hana_yu

I’m in university now and I live with my mother out of necessity. I am a poor college student who can’t work during the school year and I need boarding and food. Haha, so she provides that for me. I can understand that she doesn’t want me to go out too late (it’s just not safe) but it’s quite another to tell me when I can or cannot go out somewhere safe (like the mall) during the day when I have no classes.

So to get her to have confidence in me, I will have to show her that I am dependable and independent. How? Get and keep the best marks so she can’t complain that my marks will suffer. Do more around the house so she will see that she can depend on me. Volunteer someplace. I will need the experience later anyway and she can see that others can depend on me too. Act more mature by not letting her get to me and overreacting over things. Can I achieve this? I sure hope so…

I can definitely do this but I need the money! My family was always a bit poor so I couldn’t spend enough money to get a large enough wardrobe. I have inexpensive and really good outfits but they are so few that I wear them often, so it’s boring. I couldn’t get a job before because my father wouldn’t allow me (he wanted me to concentrate on my studies). But now that I am in university, even my parents notice that I need clothes and I don’t want them to feel bad. So I am working.

I’ve finally gained the weight I desperately needed so my confidence level has boosted. My hair has grown out to a good length. Excellent style will complete the package. I have good taste and a unique sense of style that suits me very well. So let’s hope that by the end of this summer, I will be more fashionable!

What is happening there could have affected me much more directly had things been different. I’m lucky to have been born outside of the country and avoided being caught in the breakout of the civil war. But I cannot live in luxury and happiness while my relatives are starving because the economy there is so poor. Warlords are the ones living the good life there while the hard-working, good people are suffering. It’s unfair.

Step one. War needs to end.

Step two. Find a political system that will make Somali citizens satisfied. One leader versus the traditional way of having one leader per major clan is not working. We need to find a new system.

Step three. Revolutionize the meaning of clans and its ties to politics. That’s our ancient system, it should die now.

Step four. Establish a steady economy. Ie. better trade deals with other countries (we have excellent resources).

Step five. Construction. Save money for newer and better roads, buildings, etc. Improve the sewage system, technology, education, health care, etc.

Step six. Make Mogadishu a great place for tourism. It is a beautiful coastal city with a lot of potential. Pic of Mogadishu before the civil war included for a taste of the future.

Insha Allah, this will work out!