NW Somali / African News
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Published
Biweekly
in the United
Issue 41 and
Volume 7
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States August 31,
2010
www.runtanews .com
Published Biweekly
in the United
Issue 41 and
Volume 7
States August 31, 2010
NOW
RUNTA
www.RuntaNews.com
Editor@runtanews.com
Issue 59 and Volume 9
January 2015
IS ONLINE www.RuntaNews.com
Making Internet Affordable for our Communities: Comcast’s “Internet Essentials”
Internetka Asaasiga COMCAST iyo Dadka Dan-yarta ah!
Details (Faah-faahin) Inside (Gudaha ka akhriso)
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Advertisement
JAN, 2015 | Issue 59
Making Internet Affordable for our Communities: Comcast’s “Internet Essentials”
An estimated 40,000 Somalis live in the Seattle area, a majority in South King County. Of the foreign-born population in Seattle, 5.4 percent are from Africa, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. . Like Advertisement other immigrant groups, most belong to lower income households. Children of immigrants also account for 35 percent of all children in Washington’s low-income families, according to the 2011 American Community Survey. Being a part of a lower-income family, children have additional barriers to academic success without the needed resources. Nowadays, homework is sometimes posted and submitted online only. Teachers incorporate online and digital tools in the classroom. And, academic resources are immediately accessible through the Internet. Students are becoming more dependent on Internet access at home to fulfill school needs. It sets a foundation to be successful and engaged in tomorrow’s ever-changing world. Comcast’s Internet Essentials program is a way to address this need. If a family has a child currently qualified for or enrolled in the National Free and Reduced Lunch Program, they are eligible for high-speed Internet through
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Comcast for just $9.95/month. Enrolled participants can also receive a computer for $149.99 and free Internet training. There are no price increases, no activation fees, and no equipment rental fees. Learn if you’re eligible by calling 1-855846-8376 or visiting www.InternetEssentials.com from your local library or community center. With better access to the Internet, children can complete their homework. Parents can follow their child’s academic progress and use school resources. Families can also explore work opportunities, pay bills, communicate with loved ones, shop, or watch videos. In its third year, the Internet Essentials program has grown to provide 350,000 families or approximately 1.4 million individuals across the country with Internet access. In Washington State, more than 11,000 families have subscribed to the program in areas where Comcast provides service with 7,600 in the Seattle area. “The vast majority of those families have never had access to Internet at home before,” says Comcast Washington’s VP of Communications, Steve Kipp. “The impact to these families is substantial and we’re glad to provide that. It’s the
right thing to do for our communities.” With regular Internet access becoming as basic a need as food, heat and other utilities, Comcast’s Internet Essentials program is as essential as its name suggests. “More and more, companies are no longer accepting paper applications and are requiring job applicants to apply online,” says Kipp. “The same holds true for schools, which now post grades and homework assignments online. This can be a big disadvantage to students and families without broadband access.” This doesn’t solve entirely the complex issue of the digital divide we face in communities across the country, but it’s a significant first step in getting digital access to those who need it and would
benefit from its advantages. Bridging the digital divide has become the rallying call of Comcast and its Internet Essentials program a “cornerstone” of its community investment, describes Kipp. “In the end we’re really helping a family participate in the 21st century and this new digital world that we’re in,” says Kipp. “We’re getting them that level playing field and that platform to make a better life for themselves.” So who’s eligible and how can families subscribe? Learn more about Internet Essentials and if you or someone you know is eligible by calling 1-855-8468376 or visiting www.InternetEssentials.com.
This article sponsored by Comcast
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NEWS
JAN, 2015 | Issue 59
After Barren Years in Somalia, Signs of Growth by the Bunch
By:Daniel Berehulak
FGOOYE, Somalia — Armed with machetes, the men push their way through the densely packed rows of trees, emerging every few minutes with large bundles of green bananas over their shoulders. A guard, his chest crossed with bullet belts, his hands cradling a Russian-made rifle, scans the tree line for intruders as the men throw the bananas on a trailer before dashing back into the plantation for another load. When the trailer is piled high with bananas, it is pulled by tractor to a nearby warehouse, where the fruit is sorted and boxed for transport to destinations across Somalia and as far away as the Middle East. After years of warfare that decimated an industry that was once the largest in Africa, the banana is making a tentative comeback in Somalia. Farms are stepping up production and eyeing overseas markets that have been dormant for years. “Last April we exported to Saudi Arabia for the first time in 23 years,” said Kamal Haji Nasir, 30, whose father, owns this plantation in Afgooye, a town on the Shebelle River, about 45 minutes’ drive from Mogadishu. “We are excited and hopeful.” For more than two decades, Somalia was the epitome of a failed state — a country rife with war, anarchy, famine,
piracy and terrorism. Many of those problems persist — there has been a recent surge in attacks by Shabab The bananas harvested in Afgooye are sent to destinations as far away as the Middle East. Credit: Daniel Berehulak for The New York Times Dole, which has in the past invested there, said it was cautious about committing to Somalia. “The Somali banana industry has potential,” Xavier Roussel, the marketing and communication director at Dole Fresh Fruit Europe in Hamburg, Germany, said in an email. But, he added, “right now it seems difficult to develop any agriculture program in Somalia because of the local situation.” The banana farmers, however, have had some success connecting with regional buyers, with some help from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. militants, the government is riven with infighting and the United Nations has been warning of a growing risk of famine — but the country has nonetheless made some progress in the past few years. Somalia elected a new president and adopted a constitution in 2012, bringing some stability, and attracting pledges of aid from international donors. Somali pirates, who once threatened international shipping in the Indian Ocean, have largely been contained and the Shabab have lost their grip over many towns. “By any measure, Somalia today is in a better situation than it has been for the past 23 years,” said Nicholas Kay, the United Nations’ special representative for Somalia. That stability has allowed farmers like Mr. Nasir, who studied agriculture at Mogadishu University, to return to a
Bara Kiciyaha ugu Weyn!
