At 21, Sarah Mohamed Khalif is the first Somali woman to win an election in Belgium. In the elections that took place in Belgium on Sunday, a 21-year-old woman made history for becoming the first person of Somali-origin to win a seat in the council.
Sarah Mohamed Khalif, who is also the first ever Somali woman to take political office in the country, was voted to represent Belgium Socialist Party (SPA) as the newest council member of Leuven city. She garnered 772 votes. The second year student at Leuven University has been referred to as a hardworking woman with ambition and determination in politics. The news of her win has warmed the hearts of many including her parents, who are proud of her achievements. Among her priorities as the new council member, Khalif hopes to help the youth “use their creativity and create space where they can realize their projects.” She was inspired to run for elections by her need to create a change in her community. Khalif joins the increasing number of people of Somali origin to take political posts across the world.
Somali chef in Minneapolis using food to bridge divisions. 5 facts about the global Somali diaspora. Somalia has faced lawlessness and strife during its decades-long civil war.
As the country of 10.8 million continues to experience political and economic instability, its people are increasingly living outside of Somalia. New migrants are making their way to places like Europe, but they face a long and dangerous journey over land and sea. Hundreds of Somalis reportedly died in April 2016 while crossing the Mediterranean Sea and after crossing over land through Northern Africa.
And as a result of its long civil war, many Somalis have lived outside the country for many years. Recently, though, Kenya pledged to remove Somalis living in refugee camps from within its borders, potentially sending hundreds of thousands of people back to Somalia who have not lived there for many years, or possibly elsewhere. Here are five facts about the increasingly global Somali diaspora: 2The number of Somali refugees displaced by ongoing conflict continues to rise. 5The U.S.
Category: 5 Facts. Somalia diaspora community credited for opening new businesses. Somali refugee community thrives in Johannesburg, South Africa. Somalis returning to the motherland are finding their foreign ways out of favour. Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, is transformed between June and September every year as Somalilanders arrive from Europe, north America, the Gulf and the rest of Africa.
Traffic jams clog the rough roads, salons fill up, hipster beards and skinny jeans appear, hijabs slip and skirt hems rise. It’s an important boost to the local economy. Recently, though, appreciation for the returnees has shown signs of ebbing away, and there are a growing number of complaints about the visitors: that London boys are selling drugs from their hire cars; that gangs from Copenhagen are fighting gangs from other countries; that girls from Toronto are teaching local girls to dress and behave improperly.
The nationalities of those blamed change regularly, but the persistent refrain is “those” people are bringing their “foreign” ways to a country that the year-round residents are trying to keep pure and authentically Somali. “Diaspora” is an ancient word that applies to many Britons.