By Abdullahi Dool

Together, we can make a difference in the life of not one but many members of our nation. However, I bring to your attention one heart aching as well as touching story. This is a pressing matter which warrants not only our attention but our swift action. The story first picked up by the wires and a number of international news outlets and also run by our press and electronic media concerns the suffering of a Somali family in Burao in Somaliland. This does not in any way mean that they are the only ones struggling. Back home and in the Diaspora, the suffering of our people is everywhere evident.

There is no need to reflect on the causes of the tribulations of Ali Hussein Diriye and his family. We know why this family is in the situation they find themselves in. For our millions in agonizing conditions the wait for a caring Government had proved too long. The corridor of power which would have been utilized to better their lives and relieve suffering had since 1991 been thronged out by selfish individuals who only cared about themselves at the expense of the trials of our public.

With the absence of a responsible national government for the whole country, the suffering of our people can be mitigated if we collectively combine and coordinate our efforts. For that our people will have to rise above notions of clan and think as a nation. We do not need to remind ourselves that the suffering of any Somali is our own suffering. It is incumbent on us to help our people wherever they are. The story told by the patriarch is as follows:

BURAO (IRIN) - Ali Hussein Diriye, 78, is a resident of Kosar camp in Burao, one of the main cities in the self-declared republic of Somaliland, northwest Somalia. Kosar is home to thousands of Somali returnees from Ethiopia. Diriye spoke about his life in the camp. "We were among the first groups of families to settle in Kosar in 2001. We came from the Daroor refugee camp in Ethiopia's Somali region. We used to live in a rented house in Burao but were forced to flee our homes in 1988 when the civil war broke out. We became displaced and ended up in the refugee camp.”

"After the end of the war, when we came back, we had nothing. We had no land, no buildings or even a plot to return to in Burao. Over time, the number of people in my family here at the camp has increased to 11. My oldest son is 40 while my youngest child is eight. My son is also a father and his family is living with us too. Life is difficult for us because despite being the head of the family, I have no job. We have been forced to rely on relatives in towns who are working in construction sites or operating their own businesses to support us. Before the war, life was easier. My wife was working in a slaughterhouse where she would buy and sell goats. I was working as a foreman attached to the ministry of hides and skins. But now, food is sometimes hard to come by; in terms of feeding, the refugee camps were better.”

Now we have all read the story. We comprehend that the family needs a home as well as the means to support itself. The aim is to enable them to rebuild their lives. The challenge is to provide them with the means to get on with their lives and not to remain a further burden to others who are themselves struggling. My question is: Through small contributions can we turn the tide for this Somali family in Burao? This is a matter we can take care of easily.

There are always those who think that there is something behind everything. This appeal is about a Somali family who need our help. Looking after our own does not need an ulterior motive. Cynicism, suspicion and conspiracy theories are signs of under development and hopelessness. Suspicion and cynicism will not help our nation but will merely perpetuate its dire situation. We need men and women of good will and compassion to help this family and the many more in despair back home and overseas.

I ask all Somali media outlets who care about our people to take part in this appeal and allocate a space to publicize the predicament of this family so that monies could be sent to cater their needs. I shall not only make my donation to the family but in unison with friends and acquaintances combine my effort. Let us show that we care and intend to make a difference. Let this be the first of many tasks we undertake together. This may well be the first step on a new journey of reaching out to individuals, families as well as communities in difficulty back home and overseas. We have to inspire as well as seed hope in our conflict riven society so that our people can aspire to lift the nation from desolation and despondency. It was petty individuals of no vision who encouraged the perpetuation of artificial clan boundaries as a means to achieve their selfish goals. Evidently this feeble-mindedness needs to change.

Any credit in the success of this appeal belongs to all good intentioned individuals who take part in it. By sending your contributions you will make a difference in the lives of this family. Blessed are those who care and intend to make a difference! Please go to your nearest Somali money transfer unit and send your donation to Ali Hussein Diriye in Kosar camp in Burao. Be a contributor or even a collector in this cause of ours. If possible please send your contributions today!

Abdullahi Dool

Hornheritage@aol.com