Soomaalida soo degtay Seattle sagaashameeyadii 90s waxa ay nolosha ka bilaabeen dhinaca koonfureed ee magaalada. Dadkeena halkaa ayey isku dugsan jireen ilaa horraantii sannadkii 2000 oo dadku magaalada ku soo bateen. Dadku waxa ay imika u bateen labada magaalo ee yar yar ee dariska la ah Seattle kana xiga dhinaca koonfur, Tukwila iyo SeaTac. Imika oo dhinacan koonfureed lagu soo kordhiyey adeeg socod oo casri ah sida tareenka fudud ee loo yaqaan Light Rail oo ay maamusho Sound Transit, dad badan waxad moodda in mustaqbalkoodu iyo is heysadkoodu uu halis ku jiro. Guryo
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business that has been in his family for four generations. Banana farming was brought to the fertile Shebelle and Juba river basins in the southern part of the country by Italian colonists in the 1920s. Soon, bananas became a major staple of Somali cuisine, consumed with rice or pasta, or just as a fruit, and farmers began exporting to Italy and the Middle East. With investment by Italian and American fruit companies, the banana trade reached its peak in the 1980s, led by the brand Somalita, which was partly owned by De Nadai, an Italian company. In 1990, Somalia’s banana exports were worth $96 million, according to Mohamood Abdi Noor, a former World Bank agricultural expert.“The industry was doing very well and moving forward,” said Hasan Haji Osman, an agricultural consultant, who previously worked for Italian and Somali fruit companies. trying to rebuild the industry. They repaired irrigation systems, hired workers and security guards and set their sights on markets overseas. In 2011 they established a company, FruitSome, to market and export their bananas. Mr. Hirabe said FruitSome had contacted Del Monte, Dole and fruit companies in the Middle East, but the response so far has been mixed. The F.A.O. helped organize a conference in Dubai this year at which Somali businesses exhibited their goods to an international audience for the first time in years. FruitSome had its bananas on display. “We let them taste them and they were surprised,” said Omar Farah, a FruitSome representative. “Some asked us, ‘How can we order this?’ ” Since then, FruitSome has exported cusub ayaa ku soo kordhay hareeraha goobaha uu tareenku ku hakado. Guryaha cusub ee dhaadheer oo ah kuwo hal ama labo qol ka sameysan ma ahan kuwo deeqa dadka Soomaaliyeed oo ah kuwa leh qoysas ballaaran. Sidoo kale qiimaha qolalkaasi ugu yaraan waa laba jibbaar qiimihii hore loogu degganaan jiray xaafadahan. Halkaa waxa soo baxay in Tareenkii loogu talo galay inuu dadka u sahlo socodka uu isu beddelay cadow dadka danyarta ah barakiciya. Magaaladii lagu arki dadka madow ee dhaqaalahoodu hooseeya waxa imika beddelaya dad caddaan oo u badan kuwo aad wax u bartay sameeyana lacago ama dakhli aad u sarreeya. Waxa hubanti ah in dadka Afrikaanka ah ee Soomaaliduna ugu horreyso ey imika
five containers to the Middle East and hopes that some of the contacts forged at the conference will yield further gains. Somali bananas, experts say, have several advantages that make them marketable, including easy and short access to seaports from farms and proximity to markets in the Middle East. And, aficionados say, they taste great. “Sweet, slightly sour, creamy vanilla,” is how Edward Baars, an agricultura engineer with Cgiar, a group of research organizations, described their taste “The quality of Somali bananas is near unmatched in taste and texture, which is due to the unique growing conditions.” Despite that, experts say that considerable issues need to be addressed before Somalia can once again become a leading banana exporter. Mr. Noor said that irrigation and drainage systems roads and storage facilities all needed to be improved, as did quality control and packaging. And, he added, security was still an issue. Jose Lopez of the Food and Agriculture Organization said the country needed to attract more private investment to rebuild the industry. Mr. Farah of FruitSome, however, said he was optimistic about the future. “When you try a Somali banana,” he said, “you can tell the difference.” u badan tahay iney ka sal guuraan Seattle. Magaalada waxa ay tahay magaalada labaad ee Soomaalida ugu badneyd marka laga soo tago Minneapolis, Minnesota. Waxa socda dadaalo lagu badbaadinayo isku dhafnaanta dadka deggan magaalada si dadku ugu sinnaadaan nolosha ay magaalada bixiso. Haddii aaney dadka Soomaaliyeed hurdada ka kicin oo aaney codkooda dhiiban, waxa dhici doonta in laga kala yaaciyo sidii hore loogu kala yaaciyey madowga dalka Mareykanka oon aqoon labaad qofka uu yahay iska daa iney abtirsadaanee. Dadku waa iney is abaabulaan. Masaajiddu ay dadka wacyi geliyaan. Codka la isu geeyaa. Siyaasadda laga qeyb galaa Ugu dambeyntiina dad la iska dhigaa.
Legalities DHIS KARTIDAADA. DHIS AQOONTAADA. DHIS NIYADDAADA. AKHRI Runta News is an independent community newspaper published by Runta Group Inc. Copyright and/or property rights subsist in all display advertisRUNTA. RUNTA WAA TAN KALIYA EE ing and other materials apperaing in this issue of the Runta News. The publisher shall not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors in the advertisments. The publisher’s liability for other errors or omissions is strictly limited to publication of the advertistment in any subsequent issue. The KU QANCISA.
Tifaftiraha (Editor) Mohamud Yussuf. Email: editor@runtanews.com P.O.Box 18463 Seattle, WA 98118
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advertiser agrees to indemnify the publisher againt claims arising from publication of any advertisement . No part of the newspaper amy be reporduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mehanical, via internet, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written consent of the publisher
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Community Advertisement
JAN, 2015 | Issue 59
Cali Xaaji Warsame iyo Booqashadiisii Seattle! Mudane Cali Xaaji Warsame oo ah wasiirka Waxbarashada ee Dowlad Goboleedka Puntland ayaa sannadkan si aad u weyn loogu soo dhoweeyey magaalada Seattle ee gobolka Washington. Sawirkan hore waxa uu muujinayaa kulan uu la sameeyey mudanayaal ka tiran golaha gobolka Washington sida Zack Hatchins iyo Tina Orwall oo midig ka xiga iyo Mia Gregerson oo kulanka qabanqaabisay isla markaana ah Maayerka ama Advertisement Duqda SeaTac islmarkaana ah mudane sidoo kale tirsan aqalka Washington. Wasiirka waxa kale uu kulamo la qaatay dadka ku nool magaalada oo aad u soo dhoweeyey. Sawirkan waxa uu muujinayaa haddiyad ay siiyeen dadka ku nool magaalada oo ay guddoonsiiyeen laba aqoon yahan oo aad loga qaddariyo magaalada sida Axmed Cabudlle iyo Axmed Dudde oo bidixdiisa ka muuqda iyagoo dhoolla cadeynaya. Dadweynaha iney la kulmaan isugu soo baxay aad bay u badnaayeen waxana ay isugu jireen rag iyo dumar ku labisan dhar aad u qurux badan. Cali waxa sharaf weyn loogu hayaa isbeddelkii uu ku sameeyey siyaasadda maamulka Puntland ka dib markii ay qeyb wayn ka qaatay inuu kursiga ku fariisiyo professor Cabdiwali Maxamed Cali Gaas oo ah madaxweynaha imika ee maamulka. Arrintaa darteed waxa loo aqoonsaday Cali inuu yahay “Boqor Sameeye-King Maker) intii uu isaga boqorka noqon lahaa. Runta waxa ay ka mid tahay dadka aadka u taagersan waxana ay rajeyneysaa in Soomaalida ay ku bataan dad noociisa ah.
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Community Advertisement
JAN, 2015 | Issue 59
Dukaanleyda Soomaaliyeed oo Halis ugu Jira Iney Xirmaan!
