct (applies to the rest of Somalia as well) I do agree the sheer number of challenges are enough to dissuade the majority for now.

But opportunities are best in times like these, I know plenty of people that made the move back including qualified doctors born and bred in the west that can barely speak the language, and they make an absolute killing here.

The quality of life is far superior and every person I spoke to agrees, but again it really depends on how you define this and how you assess risk/reward, everyone is different.

For me health is top of the list, the air, food, sleep, weather are all far superior in the motherland, no need for supplementation, no suffering from seasonal affective disorders, nutritional deficiencies, being confined to small homes, dealing with chronic stress and poor sleep etc.

Second on the list is financial independence, this can only be achieved through setting up a business not through being a salary slave, the west is stagnant, growth is <1% and the market is locked up by monopolists, the competition is stiff with the barriers to entry almost impossible for the likes of me and you.

It's the developing and Third World countries where growth is the highest, even big Tech companies in Silicon Valley are eying up Africa, setting up business is easy and the competition is weak with the barrier to entry for low, yes it comes with a great deal of risk, but no risk no reward.

Once the country gets to a stage where the majority of the diaspora feel comfortable enough to move to, the market is already locked up, barriers to entry will be higher, competition more stiff and opportunities more scarce because the early bird gets the worm.

The third motivating factor is kids, I do not want them growing up in the West, and we all know why.

As Somalis, are choices are scarce, it's either salary slavery in the West, or a different type of that slavery in Khaleeji countries or other foreign lands where you will be regarded as a peasant or second class at best.

For me that is a depressing meaningless life to live because no matter how much you make, your expenditure will increase relative to your salary.

The transition period is tough, the first 3 months are most difficult, but after that it gets very easy, you just have to train your brain to substitute "problems" for "challenges" because when you do that, your mind opens up, and you begin to see or think of solutions only, and that's what ultimately makes you rich.

In the old ancient tradition, the secret ingredient to success and riches is to be of service to others, the greater the benefit, the greater the riches.

That's why those that solely focus on making money alone never succeed because they defile the law by placing the cart before the horse.

With your talent, in Somalia or any third world, there is at least 100 different unique problems you can solve that no one else is working on, but in the West that's not the case, and you face stiff competition with impossible barriers to entry.

 

[AishaBarri]

Wow! I learned so much in just this one thread then I have my 2 months here!


lol Basra you sound like you might have been there during the reign of Louis 14th from how well you describe it lol.

Bit seriously, you nailed it with the rest.

I could bet good $$$ that even by 2121 no part of Somalia/SL etc will have even half of the things you mentioned.



It’s almost impossible to have have any positive change when honest discussion are attacked instantly. An entire group of people who just want to be told incessantly how amazing they are and how great everything is going and let’s sweep everything under the rug. Until we can have open honest dialogues about all topics, the ugly, sensitive and shameful etc we’ll always stay stagnant wherever we are.

Until the old tribalist farts are taking out and replaced with younger, more openminded younger ones, I don’t think anything will change. Some of the issue also is the younger generation are also being influenced by these same outdated ideas and values.

Surprised by this too. I’m even planning on getting my ticket next month or so and I expecting well functioning cities from what I saw online and not slums. Part of me is hoping people here are exaggerating a bit because I haven’t heard anything remotely this bad from past visitors either. Isn’t @AishaBarri there now? She told me Hargiesa is awesome modern city.

I said nice city (more like town) lol not modern I meant that there’s things to do. Social life is not a problem but infrastructural developments is a completely different issue.

 

[Ferrari]

@Grigori Rasputin I took a picture of reer muqdisho on my visit there last year.

jokes aside, apparenlty reer nairobi somalis contribute about 6billion USD to the kenyan Economy, meanwhile all of somalia including the triangle have a gdp of about 9billion.

I don't blame the people, i blame the governments. wanaag walba sida amni, caafimaad, waxbarasho iyo dhismo waxaa la gaadhi karaa hogaan fiican marka la helo.

 

[M.K]

I made the move to Xamar and although a lot of what you say is correct (applies to the rest of Somalia as well) I do agree the sheer number of challenges are enough to dissuade the majority for now.

But opportunities are best in times like these, I know plenty of people that made the move back including qualified doctors born and bred in the west that can barely speak the language, and they make an absolute killing here.

The quality of life is far superior and every person I spoke to agrees, but again it really depends on how you define this and how you assess risk/reward, everyone is different.

