Hiring One Peace Soldier

I want to help Somalia just like everyone else

But I didn’t know where to begin

The problems are so much that I want to give up after looking at the list

Somalia needs everything

Schools, Hospitals, Businesses

I wish I had the money to start them all

And I sure I will one day insha’allah

But what can I do today to help

I am the new generation, right, oh yea right

Just a Somali girl born and raised in the America

Whose family ran away from Somalia

I watch the news too and see how the mess became

the pictures of the teens with a gun

That horrible teenager that sells his service like a prostitute to the next man with money

Who blew up buildings and carries a gun

In the game of politics

Just following orders like a good soldier

But isn’t he part of the new generation too?

Why can’t I help him?

Shouldn’t I help him?

Why can’t I make him stop?

He won’t listen to me.

Okay but why not?

I’m sure he hates the mean men with the money

Who could anyone like them?

They ask him to risk his life

They ask him to sell his soul

How could he like that?

Why can't I get him to quit his job working for the ones with the corrupted hearts?

Wouldn’t we have peace if he put down his gun to work for me?

I am a way better boss than than that warmonger 

But I don’t know the teenager with a guy.

I was born in America.

I never went to Somalia before.

I don’t know any of those boys back home.

They are just pictures to me

So I asked my aunt who just came back from her trip to see the school that she started

I asked her do you know any of those teenage boys who need help

She looked at me in the strangest way and said I know a woman whose husband died

She said yes that the woman has three boys and she needs help

I said No does she have a 16-year-old boy I can help

But she said yes one of the boys is 16 but why does it matter to you

It does Eedo because if his father died, he might join the militia to get money

He might lose his soul, and his deen, and he will rob me when I come to the Mogadishu airport

I would rather ask him if he can work for me instead of the warlord

Why not?

I want peace in Somalia and he can help me

I will to hire for one peace soldier

I will to ask him if he wants to be a peace soldier for me

I will to ask him if he wants help from a girl he has never seen

I will to ask him to work for peace instead of war

How much do you send to people? Eedo

I send whatever I can afford

Okay then I will send him 100 every month to work for me

But he needs school or a business

Yes, I know but today he needs food

We will worry about school tomorrow.

Today is today. I want to help him today, not tomorrow

How can you study or have peace if you are hungry?

Call him now please?

Hello Mohamed?

I don’t know you and you don’t know me

But we are both Somali and we are both the new generation

I wanted to help someone and I picked you

I could have helped anyone else

I could have went shopping instead

I really did plan on spending these money on new shoes  

But decided I want to hire you

I want you to work for me as my peace soldier

You will not allowed to fight, rob, or steal

You will walk the path of peace

You will study and work hard

You will say no to the men who want to use your life

You will be my peace soldier

What so funny?

Is that easy?

You can do that?

I’m happy to hear this, but I better never see you on the news or I will fire you

You promise

Great, my brother you are welcome

What did you say?

What about your two brothers? And friends?

They need help too.

Well I am one person, but I will ask everyone

If they want to hire one peace soldier too

Thank you for starting the peace process today one person at a time

between one Somali girl living the in the Diaspora who graduated from university and one Somali boy living the Mogadishu who now does not need to pick up a gun to earn money because he has me

The new generation helping the new generation

Thank you Eedo so much for connecting the two of us.

I am so glad that I made a new friend today 

Hiring one peace soldier.

Sindiya Darman

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