Suldan Sheikh (bidix) iyo Ahmed Mohamud waxa ay dhowaan ka hor hadleen Advertisement kulan looga hadlayey dhibaatooyinka soo food saaray ganacsatada Soomaaliyeed ee ku dhaqan Seattle, Washington. Waxa ganacsatada lagu soo rogay sharciyo adag oo haddii sida ay yihiin loo qaato dukaamada hadda jira oo dhan ay xirmi doonaan. Qodobbada ku qoran sharciyadan cusub waxa kaliya oo sammeyn kara dukaammada waaweyn. Dukaamadan loo yaqaano Xalaal waxa ay u adeegaan dadkeena kuwa intooda badan ay dhib ku tahay sida looga adeegto suuqyada waaweyn luqadda oo ku yar darteed iyo dadka xalaal quutada ah oo iska ilaaliya iney cunaan xoolo aan lagu gowricin gacan Islaam. Hey’ad ka mida hey’adaha u dooda xuquuqda aadamiga iyo sinnaanta dadka oo la yiraahdo One America ayaa imika arrintan faraha la soo gashay waxana ay dooneysaa iney si fiican ugu hiiliso ganacsatadan. Hay’addan oo ah mid aad looga yaqaan gobolka Washington waxa ay ku soo caan baxday markii 2011kii ay qaadatay kiis lagu xiray shirkaddii Barakaat iyo dukaan ay ku dhex tiilay, Maka Mini Market. Imika oo haddana dhib soo wajahay dukaamo fara badan oo gaaraya 70 kuna kala
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baahsan agagaarka Seattle, waxa ay hey’adda qaadi doontaa olole ay dadka kula kaashan doonto iney garab istaagaan dukaamadooda ay ka soo iibsadaan hilib xalaalkooda. Dadka Soomaaliyeed iyo dukaanleyda waxa looga baahan yahay iney isku duubnaadaan si arrintan looga gudbo. America isku soo bax iyo hadal uun baa wax lagu qeybsadaa. Ciddii aamusta jidka ayaa looga tagaa. Arrintan waxa ay u baahnaan doontaa bulsho isku duuban oo isu heellan. Soomaalida arrinta isku duubnida iyo isu heellanaanta waa lagu yaqaanaa, laasinse mararka qaar waxa ay ku liitaan inaaney waqti siinin wixii wax u taraya. Markan dadka xuuraansannay waxa inoo soo baxay in dhibka ugu weyn uu yahay iyadoo in yar ay shirarka yimaadaan iyadoo kuwa kale ay yiraahdaan intaas ayaa naga wakiil ah. Sidee bay xaq ku taqay in qof kula mida uu shaqadiisa ka soo tago isagoo u doodaya dan idiin dhaxeysa marka adiga aad howlahaada sii wadeneyso. Waxa hubanti ah in dhibku hal qof ama koox uusan ku ekaan doonin, sidaa darteed loo baahan yahay in halganka laga wada qeyb galo. Sawirkan waxa ka muuqda Cabdi Gurbis (Koofilaha) oo arrinta dukaanleyda kala
hadlaya Mia Gregerson oo ah mudane ka tirsan golaha siyaasiyiinta gobolka Washington isla markaana ah Mayorka ama Duqda magaalada SeaTac. Cabdiwali Cabdullaahi sawirka ayuu soo eegayaa iyadoo Sahra oo ah gabadha ugu dukaanka weyn Seattle ay dhexdhexaadineyso hadalka. Maama Khadiija oo ah islaanta murgeysan ee dhabanka heysata waa dadka durba dhibku taabtay oo laga yaabo in dukaankeedu xirmo maalmo dhow.
Gurmad la’aan dadkani kuma yaqaanniin. Arrintu shacabka Soomaaliyeed ee ku dhaqan Seattle ayey u taal iyo Masaajidda oo sadaqo aad u fara badan ay ka soo gasho dukaamada. Waa la arki doonaa waxa ay labaduba u qabtaan walaalahood. Runta waa Tan Kaliya ee ku Qancisa!
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COMMUNITY
JAN, 2015 | Issue 59
Building Local Business Ownership to Serve Our Communities By Tammy Morales When Shakir Mohamed, owner of West Seattle Halal Market lost his ability to sell WIC items to his customers he lost $120,000 in sales. Other stores throughout Seattle and south King County are experiencing similar problems as they lose authorization to sell infant formula, bread, milk, and other food items to their low-income customers. These businesses are struggling to stay open because of rules set out by the Washington Department of Health that make it very difficult for small grocery retailers to become authorized WIC and food stamp stores. The rules have little to do with increasing access to WIC food for low-income women. Instead, they are meant to encourage shopping at larger stores where more food items are available. The trouble is that for many immigrant shoppers, they prefer stores that carry familiar items, where someone speaks their language, and where they can say hello to a friend. The rules meant to make shopping easier are, in fact, hurting small businesses and disregarding the
Boondheere!
By:Shirin Ramzanali Fazel
Bondere is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Mogadishu. At dawn the call to prayer from the nearby mosque, enters
preferences of many immigrant communities. We can, and should, do more to help small immigrant owned businesses in Seattle be successful. By dedicating more of our resources to supporting local business, we can build a more vibrant local economy and build our community assets. It’s time to focus public resources on encouraging community-controlled development. It’s time to move away from business as usual. Rather than using our local resources to attract outside investment, or assume efficiency and size are the only measures of economic success, we should find strategies that build our local assets and generate communityownership. In a community as diverse as ours, we must ensure that business services and training programs are staffed by people who speak different languages and who can help immigrants navigate the license and permit structures of local government. Studies show that buying from locally owned businesses, rather than national chains, keeps more money circulating in our local economy. Local businesses tend to buy from other local businesses and service providers. They employ more local people. And more of their profits stay here in our community. There are many things we can do to change the dynamic of development that
gets ahead of the community and leaves people with few options. We need to experiment with new ideas that can address the unequal distribution of wealth in our city. New policy ideas and action can stabilize our communities and stem the displacement happening in Seattle. As plans develop for investment in the south end, we should consider ways to ensure that local investment creates community benefit. We need to use our community assets to increase community ownership. A thoughtful, comprehensive strategy will build apprenticeship and technical training programs and grow our local businesses. Improving the connection between these programs can offer strong career ladders for our community so that everyone gets a chance to make a livable wage for an honest day’s work. A food innovation center in the Rainier Beach area is one idea that would increase community ownership. I’ve partnered with other specialists to explore the proposal. The center could include foodprocessing facilities, a food hub to collect and distribute locally-grown produce, or a shared-use commercial kitchen that entrepreneurs can rent to produce products for wholesale or retail markets. A successful food innovation center would create a business cluster environment that spurs local and regional development for small and mid-size food businesses here in
South Seattle. It could improve economic self-sufficiency while improving access to fresh, local food. South Seattle communities have a clear interest in developing industry around healthy food. With so many deep cultural and culinary assets to contribute, the time is right to connect those assets to opportunity. Small business owners like Shakir should be able to count on their local government to provide clear rules about how to get licensed and permitted. He should not be losing sales because of an agency preference for dealing with large stores, many of which are headquartered outside the area. Similarly, our immigrant communities should be able to shop where they choose to get the products they need. Local businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know customers. Supporting these businesses not only improves access to healthy food, it also builds ownership in the community and that’s a benefit that serves all of us. Tammy Morales is a community development professional with a history of engaging neighborhoods in south Seattle and King County around affordable housing, small business development, and healthy food. She is a founding partner at Urban Food Link and a candidate for Seattle City Council, District 2
softly from the window we keep open during the night. The sound of dragging feet and water flowing from the tap, spreads in the sleeping house. Later it is the sticky aroma of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and sugar boiling for the morning tea that is swimming in the rooms, while the smell of frying eggs and tin pancakes travels furtively to our neighbours. On Fridays, it is the juicy lamb’s liver sizzling with a lot of onions that makes my stomach rumble. The woman carrying fresh milk and eggs comes to our door daily. When the air starts to become heavy, it’s time for the cart of drinking water to stop at our gate. It is pulled by the same short donkey; he turns his head searching for my little hand holding a banana. His happiness lasts a few seconds, and then his eyes are dull again. A loud hoarse voice is piercing the neighbourhood,
“Bananas, watermelons, limoni, onions, garlic, tomatoes, mangos, chili and bombelmo, grapefruit.” It’s the man selling fruits and vegetables. His calloused feet are dry like an old leather shoe and are covered with dust. His skull cap is stained with sweat. He is always smiling, or maybe he looks as if he were smiling because of the missing teeth. A young boy is drumming with a fork on an aluminium tray, selling gummy homemade sweets, followed by the vendor of green mint syrup ice lollies, yelling, “Gellado, ice cream.” The garbage man takes a break, eating a pancake and sipping a cup of tea that my mother offered him. When the sun is at the zenith and even the bees are too lazy to fly, the nomad knocks. He supplies camel milk and butter. He is carrying a big jar carved from wood and holds a long wooden spoon. The last drops fall
in the bowl, like pearls. The ghee is thick, yellow and smells of cow. Beggars tap at the gate softly and with their humble voice implore; they receive a few coins or a bowl of spaghetti left from the night before. The muezzin calls the believers for the second prayer of the day. After lunch only the sound of the rusted fan wanders in the shadowy rooms. In the afternoons our house is filled with the sound of the radio that mingles with the laughter and gossip of our visiting friends and neighbours. Again the air is filled with the scent of spiced tea and ginger coffee. The sun is sinking very fast, the stars are preparing to twinkle, while a melodic voice is calmly calling us to pray maghrib, sunset. Soft lights appear in the houses, and the scent of burning frankincense is inviting the angels to protect the neighbourhood.
