World’s Cleanest Airport Toilet!
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By Nima Ahmed
As a country in process to proving its existence to the world as well as to its people, it is always important to couple promises and talks with deeds and actions.
I am writing this article with reference to a piece of promising news about Cigal International Airport, back on 21 July, 2007 in Somaliland Times. One of the news sites I continuo reading to update my self with the happenings in my beloved Somaliland.
I appreciate the efforts that the Somaliland Civil Aviation & Air Transportation Minister, Mr Ali Mohamed Waran Adde, is making to improve the airport’s services and security issues. Finally and for the first time planes will be able to fly and land during night, at least if this process goes smoothly as planned and financed for. I can not predict the possibility of the failure or the success of this move. However, I have a very strong point that I would like to bring the Minister and airport management’s serious attention to.
During my last visit to Somaliland on last May-June, I have been at the airport 3 times. One was a pre-planned visit to video tape the airport. As a passionate citizen I would be happy of the changes that had been done in the airport from the past 14 year (although I think it is a long time for the airport to witness small improvements) that would draw my attention from the weakness points and drawbacks of it. But that won’t happen with the foreign visitors that come for the first time or come very frequently to our country. The drawback I am talking about is not one that needs miracles, it is the basic Islamic identity.
Cleanness, yes being clean, and being clean is not only your body and house, it is your life and a part of your (Imaan). Prophet Mohamed Peace Be Upon Him made it clear that cleanness is a part of Imaan.
Our airport is, unfortunately, dirty. Flies are roaming around the place, spiders dominated the walls and spread their cobwebs, floors are marked with dried drinks spots, staff and passengers smoke and throw cigarettes and leftovers on the ground (I can not blame them as there was no trash boxes anywhere at the check point area) walls are painted with the worst quality paints and look dirty and old, the worst thing that most annoyed me and the LBC reporters (the Lebanese Broadcasting TV who came to film reports on Somaliland) and I think most of the passengers were the awful smell of the toilets (wash rooms) that reached to the gate of the check point hall, and of course every man’s second wife (probably second husband for women) our ever lasting enemy -I mean friend- Qat. Qat sticks were also present at one of a kind scene at an airport claims to be an international one.
The LBC reporter complained to me, while I was having dinner with them at Mansoor Hotel, about the poor or maybe non existent quality of cleanness at the Capital’s airport. He said “what does it take for a poor person to be clean?!” he also suggested rather complained about the airports food court and suggested an elegant gift shop that would sell traditional memorial gifts for them to take it back home as a memory they carry back home or a gift to his son. He said that the poor over all cleanness of the airport would stop him from having any kind of food from that food court unless bottled water or canned soda. As a friend of mine and of Somaliland too he was suggesting improvements more than he was complaining. I was listening carefully trying to note down him comments and suggestion in my brain. I was somehow ashamed too.
Our authorities and airport management can not protest to this fact by blaming financial shortage. I mean how much dose it takes for your airport toilet to be clean?
It is internationally agreed that airports and people/staff’s attitudes are the first thing a visitor will have to see and deal with, as a result those two factors will play a big part in creating his first impression on that country. What I want to say that our airport is creating a bad one.
People love to be clean and have everything around them clean. The sanitation of Ciagl International Airport is not satisfying to the Somaliland citizens, visitors and I do not think it is for the staff.
During my search about cleanest airports in the world I have came across an award for the Cleanest Airport Toilets?!! Yes you may be surprised and say it is no big deal, indeed it is and you wont feel comfortable using a dirty bathroom in your house, what would you feel if you were a foreign visitor to a country that is in a sensitive situation like ours trying to keep a good image in all aspects even if that has to be about how clean its public toilets and premises are. Back to the award it was awarded to Kanasi International Airport” in Japan which was voted cleanest toilets in 2006! It was written in that site that they use salt water to clear stains! Somaliland could try that at its airport, why not if it will improve its cleanness level.
There are other things that need smart management, while I was waiting in the hall a boy came and offered me to buy news papers he was selling with more than the double of its price in the city. I did not buy from him, after all I was not traveling as I was going back to the city. I question was he working for the airport or for him self and did the airport management knew or arranged for his work. The same thing happens with the devastated men that will gather around you to carry your luggage for money, their wage depends on how generous you are. At most of the times you will end up paying to them even if you did not receive any service from them.
Our airport needs basic care supplements. Cleaners, luggage carriers, more dustpans, a better food court, a nice gift shop and that same boy standing there in his clean airport staff uniform selling newspapers this time having them on their stand with a reasonable price, hiring men to work in the parking lot, organizing workers to carry luggage, over all we need a more organized management. All this will also create jobs for our youth, men and women helping the country in reducing its level of unemployment and who knows we might win the award of best airport or cleanest toilet in the coming years, I mean why not!.
I hope that my unpleasant notes will be taken under consideration for the betterment of our official premises, which is Somaliland’s mirror and front door. I think it will be a sign of braveness and high sense of citizenship and belongness if the concerned authorities will look into this matter. The next time the LBC crew visits us they will have a big smile on their faces and eyes wide open to the improvements at the same “dirty” airport once and of course during their night time flight.
Nima Ahmed
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