Bossaso: City of dreams:IDP to trader, an inspirational story

[General Duke]

 

SOMALIA: Abdullahi Aden Ali, “From IDP to city trader”

 

March 10, 2010BOSASSO, 10 March 2010 (IRIN) –

 

Abdullahi Aden Ali, 32, arrived in Bosasso, commercial capital of the autonomous region of Puntland, 10 years ago from southern Somalia. His aim, like that of thousands of young Somalis, was to go to Yemen and on to Saudi Arabia. He first fled his home town of Baidao for the capital, Mogadishu, but was again forced out when fighting between warlords intensified.

 

Now Ali runs a wholesale clothing business in Bosasso. He spoke to IRIN on 28 February about his reversal of fortunes:

 

“We left Baidao in 1992 because of the famine and the fighting between different factions. My father thought we would be better off in Mogadishu but this was not the case; the fighting there was between warlords and there were gangs of freelance militias killing and robbing people.

 

“In 1998, highway robbers killed my father and I took over helping my mother.

 

“I heard from a friend that a lot of young people were going to Bosasso, taking boats to Yemen and from there going on to Saudi Arabia where they found jobs. I decided to try my luck.

 

“I reached Bosasso in August 1999 with 20,000 shillings [uS80 cents] and nothing else but the clothes on my back. I met some young men from the south who told me I would have to pay at least $50 to smugglers if I wanted to go to Yemen. I did not have the money so I had to work and save.

 

“A friend suggested that I could sell clothes for a city trader and make some money; the trader would set his price and I would sell the items for any price I could fetch, anything above his reserved price was mine. I gladly opted to go into the business and we often carried the clothes on our shoulders as we hawked them across the town. I would make a small cut for every item I sold.

 

“It was not easy at the beginning but I got used to it. I started hawking the clothes in nearby villages where I could charge higher prices and the competition was less.

 

“I was making fairly good money and I had $50 for the boat but then I decided I could make a better living here. I made enough money to buy my own clothes to sell instead of relying on the initial trader.

 

“By 2006, I made enough money to open a shop with some friends. I am now running this wholesale store. Six of us own it. We have one member in Dubai – we send him orders and he buys the goods and sends them to Bosasso. We are now supplying a number of retail businesses in Bosasso and other places.

 

“I am married with four daughters. By the grace of God, I am now able to take care of them and provide a comfortable life. We don’t depend on anyone else. My first daughter is six years old and is about to start school.

 

“I may eventually go back to Baidoa if the situation improves but I will never cut my ties to Bosasso. It is where I became a man. Bosasso is now home and I am happy to be here.”

 

ah/mw

 

IRIN

[General Duke]

With all the talk of “Pirates” and they hate Somali’s, and they hand over Somali’s, and they are “whore land”, and so on. The reality can not be further from the nonsense the political “enemies” of Puntland spew.

 

Puntland is the hope, the inspiration and the place where many Somali’s from the south in their hundreds of thousands have found a haven, a home and a place to prosper. With its deep poverty, the people of Puntland have been generous, to their fellow Somali’s. To live in Puntland you need only be a Somali, nothing more or less.

[General Duke]

 

 

“I am married with four daughters. By the grace of God, I am now able to take care of them and provide a comfortable life. We don’t depend on anyone else. My first daughter is six years old and is about to start school.

 

“I may eventually go back to Baidoa if the situation improves but I will never cut my ties to Bosasso. It is where I became a man. Bosasso is now home and I am happy to be here.”

The truth is all inspiring, and powerful.

[Saalax]

Nice story.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Originally posted by General Duke:

With all the talk of “Pirates” and they hate Somali’s, and they hand over Somali’s, and they are “whore land”, and so on. The reality can not be further from the nonsense the political “enemies” of Puntland spew.

 

Puntland is the hope, the inspiration and the place where many Somali’s from the south in their hundreds of thousands have found a haven, a home and a place to prosper. With its deep poverty, the people of Puntland have been generous, to their fellow Somali’s. To live in Puntland you need only be a Somali, nothing more or less.

Are you sure didn’t faroole claim that Ethnic Somalis from the ONLF regions aren’t Somali citizens but foreigners

[General Duke]

^^^Adeer, Puntland, due to its people & admin has become a safe haven for many Somali's from all different regions.

[General Duke]

Xaji Xunduf, adeer the story proves how bankrupt your arguments are. In clan terms those from Western Somalia are closer in blood to Faroole, than those from Bay, yet again read the story. Only in Puntland adeer.

[Saalax]

Dukey, it's true there is many people from Bay & Bakool areas in puntland but recently just months ago when explosions happened in bosaso they were blamed , can you explain why is that? and the people of bosaos made uprising demanding all non natives to go back to where they came from until the admin calmed them down.

[General Duke]

^^^I agree with you, the mob rule does not work in Puntland, the admin calmed the situation and the people are not harmed in any way. As the story aboves states, most of those news reports were hyped up by people with a certain political agenda.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Originally posted by General Duke:

Xaji Xunduf, adeer the story proves how bankrupt your arguments are. In clan terms those from Western Somalia are closer in blood to Faroole, than those from Bay, yet again read the story. Only in Puntland adeer.

They were the words of the leaders of your administration not my words It was Ilka jir and your faroole that stated , that Ethnic Somalis in the Ethiopian Somali region . Are not Somali citizens , There for are not welcome In puntland

 

Don’t describe your puntland as a paradise for Somalis from other regions The poor people from baydhabo are blamed for something they did not do , we all know who was behind the explosions in bosaaso. internal beef between reer boosaaso.

[General Duke]

Don’t describe your puntland as a paradise for Somalis from other regions

I did not, adeer the trader who found success in Puntland above can speak for himself.

[Saalax]

Dukey, lets not get ahead already , somaliland also welcomes people from other regions , there is a large southern region in hargeysa, borama, burco, and they have been given shelter and a new opportunity in life rather then the continuous wars of the south.

[General Duke]

^^^Thats great adeer, Somali's must help fellow Somalis.

[Saalax]

^^^^ I agree with you on that 1.

[General Duke]

^^^We agree on many things you & I.