greener.” Seattle’s recyclables and yard waste have been prohibited from the garbage for more than a decade. Prior to submitting the food waste legislation, SPU polled businesses and residents and found widespread support for the measure. In a Survey USA telephone poll conducted in June, more than 3 out of 4 Seattle residents polled supported the proposal. Organics – food, paper napkins, cardboard pizza boxes, leaves and grass – make up the largest component of Seattle’s waste. SPU estimates that 30 percent of the 317, 258 tons of trash that was disposed in the landfill in 2013 was compostable.
Seattle began biweekly curbside residential vegetative food waste collection in 2005. In 2009, Seattle required all residents to participate in food waste collection or backyard composting, and started collecting food and yard waste every week, including meat, fish and dairy. SPU estimates that businesses and residents have diverted nearly 400,000 tons of food from the landfill since 2005.Today, more than 300,000 single-family, multi-family and commercial properties participate in food and yard waste collection. Seattleites divert more than 125,000 tons of food and yard waste. pg 11 Continue -->
New Seattle Food Waste Requirements Start Jan. 1 Compost Food. It’s Not Garbage Anymore! SEATTLE— Starting January 1, 2015, the City of Seattle will no longer allow food or compostable paper, including pizza boxes, paper napkins and paper towels, in the garbage. Part of the city’s solid waste comprehensive plan, the food waste requirements were passed earlier this year by the Seattle City Council and signed into law by Mayor Ed Murray. The ordinance is
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projected to divert as much as 38,000 more tons of food scraps from the landfill each year, helping Seattle achieve its goal to recycle or compost 60 percent of its waste by 2015. “Seattle is a national leader in recycling,” said Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) Solid Waste Director Tim Croll. “Most of our city’s businesses and residents are already composting. This requirement is a progression of our collective efforts that help our city become even
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Community Advertisement
JAN, 2015 | Issue 59
THOUGHTS ON STORYTELLING FOR SOMALIA RETREAT AND ADVENTURES IN WALES AND LONDON
This week (September 15 to 19) was a game changer for me. It has felt like 1 year worth of growing has been done in just one week. I was selected to be a part of a groundbreaking project run by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and UK-based partner Radical Middle Way with The Institute of Narrative Growth called “Storytelling for Somalia”, A retreat for journalists, change makers and creatives from the Somali diaspora on September 15th-19th.
By:Hodan Ibrahim
diaspora within Cardiff, Wales and United Kingdom in general. It was held at the historical Buckland Hall, a beautifully isolated mansion tucked away in the gorgeous hills in Wales in Brecons Beacons Park. Waking up every morning to grab some tea(no it was actually copious amounts of hot chocolate) to take a walk on the beautiful landscape of lush greenery, and gaze at the mountains and small homes covered in a haze of clouds before sessions was something I will
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It was a co-lab on journalism and story with 30 creative change makers from across the Somali diaspora ranging from writers, bloggers, entrepreneurs, creatives, journalists and it was designed to facilitate collaborations and conversations amongst its members.There were trainings on investigative journalism, story as a global health strategy, evening fire side chats with the great Dr. Fuad Nahdi, field trips to visit key communities and community figures and learn about the history of the Somali
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social positioning. Asking us where we came from poses another assumption: you are here because of where your ancestors were decades ago. Let’s explore that.
We had 8-9 hour day sessions – very content-focused. I wanted to highlight three different sessions that provide a bird-eye view on what we explored.
never forget. It was a quiet that forced you to reckon with your own soul. It brought about an introspection that either made you reaffirm your path in life or completely reconsider everything path in life or completely reconsider everything. The first thing we did was sit in a circle, as an entire group, and introduce ourselves by way of our ancestry. It was a lovely break from the common question: “What do you do?” Behind that question is the assumption of the importance of economics, status and
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Community Advertisement
JAN, 2015 | Issue 59
Healing as a global health strategy. Mark Gonzales led us through many introspective discussions on the psychology of healing and the anatomy of storytelling and nation. He described nations as a collection of narratives and took us through a series of activities that allowed us to explore the positive and negative effects of how stories are able to both heal and harm a nation. Be Another Lab was a collective between Daanish Masooud, Christian Cherene and Arthur Pointreau, to create a machine that allows others to virtually interact with themselves. Unfortunately, I never got a chance to try it out because there was always a huge line to try it. Click on the link to learn more. Fireside Chats – These were the last sessions of our day and a chance to
regroup and debrief on what happened during the day and sit with our elders, share stories and ask questions. The great Dr. Fuad Nahdi lead these sessions through insightful and hilariAdvertisement
ous stories on life and his remarkable life experiences. These sessions were a way for us to bond. I wish they happened every night of my life – it was beautiful. These fireside chats planted the seed that allowed me to open up to this group. What made this retreat groundbreaking was the initial assumption of
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creating a space to bring members of the Somali diaspora together to exchange ideas and experiences. It was a daring project to bring together Somalis of the diaspora worldwide to meet
and people my age. I never had the chance to work with them, collaborate ideas, speak my language and feel a communal connection that was ripped from us due to colonialism. These are the people, had I been in my homeland, the same people I would have grown up with, lived with and worked with. But life had other plans. What does it mean to be an urban Muslim entrepreneur and artist from Canada? For the first time, I was forced to answer that question. 25 + years ago, Somalia was ripped apart by civil war and spread its citizens across the world and this created probably the most fragmented nation on earth. The consequences of this were bound to create chaos – and it did. By the third day, pent up feelings started to emerge during one morning session.
lack of trust that can only come from a community suffering from traumas – both personal and collective – that had not been addressed for 25 + years. As Muslims, we’ve been put under the radar and are constantly under suspicion from people around us. As colored people, we don’t benefit from social privileges that bring the social and financial capital with it. And as Somalis, many of us have faced socio-economic
and collaborate together for 1 week – which, to my knowledge, has never been done. I spent most of my life living in a multicultural community, with very little emphasis on my cultural identity. As a young women of the diaspora, I have never had the space, as many other retreat members will confidently say, to sit in a room full of my people
People had mentioned everything from suspicions, to concerns and frustrations. Was the United Nations doing this to collect data on Somalis? How come Somalis weren’t part of the design of the retreat? Were we being used as experiment? Whether any of these concerns where valid or not is beside the point. The point is that the reactions were symptoms of a legitimately larger issue – lack of trust. A
pressures that have caused many of our parents to walk out on us, our families being ripped apart, and many of us never having truly connected with our country of origin, perpetually living in a nomadic state – not belonging anywhere but where we are at the moment. All these of these tensions have then built up for decades. Therefore reactions weren’t so much of a surprise but predictable.
