When times are tough and the conditions are at their worst, people learn what they are truly capable of. One of the positives from the adversity of Somalia’s prolonged civil war was the manner in which the business sector has flourished and remained resilient. This however has not benefited all Somalis as majority of our youth in Somalia remain un-employed and many others who are willing to participate in trade do not have the means to do so. The business sector is where Somalia’s strength lies and the goal here is to amplify our strength so that our country becomes a place where economic opportunity is real for everyone not just the economic elite. Those of us who are able to help such as the Diaspora abroad and Diaspora returnees, local medium and large companies, government and local NGOs need to collectively reach out those in need of help to become self-reliant and remittance independent. Our very human survival depends on helping one another and once practiced trust emerges and our progress goes up.
A man once asked the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.):"What people does Allah love most?” He said, "They are the most useful ones to people." The prophet also strongly emphasised the importance of self-reliance and there were many incidents where he helped his companions to become self employed by providing them the tools to earn their living. We also need to help and convince our youth and poor women and men that they have what it takes to be self employed. One of the best examples that demonstrate Somalis helping one another includes the Literacy Campaign that was launched on the seventh March 1974. The efforts of those young teachers and students who sacrificed their city life have benefited them personally and their rural hosts. For the rural hosts, they learned the writing and the reading of the mother tongue and also demonstrated that they could learn as quickly as their urban visitors. For the urban visitors, they learned more than they taught as this was an effective character building exercise for them. We really need a similar campaign based on “If you know how to trade, teach and if you don’t, learn” or “Haddaad beec taqaan Bar, haddaanad aqoonina baro”.
It is not an easy thing to do and anything of real value takes time that also requires patience, commitment and dedication. The most effective way one can teach another person how to trade could be to practically engage and involve him/her rather than the structured classroom style. With basic education coupled with enthusiasm and persistence, one is able to run small scale business. Below is a summary of advice and recommendations on how we can collectively contribute to this cause:
Diaspora Returnees
Ø Let your main intention to return home be to serve your country and be aware that life is meaningful when serving others. If your intention is based on self serving such as to reclaim a place- at the top of the pile and the slice of the pie, please alter your intention. You can easily rise by lifting others and this is what real leadership is all about. You are in fact a leader during those moments you are having a positive impact on someone else’s life. But most of us wrongly view leadership as something beyond us or something that one day we are going to deserve like a position and status.
Ø Be humble and exercise humility when dealing with your brothers and sisters back home. This however does not mean to feel insecure and inadequate, but being a self-giving for the sake of others. This is one important aspect where some our intellectually brightest Somalis fail and end up floundering in their relationship with others coming off as arrogant and insensitive. For our valuable Somali intellectuals to succeed, they need to harmonise head and heart and use emotions intelligently.
Ø Search for opportunities to serve, for example helping financially a widow in the market to upgrade her market stall from selling tea to a retail selling of fast moving goods such as food and home essentials. If you cannot offer financial help, offer ideas and skills that help and inspire youth. Psychologists argue that the only way to get fulfilled or feel sense of fulfillment is when you do something for someone else expecting nothing in return
Government
· Re-establish the old markets in Somali regions, towns and cities that were made redundant by the civil war. The markets are very valuable and its value goes beyond economic growth and monetary. The social and cultural aspect of them is more important as they create social cohesion (rural-urban relationships) that needed reviving after the prolonged civil war.
· Levy no tax or low affordable head tax on market operators as this will help small scale businesses to flourish. For example, Prophet Mohamed (s.a.w) established a market a short time after his arrival to Madinah (which recovered from a prolonged civil war between the two main tribes Aws and Khasraj), and said “This is your market and Let no tax be levied or imposed on it”. Also majority of the Western based small businesses blame red tape and taxation as the main factors of the increased bankruptcy among small businesses.
· Restoration of Peace and security. The government needs to genuinely pursue peace via dialogue and negotiation with the insurgents in a rhetoric free manner with no external influences. Somali people at home and abroad are tired and the current situation between the insurgents and the government and can be described as “I jiid aan ku jiidee, waa gacmo daalis”. The use of force is not sustainable and proving to be counterproductive (Rag waxaad walaalow kaga wayday waran ugama heshid). Any incentives such as general amnesty and power sharing offered to the insurgents are price worth paying for Somali peace.
Diaspora Abroad
For the Diaspora abroad, it is the best time to engage business activities to the relatives and friends you support in Somalia as this leads them to become remittance independent. Many of the Western countries are taking austerity measures, proposing spending cuts and most Somalis abroad will be affected by these austerity measures. Therefore, the way forward is to encourage relatives back home to look for business opportunities. Below advices may be useful:
v Encourage them to find their own niche market in Somalia such as services that are not there or will be required in future. Most Somalis are criticised for over copying or high business duplication.
v Do not impose your ideas on them and listening to their views is more important as they are the ones who are actually carrying out the work.
v Do it in small steps and build on the small wins to motivate you to a big accomplishment. For example, one brother bought a micro ice cube and ice block making machine with small generator and sent to his family in Somalia. This benefited the family as they made a living and it benefited the community around them as Somalia is a hot country. Now they are thinking of sending micro ice cream and yoghurt making machine.
Large Corporations in Somalia
· Offer interest free loan (Qardh Al-hasan) to those who need to buy tools for their various professions. For example, Somalia has skilled (Farshaxan) individuals such as carpenters, tailors, artefact makers and builders who preserved the skills acquired during and pre- colonial periods. But, they are still using old tools that are slow to operate and health hazard. By facilitating them to acquire affordable modern tools, will allow them to produce more and eventually improve their living standards.
· Assist those able and willing brothers and sisters in refugee camps or internally displaced refugees to start small scale businesses. For example, providing them a push carts and supplies or a market stall depending on the trade roles they fit in and their abilities. This can be best used via your Zakaat money not as a loan. It will help them to free themselves from the dependence of the refugee camps.
· Encourage those un-employed graduates from the Somali universities to come up with a business plans and offer them financial assistance.
Advice to our Somali Youth
Lack of opportunities and isolation is one of the main factors that lead to frustration and anger amongst our youth in Somalia. The problem with anger is that it is like a patrol, if you place fire on it, it creates chaos and if you put it in an engine it drives you. Depending on the individual youth, some use their anger in a destructive way, whilst other use in a constructive way. Therefore, we advise our young generation the following:
ü Use your anger constructively and get moved by it to achieve great things. Do not feel like the victim of your circumstances as you will spend more time blaming everything and everyone around you. Go out to the markets and identify business opportunities and services that are needed. Look for someone to help you with the finance such as relatives, friends, neighbours and local NGOs.
ü If you cannot raise finance, start as a broker (Dallaal). This involves bringing together the wholesalers and the retailers and gain commission once the transaction is completed. The first deal and transaction is the most difficult and the most important. Once you succeed on your first transaction, it will get better and better. Honesty and integrity is vital in brokerage and historically some of the richest men in Somalia started their business career as a broker.
ü Be patient and do not miss your five daily prayers in congregation as this eases the pain of what life throws at you. Always remember, after hardship there is ease.
Finally, we have to have the greatest respect for one another i.e. for those Somalis who have stayed home throughout the civil war, Diaspora who returned home and those who are still abroad for their contribution and sacrifice. It would be wrong for anyone to be playing one against the other as this will create a false dichotomy of “Us and Them” syndrome. Somalia needs all of them pulling together not against each other and the fate of our country affects us all whether we are at home or abroad. By helping one another will enable us to fulfill the demand of our morally relevant national anthem ” Somalis wake up, Wake up and lean on each other And whoever is most in need of support, support them forever”.
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