Abraham writes from Somalia - 1

During my visits to places like Mogadishu or Bossaso in Somalia, it has been really difficult to take my eyes of the building walls adorned with bullet holes. I also wonder how children running around these buildings are cheerful and appear oblivious to the scars caused by continued violence.

This also made me think about my childhood that was raised in a very secure, loving and peaceful environment. At times, what kept us cheerful were little noisy plastic toy guns, which we got inspired to play with, by watching violent movies with heroes and villains wielding them. It even went to an extent of whining our way to desperately get an aluminum gun during ‘Diwali – the festival of lights’ to burst tiny crackers using them. 

Would these be the most sought after toys for children in Somalia like I did? Or would it be something else, given that they see real guns around them all the while? It would not be naïve to think that as a child in Somalia, a toy pigeon (sign of love and peace) may be the most sought after toy! “The grass on the other side is always greener”, isn’t it?

By Aby Abraham