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Many complaints were made about Somalis being involved in the creation of this retreat and with all due respect, the Somali community has very little capacity to pull off a retreat like this– we don’t have the social and/or financial capital to put together what the UN, Mark, Daanish and Abdurahman had done. The organization, the accountability, the vision and the execution of the retreat was incredible, to say the least. They, quite simply, made history. I’m not trying to knock on my Somalis but let’s be real. It’s not that Somalis can’t, but we won’t. There are too many internal politics, ego, and lack of organization for the Somali community to have pulled this retreat off. Sorry. I’m grateful that someone thought of us – not in the common narrative of the
white saviour thrusting himself upon the black man – but that someone cared. Because very few people care for Somalia. Even Somalis at times, I’m afraid. The truth is, we are afraid of ourselves. We are afraid of our light, our own success, our own ability to move Advertisement forward in unity as a nation capable of accomplishing great things. Fear of success manifested itself so many times during this retreat – through chaos, through argument, through discontent and through tears.
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One person said during a session that very few of us had been in a room with so many talented people of our nation and are actually reacting to the immense power that was in that roomalbeit negatively- but nonetheless, it drew attention to the strong elements that were at large. It was absolutely incredible how accomplished and successful people were but there were few mentions of personal successes. I’m not sure if it’s because we have been so used to silencing our talents as a result of years of conditioning or it’s was simply because we didn’t feel comfortable using that space to do so. While there may have been moments where we all collectively did share in happiness, by far the most intense is when we all sat and shared in our pain through a session lead by Mark Gonzales. He asked us to bring photos of our families and write a letter to them. Overwhelmingly, everyone wrote a letter to their mother, everyone spoke of their mother and there were enough tears to fill the Gulf of Aden 10 times. Our mother have been and always will be the bedrock of our communities.
So much pain they have suffered through yet they are the pillars – standing tall and gloriously – regardless of what elements they have faced. I also did write to my mother but had to stop writing it. It was too painful. That session made me leave the room twice. I could only imagine what my parents had to go through to give me a chance at life. They were their own people, with their own dreams and aspirations until life derailed them and sent them on another path. It also made me realize that my suffering wasn’t unique – it was all too common. Everyone in that room had a story as painful as mine. For a long time, we’ve never had a chance to just say: “I’m hurt.” Or to say this is who I am and it’s okay. Regardless of the baggage. This is what I went through, and it’s okay. Regardless of what I feel. This is what happened to my family and I can work through it. This is what the older generations did, but I am willing to forgive, let go and start anew. That I don’t need to carry the burden of Somalia on me. I can let go of
this invisible responsibility to save a country whose problems started long before I was born. And truly, this is what the retreat was all about: forgiveness. As much as many people came in with expectations to change a lot, forgiveness is by far the best thing to start with and the most impact thing that will bring Somalis together. The willingness to forgive ourselves – an entire generation- of our grievances, allow ourselves to move and say that it will be okay. And beautifully, this is how the retreat ended. We were asked to give two words: one to our past and one to our future, with, as Mark said, the acknowledgement that we are the pivot point between the two. Mine was to offer forgiveness to my ancestors and to offer limitlessness to my future.
So much pain they have suffered through yet they are the pillars – standing tall and gloriously – regardless of what elements they have faced. I also did write to my mother but had to stop writing it. It was too painful. That session made me leave the room twice. I could only imagine what my parents had to go through to give me a chance at life. They were their own people, with their own dreams and aspirations until life derailed them and sent them on another path. It also made me realize that my suffering wasn’t unique – it was all too common. Everyone in that room had a story as painful as mine. For a long time, we’ve never had a chance to just say: “I’m hurt.” Or to say this is who I am and it’s okay. Regardless of the baggage. This is what I went through, and it’s okay. Regardless of what I feel. This is what happened to my family and I can work through it. This is what the older generations did, but I am willing to forgive, let go and start anew. That I don’t need to carry the burden of Somalia on me. I can let go of this invisible responsibility to save a country whose problems started long before I was born.
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And truly, this is what the retreat was all about: forgiveness. As much as many people came in with expectations to change a lot, forgiveness is by far the best thing to start with and the most impact thing that will bring Somalis together. The willingness to forgive ourselves – an entire generation- of our grievances, allow ourselves to move and say that it will be okay. And beautifully, this is how the retreat ended. We were asked to give two words: one to our past and one to our Advertisement future, with, as Mark said, the acknowledgement that we are the pivot point between the two. Mine was to offer forgiveness to my ancestors and to offer limitlessness to my future.
JAN, 2015 | Issue 59
tions? Did it matter? Should I go back to being the nomad I’ve always beenwandering without a thought and reverting to the only philosophy that has given me solace over the grievances I witness around me: be the best you can be,and walk your own path. I’ve chosen to walk my own path for so long, but now my path was colliding with so many other paths and forcing me to reckon with them and face what a Somali elder once told me: “If you want to go fast, go by yourself. If you want to go far, go with the people.” Overall, the number one thing I learned about myself was that I’ve been playing small with myself, not dreaming big enough and not allowing myself to
embrace the endless opportunities and wonders the world can bring to you. I come from a small town, whose only real significance is that it was were I was born but the journey towards understanding myself and expanding my own doesn’t need to end in one place. As Mark says, I will apologize to my ancestors and apologize to myself for thinking that playing small was ever an acceptable thing. And as uncomfortable as it is, Somalis with their diverse needes and directions, will need to attempt to walk with one another. There is no use fighting a million battles if it’s not to win the war. To my fellow readers and Somalis, don’t
limit yourself- the endless possibilities are always around you, opportunities are always there.There are so many tiers of reality that we can penetrate – high consciousness, higher levels of energypursue them with rigour. At the end of the retreat, I spent a few days in London hanging out with someone of the most beautiful people I’ve met so far in my life – talented, creative and smart people with a collective hope to change the world for the better. And for the first time in my life, I feel there is hope for us. Report by Hodan Ibrahim. Photo by Mohamud Yussuf (Runta)
What was made painfully aware to me is that Somalia is still a country a long way from resolving our collective trauma. I walked out of a session and ended up breaking down thinking: Will we ever get it together? Were we doomed to a downward spiral of decline? Maybe these were the reasons I’ve failed to engage with the Somali community – the process of healing was the first battle we had to face before any political, social or economic changes could be implemented. A long road to real freedom, indeed. But was it useful to even ask such ques-
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COMMUNITY from the landfill each year. In 2013, Seattle’s diverted 56.2 percent of its waste – 407,125 tons - from the landfill via recycling and composting. Seattle is the latest of several cities that
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have passed food waste requirements, including Vancouver, BC, Portland, OR, San Francisco, CA, and New York, NY. Learn more about Seattle Public Utilities, at: www.seattle.gov/util. Follow SPU on Twitter: /SeattleSPU.