For me health is top of the list, the air, food, sleep, weather are all far superior in the motherland, no need for supplementation, no suffering from seasonal affective disorders, nutritional deficiencies, being confined to small homes, dealing with chronic stress and poor sleep etc.

Second on the list is financial independence, this can only be achieved through setting up a business not through being a salary slave, the west is stagnant, growth is <1% and the market is locked up by monopolists, the competition is stiff with the barriers to entry almost impossible for the likes of me and you.

It's the developing and Third World countries where growth is the highest, even big Tech companies in Silicon Valley are eying up Africa, setting up business is easy and the competition is weak with the barrier to entry for low, yes it comes with a great deal of risk, but no risk no reward.

Once the country gets to a stage where the majority of the diaspora feel comfortable enough to move to, the market is already locked up, barriers to entry will be higher, competition more stiff and opportunities more scarce because the early bird gets the worm.

The third motivating factor is kids, I do not want them growing up in the West, and we all know why.

As Somalis, are choices are scarce, it's either salary slavery in the West, or a different type of that slavery in Khaleeji countries or other foreign lands where you will be regarded as a peasant or second class at best.

For me that is a depressing meaningless life to live because no matter how much you make, your expenditure will increase relative to your salary.

The transition period is tough, the first 3 months are most difficult, but after that it gets very easy, you just have to train your brain to substitute "problems" for "challenges" because when you do that, your mind opens up, and you begin to see or think of solutions only, and that's what ultimately makes you rich.

In the old ancient tradition, the secret ingredient to success and riches is to be of service to others, the greater the benefit, the greater the riches.

That's why those that solely focus on making money alone never succeed because they defile the law by placing the cart before the horse.

With your talent, in Somalia or any third world, there is at least 100 different unique problems you can solve that no one else is working on, but in the West that's not the case, and you face stiff competition with impossible barriers to entry.

Use to be optimistic just like u. But don’t think Somalia will recover anytime soon. Give them even 100yr. You have population that grew up in 30yr of wars and no government or weak governments like SL and Puntland. Somalis in diaspora very different to Somalis back home.
1/3 of Somalis in Somalia r mentally ill.
1/3 of Somalis in Somalia r malnourished.
So how do u expect them to rebuild a nation. It took Germans 15yrs and they were granted billions in loans and had a smart IQ population. But back to Somalia. The population will increase and more problems will occur. You will see Xamar and Hargeysa becoming big slums. I don’t think Somalia can sustain a lot of people.

But the solution is:
This country needs cultural revolution and eugenicsism. Even then it might take 80yrs to rebuild.

 

[Shogun]

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Everything you said is perfectly reasonable, but this is just not true. I don't know who spread the idea that Somalis look down on hard work. It is a lazy and reductive take to explain away the condition Somalia finds itself in.

There is elitism like anywhere else and that largely reflects in our families who are often upper middle-class families. The average worker is on a hard schedule, regardless of the nature of the work and gets paid absolute peanuts. Whether they're tanners or librarians, they work significantly more hours than most of us in the West. The incentive and opportunity doesn't work out for many people, but that does not make them lazy.

 

[Desert Flower]

Everything you said is perfectly reasonable, but this is just not true. I don't know who spread the idea that Somalis look down on hard work. It is a lazy and reductive take to explain away the condition Somalia finds itself in.

There is elitism like anywhere else and that largely reflects in our families who are often upper middle-class families. The average worker is on a hard schedule, regardless of the nature of the work and gets paid absolute peanuts. Whether they're tanners or librarians, they work significantly more hours than most of us in the West. The incentive and opportunity doesn't work out for many people, but that does not make them lazy.

Are you kidding me? Is it not true that many in Somalia would rather be a Wasir of some sort or a businessman than to be a blacksmith, a farmer or a tradesman? Let’s not get obtuse. I never implied that they were lazy. I think the issue is walaal, is that Somalis have a serious issue with accountability. We just want faan iyo been been. But the minute someone mentions an issue that’s prevalent, or a solution to combat it, all logic goes out the window.

 

[QueenofKings]

Are you kidding me? Is it not true that many in Somalia would rather be a Wasir of some sort or a businessman than to be a blacksmith, a farmer or a tradesman? Let’s not get obtuse. I never implied that they were lazy. I think the issue is walaal, is that Somalis have a serious issue with accountability. We just want faan iyo been been. But the minute someone mentions an issue that’s prevalent, or a solution to combat it, all logic goes out the window.

