SomaliNet Forums

Most of us live in the West. I was just curious .....

How many of you plan on using the education and skills that you have gained to help contribute to your people back home?

Have you already started?

And also in the beginning process of choosing a career path did you put in consideration if your career choice would be useful to your people?

You do not need to go into specifics about your job or education. Or if you like you can describe what you do in great detail. It might encourage others to go down the same.

Whether it would be useful or not, you'll only know when you put it to the test. I think majority of Somali people would not hesitate to benefit their people with any education and skills they have, but circumstances does not allow. For instance majority of Somali people in diaspora support their relatives back-home by sending money out of their salaries/wages. Hence, even though they may not benefiting their people with the education and skills they have acquired, they are at least benefiting them in other means- sending them money (money relatives back home use to pay for children school fees, healthcare etc).

^ How long can this go on for? I think the constant sending of money to people back home is doing a lot harm. Somalis have become very dependent on it. If the Somalis who have gained education and skills were to take these tools back to their people it might help build the economy and create more job opportunities.For example, a doctor from the West might build a clinic and hire the local nurses to work in his clinic.

I can understand the need to send the money back to their families and relatives but at the same time it's a problem. I guess every individual will have to decide what will work best for their families.