In addition to providing solid waste services in Seattle, SPU provides more than 1.3 million customers in the metropolitan area with a reliable water supply and provides essential sewer, drainage and engineering services that safeguard
public health, maintain the City’s infrastructure and protect, conserve and enhance the region's environmental resources.
Seattle invests $22 million in affordable housing SEATTLE (Dec. 15, 2014) – Today Mayor Ed Murray announced $22 million for the development and preservation of affordable housing in Seattle. The longterm loans through the Office of Housing will support the City’s priorities of reducing homelessness, supporting transit-oriented development and providing options for families of all incomes to live in Seattle. “Through our partnerships with the non-profit community, we are building a better reality for hundreds of families and individuals,” said Murray. “Today we’re taking another step to reduce homelessness that is a biting reality on our sidewalks and we’re making families’ dreams of affordable homes come true.” The $22 million announced today will be loaned to housing developers to build and preserve rent- and incomerestricted apartments affordable to our city’s low-income residents: Mercy Othello Plaza: Mercy Housing’s project at the Othello light rail station will house 108 low-income families in a mix of units, including 62 two and three bedroom apartments. ($8.5 million in City funding) 7th and Cherry: Plymouth Housing
Group will provide 77 homes for chronically homeless individuals with on-site supportive services. ($7.3 million in City funding) University Commons: Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) will build homes for 48 low-income and homeless neighbors, including 20 units designated for homeless young adults. ($3.2 million in City funding) Lyon Building: DESC will provide much needed safety and health improvements to this historic building which currently houses 64 formerly homeless individuals. ($1.7 million in City funding) Aloha Inn: Catholic Housing Services will make vital improvements to the building as well as critical health renovations to this transitional housing building, which has capacity for 66 homeless individuals. ($1.3 million in City funding) “By creating 363 new homes, this investment will improve the lives of families, individuals and young adults across our City,” said Seattle City Councilmember Sally Clark. “Today we celebrate these new homes, while we continue to work on additional tools and to plan for affordability.” “In the 30 years since the passage of the
first housing bond, the Office of Housing has invested more than $400 million in the creation and preservation of nearly 12,000 units of affordable housing,” stated Steve Walker, director of the Office of Housing. “The 363 apartments we are investing in today ensure affordability for at least 50 ears. This is a huge win not just for today, but for future generations.” The investments announced today come primarily from the Seattle Housing Levy ($14.4 million), with additional funds coming from payments to the City through the Incentive Zoning Program ($3.8 million) and federal and other City funds ($4.2 million). City funds for these projects are leveraged with state, federal and private investments to create the greatest impact possible. “The City is not only a funder, but an amazing partner to ensure that nonprofit organizations like ours can continue to provide homes for our community’s most vulnerable populations,” stated Sharon Lee, executive director of LIHI. “Everyone deserves a stable and affordable home, and University Commons will now be a part of that vision. We are also thrilled to include new space for the University District
Food Bank in our project." “We want to keep Seattle a place where families of al incomes can thrive, said Bill Rumpf, President of Mercy Housing Northwest “Mercy Othello Plaza will provide affordable housing for more than 100 families, and the location near light rail provides great access to jobs and educationa opportunities.” “Few people in our community take housing for granted anymore, but for over 2,000 people in Seattle just having a roof over their head is a dream,” stated Paul Lambros, director of Plymouth Housing Group. “The new 7th and Cherry building will provide homes for 77 of your neighbors that have been chronically homeless, giving them the stability they deserve.” The Seattle Office of Housing provides support to low-income residents in Seattle through rental housing preservation and production, home buyer assistance, free weatherization services and home repair loans. For more information www.seattle.gov/housing.
Flu is here—and it’s a nasty one! By Meredith Li-Vollmer on December 15, 2014 Influenza is noticeably on the rise in King County, according to the many data points coming into our Communicable Disease and Epidemiology unit. Last week, the number of laboratory tests for flu rose sharply and a handful of schools, daycare programs, and long-term care facilities reported flu outbreaks. A severe flu forecast The flu season has only just begun, but the CDC is finding that so far, seasonal influenza A H3N2 viruses have been the most common flu viruses circulating. What’s the significance? In flu seasons in which H3N2 viruses predominate, there often are more severe flu illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths. On top of that, roughly half of the H3N2 viruses that the CDC analyzed to date are drift variants: viruses with genetic changes that make them different from this season’s vaccine virus. This means
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the vaccine’s ability to protect against those viruses may be reduced. So should you still get this year’s flu vaccine? “Absolutely,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Chief of Communicable Disease, Epidemiology and Immunizations. “Some protection is always better than no protection. The vaccine may still reduce the severity of illness if you do get infected with an H3N2 virus. And even if the vaccine is only partially protective against the H3N2, it can protect against other strains of influenza virus that often also circulate during flu season.” Antivirals: the second line of defense When people do become ill from the flu, treatment with antiviral medications is available and especially important for people at high risk of serious flu complications or people who are very sick. Antiviral drugs should be taken as quickly as possible since they work best
when started within two days from when symptoms began. Are you at higher risk? Many people don’t know if they are at high risk for complications from influenza. Some of the people who are at higher risk for complications from influenza include: People with asthma People with diabetes People with heart disease and those who have had a stroke Adults 65 and older Pregnant women People who have HIV or AIDS People who have cancer People who are morbidly obese People with neuro developmental /neurocognitive conditions Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old Native Americans/Alaskan Natives
Preventing flu: Flu vaccination is the best protection available, but everyday actions like washing your hands frequently and staying away from sick people definitely help. If you do get sick, please cover your coughs and stay home from work and school. Even if you think you can tough it out, staying home will prevent the virus from spreading further. Your co-workers and friends will thank you, and you can help protect those at high risk from flu.
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JAN, 2015 | Issue 59
Young East Africans Aim High with ARI Runta- Seattle News, the Seattle Globalist Editors, and Mona Lee and Dick Burkhart who have donated tons of their time.
