Looming Catastrophe: Somaliland Unemployed Youth

The progress, regress or outright destruction of any given society stems primarily from the manner in which each society enriches its youth by transmitting its respective culture; providing quality education and, above all, offering employment opportunities. However, when youth are neglected or society fails to provide the aforesaid essential aspects, youth can become a disastrous force capable of destroying the fabric of society, as history attests repeatedly. Somaliland has failed miserably to provide its youth an employment opportunities, which have skyrocketed beyond recognition: more than 70% of its youth are unemployed.

It is alarming to observe countless unemployed graduates socializing at coffee shops throu ghout the country discussing their bleak future without any light at the end of the tunnel. Embarrassingly, these graduates still remain with their parents who provide for them. In order to scape from their disgraceful situation, some graduates resort to chewing Qat – an amphetamine-like stimulant – which provides temporary amnesia. Others endeavor to depa rt the country by taking the dangerous voyage of the Sudan/Libyan desert and the Red Se a. Exhausted all other options, remaining youth will most likely engage with criminal activiti es inspired by disgruntled social pariahs, gangs, drugs and thus disturb social harmony.

The current state of our youth poses a high level of danger to social stability and safety as the current repeated and alarming disturbances indicate, e.g., gang-related rape, robberie s, disturbances, etc. Unemployed youth are a time ticking bomb that, if not contained, will violently explode and have lasting negative implications for our country. One does not need to be a rocket scientist to recognize this looming catastrophe in our midst. Anyone who entertains the notion that these youth will remain passive and tolerant in the long haul requires studying history or simply glimpsing the Arab Spring.

The significant underlying factor that causes, or contributed significantly to, the ever-incr easing unemployment rate of our youth stems primary from our incompetent “leaders” who are preoccupied with their habitual misappropriation of public funds. Each one of our so-called “leaders” (regardless of his/her age, wisdom, religious conviction, gender, etc.) strives misappropriating public funds before s/he is replaced with another kleptomaniac. Since our leaders are well versed their failure and ineptness, they resort to cheap tactics aimed at deluding the public. One tactic, among other things, is that they would have us believe that our youth are not eager to pursue employment opportunities or careers. These are appalling tactics employed by our leaders as a brazen effort to shift the blame to youth and thus blame the victim. Contrary to the regurgitated groundless assertions of our leaders, majority of Somaliland youth are keen to obtain an employment and participate productively in the workforce. However, their efforts are hampered by weak economy, widespread corruption, clan-ism and lack of leadership, to name a few.

In order to turn the ticking time bomb in our midst into an employment explosion, we must offer our youth employment opportunities. Businesses, policymakers and not-for-profit organizations should endeavor to tackle unemployment crisis by generating jobs; assisting youth acquire skills needed for work, be it technical/vocational trainings and/or entrepren eurship; and pledge to offer an adequate education. If we succeed, I am convinced we will witness, in the foreseeable future, a new Somaliland in which an environmentally sustaina ble economic growth is the norm.
That is what our youth desire. Let us provide them the instruments to shape it. We owe this to our youth.

Abdi Hussein Daud
Hargeisa, Somaliland
The author has obtained BA in Political Science & Global Studies at University of Minnesota; Masters in Health and Human Services Administration at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota; and currently pursuing PhD in Educational Leadership at Northeastern University. He can be reached at: abdihdaud@yahoo.com