October 3
We cross the Green Line that separates Mogadishu South from Mogadishu North and head for Kissanay Hospital. Most journalists and visitors to Somalia portray Somalis as either hapless victims or violent thieves, but here I meet some unsung heroes - the Somali Red Crescent doctors, nurses, and volunteers who have opted to stay and assist their people. They attend to the needs of all, regardless of their clans. I wish the country would follow their example.
October 4
We depart for Garoe in the northeastern part of the country, where my mother was born. It is a small, seminomadic community, miles and miles away from any other town or village. There are scattered low trees and wide patches of grass, and evidence of recent bombardment. We are the first group of journalists to visit. I spend all afternoon talking with the elders. They are glad to see me, to see a Somali doing something for Somalis. Perhaps what the country needs now is to rely on the collective experience of its elders. They are the only group in Somalia with the authority to promote peaceful dialogue.
October 5
My last night in the country. In the town of Bir Tinle, the women, hardened by the desert life into shining embers, gather to decorate my feet and hands with henna and to recite poems, old and new. One of my favorites begins, "On the Adamboi Plain, there is a tree for poverty and love to shelter under." That night , I dream in Somali.
October 6
As Somalia's famine deepens, I realize that the only thing that's being fed constantly is resentment. The Somali people were once known to exhibit considerable cultural unity and to take great pride in their race. Because of that, my memory stubbornly insists on the glory that Somalia once had. As we ascend in the plane that will take me back to my adopted country, the United States, I look down into the villages, and finally out to sea. I shed a few tears for me, and an ocean for Somalia.
To contribute to relief work in Somalia, send donations (marked "Somalia Appeal") in care of the following organizations:
- American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20012 (800/842-2200).
- CARE, 660 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016 (800/521-CARE).
- Concern, c/o Center for International Health and Cooperation, 850 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10021 (212/439-2994)
- Save the Children, 54 Wilton Road, Westport, CT 06880 (800/221-2200)
- Friends of SOS - Children's Village, 1170 Broadway, New York, NY 10001 (212/686-0670).
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