The Rise of a New Dawn (A Poem by Shirin Fadel)
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Recovery through Journalism has received wide support among the East African Community in Seattle. Under the newly established nonprofit called “Awareness and Recovery Institute (ARI)”, the project trained 8 East African Youth, the majority of whom are Somalis. During the training, the youth participated in reading, writing, computer aided reporting, and photography workshops. Soon after the training, the youth started practicing what they had learned. In accordance with the project plan, the students are now providing photographs and some short writing to the East African newspaper, Runta, The goals of the project were to: 1).Prevent young East Africans from involvement in unlawful and destructive behavior by providing them with useful,
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positive, and constructive skills, especially in civic engagement and technical aspects of media; 2) Provide a community structure of ongoing support and opportunity enabling youth to contribute meaningfully in an increasingly technological society; 3) Provide a useful community role for youth who, due to war trauma, broken
families, and street violence are at risk for destructive behaviors, thus improving their sense of hope and setting them on paths towards technically competent careers in community organizations and media. Thanks to the City of Seattle’s Technology Matching Fund which funded the project, the students had the opportunity to visit many places including the Seattle Times, University of Washington, Sports events, community events, and many other places. A letter we have recently received from David Keyes Community Technology Program Manager City of Seattle Department of Information Technology states that the department really enjoyed reading about their interesting trips and new experiences of journalism. David stressed in his letter the importance of our work we were doing on behalf the City by saying “Congratulations on your important work and the completion of your project. I really enjoyed It was great to see the photos of them reading, visiting the UW campus and the exciting shot of them outside the Seattle Times and then getting their certificates of completion. Congratulations again to you and especially to the youth for their interest and effort to participate and learn new skills. I look forward to seeing more…and perhaps they have a future being journalists or public information officers at the City of Seattle! Sincerely, David” Recovery through Journalism was a project implemented by Awareness and Recovery Institute and Runta News, and a program funded by the City of Seattle Technology Matching Fund. We are extremely thankful to Vicky Yuki of Technology Matching Fund Department for her generous guidance and leadership during the project. We can declare that it was a success and very beneficial to the youth who benefitted from it. Thanks to our supporters who encouraged the youth some of whom are Hope Academy, East African Community Services, Julie Pham, the Managing Editor of the Northwest Vietnamese
A new dawn rises, let’s bury weapons, hatred, clan divisions, ignorance, injustice, personal interest. A new dawn rises, let’s leave behind the bitter taste of being a refugee, of the young who die without a name and a gravestone, swallowed by the sea and by the desert. A new dawn rises, let’s build our country with pride, dignity, respect. A new dawn rises, let’s cure our wounds with love, brotherhood, forgiveness, faith. By: Shirin Ramzanali Fazel From the book:“Lontano da Mogadiscio/Far from Mogadishu” Bilingual version : Italian/English on Amazon
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JAN, 2015 | Issue 59
Hodan Naleyeh: Ma Dayax mise Qorrax Soo Baxday! Geesinimada dhabta ah waa inaad naxariis leedahay oo dadka jilicsan wax la qabtaa ood xaqqa u hiilisaa. Hodan Naleyeh waxa ay ku soo caan baxday tayayooyinkaasi aan soo tilmaannay. Waxay bishan booqasho ku tagtay Xamar iyo qeybo ka mida Somalia. Hodan waxa ku soo kortay dalalka Canada iyo Mareykanka. Si fiican uguma hadasho afka Hooyo, laakinse kuwii Soomaaliya dhiiggeeda iyo dhacaankeeda ku soo koray ayey kun iyo kow jeer ka waddaniyadsan tahay. Dadnimada waa loo kala dhashaa. Hodan waxa ay dhexda u xiratay iney toosiso waxa rag waaweyn ay dalkaasi ka halleeyeen. Soomaali is heysadkeeda waxa uu dhaxalsiiyey iney dhammaan gun noqdaan. Dhulkooda marti ka noqdaan. Sharaf iyo weji aan ku laheyn caalamka. Dadku waxa la qaddiriyaa marka iyagu is qaddariyaan. Xamar oo ah xuddunta dalka waxa ay u muuqataa iney soo hagaageyso. Kuwii dumiyey maanta dhuumasho ayey ku jiraan. Walaashey Hodan waxan ugu hambalyeynayaa in isbeddel doonkeeda halkaa ka waddo oo marna aanney ka daalin. Waan ugu bishaareynayaa in la gaaray xilligii Soomaali sidii lagu yiqiin iyo ka fiican ahaan doonto. Maskaxda way is beddeshay. Bugtaduna meesha way kaAdvertisement baxday. Thank you my dear sister tallaabooyinka iyo is-xiqaanka dheeriga ah aad sameyneyso.
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Waan ku faani karaa in Hodan tahay gabar aan aad isu naqaan. Waxa sidoo kale ammaan mudan Ahmed Gure oo ah ninka iska leh Website caanka ah Hiiraan Online oo isna dhinaceyga bidix ka muuqda. Haddaad si kale u fasirato waxa is dhinac taagan Hodan Naaleeye from Integration TV. Mohamud Yussuf oo ah Tifaftiraha Runta, Iyo Ahmed Gure, maamulaha Hiiraan Online oo ah qofka noogu dheer ee gashan shaarka buluugga ah. Sawirkaan waxa nalaka qaaday mar aannu isugu tagnay shir ay soo qaban qaabisay UN –ka oo lagu qabtay Gobolka Wales ee Boqortooyada Ingiriiska
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ARTICLES
JAN, 2015 | Issue 59
Lagama Maarmaanka Internet-ka: Ku Noqo Iskuul, ku Noqo Asaasiga
Waxa jira weli jira 100 malyuun oo Mareykan ah oo ku nool meelo aan laga isticmaalin adeegga internet sida ay caddeysay warbixin laga soo xigtay hey’adda Federal Communications Commission sannadkii 2012. Waxa kaloo jira tiro 19 malyuun oo Mareykan ah oon ikhtiyaar u laheyn iney iibsadaan adeegga ballaaran ee Internetka ee loo yaqaan broadband Internet service. Si baahidaa loo daboolo, Comcast waxa ay qaadday tallaabo cusub ay ku fidineyso sida lagu heli karo adeegga ballaaran sannadkii 2011kii. Muddadii seddexda sano ee barnaamijkan jiray waxa adeegga asaasiga ah ee Internetka waa uu ballaartay iyadoo uu gacan siiyey dad gaaraya 350,000 oo qoys oo ku baahsan dalka Mareykanka kuwaasi oo hadda heysta adeegga Internetka, ama haddii si kale loo dhigo dad gaaraya hal milyan iyo bar in ku dhow ama 1.4 milyan sida laga soo xigtay Steve Kipp, oo ah ku xigeenka Madaxweynaha waaxda warbaahinta ee Comcast gobolka Washington. Qiimaha cusub ee gor-gortanka lagu bixiyey waa $9.95 kaliyah bishii taasoo loogu talo galay qoysaska caruurta heysta oo imika hela ama ka mida barnaamijka lagu quudiyo ardada dugsiyada ee loo yaqaan (National Free and Reduced Lunch Program). Ma jiraan lacag ku saabsan sii deynta hore, sicirkuna ma hordhayo. Fadlan booqo www.internetessentials.com adigoo ka geli kara maktabadda ama laybareeriga
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xaafaddaada ku yaal ama xarunta komiyuunatiga kuu dhow ama wac 1-855-8INTERNET si warar intaa dheer aad u hesho ama aad u ogaato inaad u qalanto. Helitaanka Internet caadi ah waxa uu ka mid noqonayaa nolosha asaasiga sida cuntada, kuleyliska ama heat iyo waxyaabaha kale ee guriga looga baahan yahay. Comcast Essential ama Lagamaar-maanka Comcast waa mid laga muhiim ah sida magaciisa ku cad. Sida xaalku yahay ee casrigan lagu jiro digital age, codsiga shaqooyinka waxa ay noqdeen mid online laga buuxiyo, sidoo kale waxa uu internet-ku kuu saamaxayaa inaad la socon karto heerka aqooneed ee cunuggaagu marayo. “Shirkado badan imika ma aqbalaan dalab shaqo oo waraaq lagu soo buuxiyey waxana ay ku khasbayaan dadka shaqooyinka soo codsanaya iney ka soo buuxiyaan kambiyuutar ama online” ayuu yiri Kipp. “Waxaa sidoo kale arrintaa ku dhaqma iskuullada oo imika waraaqaha imitixaanka ku saxa online. Tani waxa ay ahaan kartaa fursad anfacda ardada iyo qoysaska aan heysan internet-ka ballaaran ama broad access. Arrintani xal uma noqoneyso baahida ballaaran ee jirta ee ay qabaan bulshooyinka dalka ku kala baahsan, laakinse waa tallaabo muhiim ah oo hore loo qaaday taasi keeneysa iney faa’iidaan dadyow fara badan oon hore
u heysan adeegga noocaani ah. Isu soo dhoweyta farqiqii u dhaxeeyey waxa ay imika noqotay baaqa shirkadda Comcasta iyadoo sameysay qeybtan loo yaqaano barnaamijka Lagamamaarmaanka internet-ka (Internet Essentials) program oo ah mid laf dhabar u ah bulshada sida uu sheegay Kipp. Gobolka Washington State, in ka badan 11,000 oo qoys ayaa hadda isticmaala Lagama-maarmaanka Internetka ama Internet Essentials oo ku nool meelaha ay ka howl gasho Comcast, sida uu caddeeyey Kipp, 7,600 oo ka mida dadkaa waxa ay ku nool yihiin magaalada Seattle. “Inta ugu badan qoysaskaasi weligood ma arag adeeg internet ay ku helaan guryaha ay deggan yihiiin” ayuu yiri Kipp. “Saameynta ay ku yeelatay dadkaasi waa mid aad u weyn waana ku faraxannahay inaannu adeeggaasi bixinno. Waa tallaabo saxsan oo aannu u sameynay bulshadeena” “Ugu dambeyn waxanu nahay kuwo dhab ahaan u caawinaya qoys ka qeyb qaata nolosha qarniga 21aad iyo casrigan dunida digitalka wada noqotay ee aynu ku jirno” ayuu leeyahay Kipp. “Waxannu uga dhigeynaa garoonka mid dadka oo dhan u wada siman si noloshoodu hore u marto oo u wanaagsanaato.” Haddaba yaa u qalma iyo sidee qoysasku u heli karaan? Raadi wararka ku saabsan Lagama Maarmaanka Internetka ama Internet Essentials iyo haddii adiga ama qof aad taqaano uu u qalmo
Kulanka Abwaannada!