So many Africans ( and the Arabs) are drawn to being flashy and having fancy titles over striving to do a job well done. It’s unhealthy, and it leads to countries like UAE where the immigrants do everything and the natives get obese. But something like this requires a cultural shift, and this can only be orchestrated by a government (through the education curriculum). So we will be waiting a while I’m afraid.

 

[Shogun]

Are you kidding me? Is it not true that many in Somalia would rather be a Wasir of some sort or a businessman than to be a blacksmith, a farmer or a tradesman? Let’s not get obtuse. I never implied that they were lazy. I think the issue is walaal, is that Somalis have a serious issue with accountability. We just want faan iyo been been. But the minute someone mentions an issue that’s prevalent, or a solution to combat it, all logic goes out the window.

Everywhere in the world a wasiir or businessman is deemed preferable to a farmer or tradesman.There's a difference between criticism and peddling false truisms. Somalis do not look down on hard work. People that blindly defend the status quo and those that disparage under the guise of criticism are two sides to the same coin.

 

[Desert Flower]

So many Africans ( and the Arabs) are drawn to being flashy and having fancy titles over striving to do a job well done. It’s unhealthy, and it leads to countries like UAE where the immigrants do everything and the natives get obese. But something like this requires a cultural shift, and this can only be orchestrated by a government (through the education curriculum). So we will be waiting a while I’m afraid.

I really think the root of the problem in Somalia also is that we’ve been cursed. It’s too much injustice, bloodshed and travesty that one nation can handle. Those in power don’t even realize that they’re being used as pawns. If this keeps happening, Somalia may no longer belong to Somalis and the country may get taken away (see indigenous people in Canada and the US).

 

[Desert Flower]

Everywhere in the world a wasiir or businessman is deemed preferable to a farmer or tradesman.There's a difference between criticism and peddling false truisms. Somalis do not look down on hard work. People that blindly defend the status quo and those that disparage under the guise of criticism are two sides to the same coin.

I am not going to go back and forth with you. It’s clear you are in serious denial about what Somalia/Somalis are about. Continue to live in la la land.

 

[Shogun]

I am not going to go back and forth with you. It’s clear you are in serious denial about what Somalia/Somalis are about. Continue to live in la la land.

If we're keeping it real, you're the one in denial. You just want to off-load negativity on the community to make yourself feel better. Low ethnic/cultural confidence is a pandemic. Nonetheless, I digress.

 

[repo]

Everywhere in the world a wasiir or businessman is deemed preferable to a farmer or tradesman.There's a difference between criticism and peddling false truisms. Somalis do not look down on hard work. People that blindly defend the status quo and those that disparage under the guise of criticism are two sides to the same coin.

How do you explain our low employment numbers in the West?

 

[Desert Flower]

If we're keeping it real, you're the one in denial. You just want to off-load negativity on the community to make yourself feel better. Low ethnic/cultural confidence is a pandemic. Nonetheless, I digress.

It must be nice to big up one country whilst living and enjoying the privileges and comfort of a Western one.

You also have no rebuttal and have chosen to instead, make personal attacks. Typical xoolo response. Uff.

 

[Shogun]

How do you explain our low employment numbers in the West?

You mean high unemployment. Benefits and broken homes.

It must be nice to big up one country whilst living and enjoying the privileges and comfort of a Western one.

I literally did not say one positive thing about Somalia.

You know I wasn't lying on you though, let it simmer abaayo.

 

[Desert Flower]

You mean high unemployment. Benefits and broken homes.



I literally did not say one positive thing about Somalia.

You know I wasn't lying on you though, let it simmer abaayo.

Typical typical response. Either respond to what I said, or quit resorting to personal attacks because you have nothing of value to add to the conversation. It makes you look both pathetic and emotional macaanto.

*ignored*

 

[repo]

You mean high unemployment. Benefits and broken homes.



I literally did not say one positive thing about Somalia.

You know I wasn't lying on you though, let it simmer abaayo.

There aren't a lot of benefits in the US. However there's an unusually high unemployment rate and we rank the lowest in household income. That's a unique situation, it can't be down to benefits and broken homes.

 

[Shogun]

There aren't a lot of benefits in the US. However there's an unusually high unemployment rate and we rank the lowest in household income. That's a unique situation, it can't be down to benefits and broken homes.

Why not broken homes? The majority of Somalis come from straight out single parent homes with no working parents or pseudo two parent households where the father works a low end service/labour job. Very few Somalis come from households where both parents work and function in their environment. That's why employment rate is low. I doubt the U.S. Somalis have an employment as low or lower than Scandinavia - meaning it is at least a contributing factor.