Abwaan Saciid Saalax magaciisa ma duugoobo. Marka laga soo tago macallin ahaanshihiisa muddo ka badan nus qarni, weli waxad mooddaa inuu qalbiga dhallinyaro ka yahay. Sannadkan gudihiisa waxa uu booqasho ku yimid Seattle oo uu weligiis jeclaa inuu mar yimaado. Abwaanka waxa lagu casumay xaflad lacag loogu ururinayey hey’ad waxbrasho oo cauurta soo koreysa ka caawinta u diyaar garowga imitixaanaadka oo lagu magacaabo CARE Center. Dadku qaddarinta way u kala dhashaan. Soomaalina waxa ay hore ugu maahmaahday Shimbirba-Shimbirkiisa ayuu la duulaa. Dadkii abwaanka airportiga uga hortagay waxa ka mid ahaa Abwaanka da’da yar ee Seattle caanka ka ah, Mubarak Hadi. Abwaan Siciid waxa uu ka mid ahaa dadkii ugu horreeyey ee Runta curashadeeda la socday xilli hadda ku dhow 20 sano magaalada Nairobi. Waxa uu abwaanku saaxiib aad isugu dhow yihiin Tifaftiraha Runta Mudane Maxamuud Yuusuf oo ku caan ahaa naaneysta Makis oo hadda weli wargeyska ka soo saara Seattle. Saciid Saalax waxa uu wax ka dhigaa Jaamacad ku taal gobolka Minnesota. Dabeecadaha aannu ku barannay waxa ka mida inuu iska ilaaliyo siyaasadda. Ma arkeysid isagoo wax mucaaradaya. Waxa warkiisa noogu dambeysay isagoo booqasho shaqo ku jooga Hargeysa, gobolka Wuqooyi Galbeed ee Soomaaliya. Waxannu aamin sannahay in Saciid ummadda u yahay hanti ma guurtaan loona baahan yahay in da’ yarta ka faa’iideystaan aqoonta dhex ceegaagta maskaxdiisa.
ama xaq u yeelan karo adigoo b o o q a n a y a www.internetessentials.com ama soo wacaya 1-855-8-INTERNET. Warbixintan waxa soo qaban qaabiyey Comcast
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JAN, 2015 | Issue 59
Xiriir Fiican oo Dhex Maraya Madaxda ugu sarreysa ee Booliska Seattle iyo Jaaliyadda Bariga Afrika! Ku xigeenka Madaxa Seattle Police, Carmen Best, oo garab taagan Xabtamu Cabdi midigtiisa, iyo Xasan Dhicis iyo Cabdishukri Fayooke oo midig ka xiga. Kulankan waxa uu dhacay bishan December kowdeeda ka dib madaxda dhallinyarada loogu yeeray kulan wada tashi ah oo ku saabsan sida loo xoojin karo xiriirka u dhaxeeya labada dhinac. Waxa dhowaan Akadeemiyada Booliska ka qalin jabiyey askarigii ugu horreeyey ee Afrikaan ah gaar ahaanna u dhashay Soomaali. Waxa kulanka dhinaca Booliska u matalay madaxda ugu sarreysa iyadoo dhinaca East African ay u matalayeen raggan oo aqoon fiican u leh xaaladda bulshada iyo dhibaatooyinka heysta da’ yarta Soomaaliyeed.
Boolis Soomaali ka soo Jeeda oo ka Howlgalay Seattle! Advertisement
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Maxamed Siciid oo ku labisan dharka Booliska waxa uu dhowaan ka qalin jabiyey Adadeemiyadda Booliska ee gobolka Washington. Xafladdii qalin jebinta waxaa ka soo qeyb galay madaxda ugu sarreysa ee Booliska ee ka kala socday magaalooyinka uu gobolku ka kooban yahay. Maxamed waxa uu nasiib u yeeshay iney soo dhinac istaagto madaxa ugu sarreeya ee Booliska Seattle, Kathleen O’Toole, iyadoo xafladdii qalin jebintiisii ay sidoo kale ka soo qeyb galeen dad qiime ku leh bulshada Soomaaliyeed dhexdeeda sida Abdifatah Kalkaal. Askarigani waxa uu tusaale fiican u noqon doonaa da’ yarta Soomaaliyeed ee soo koreysa. Dhallinyarada Soomaaliyeed waxa ay caqabad ka heysataa sida ay horumar uga sameyn lahaayeen dalka sababtoo iyagoo la’ dad waaweyn oo ay ku daydaan. Inta badan waalidiinta Soomaaliyeed ee caruurta la yimid dalka aqoon ma laheyn, waxa sidoo kale dhallinyartu ku dayasho ka la’ yihiin kuwa ka waaweyn oo iyaguna hankoodu gaaban yahay. Marka waalidku isaga qanco guri dowladeed iyo xoogaa ceyr ah, dhallinyarada waaweyn waxa ay iyagana ku qanceen taraak iyo taksi la kaxeeyo. Isku dayga Maxamed Siciid waxa ay keeneysaa iney Soomaalida hankoodu sare maro iyo iney si fiican wax ula qeybsadaan dadka dalkan ku nool. Mareykan waa waddanka fursadaha waxan ka faa’iideysan kara qofkii hammi iyo karti leh. Soomaalida labadaasi way ka yara maqan tahay sidaa darteed heerka noloshooda dadka kale way ka hooseeysaa.
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the truth
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JAN, 2015 | Issue 59
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Editor/Publisher: Mohamud Yussuf | Assistant Editor/Sales Advertising: Hamoudi Albahadli | Graphic Design: Designcrews.com | Photographers: Ibrahim/Mulki/Najib Mohamed
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