Tuesday, August 2, 2011

The Doctor Walking Proud

One day I'll be a doctor
They'll tell me I'm one of the few here.
I'll live for life
I'll heal the wounds on this great place
Give husbands back to wives
and mothers to children.
I'll be so proud of my white coat,
No one would ever think it possible
 a little girl from a little village
 in this coat!
It will be much better than any certificate
I can assure you that!
Even better than the music to my ears
when men start calling me 'Dr'
I'll be so proud every time I save a mother giving birth
Whilst in my brilliantly white coat.
Our births are not like others around the world
Our women die often
Their bodies closed exits
Travel blocks around the birth canal.
So we need all the doctors we can get
Because we need all the mothers we have.
Little girls will tell me they'll wear my coat
When they grow up.
I am proud of them even though it's not yet real.
I am proud knowing there will be more like me.
More little girls dreaming of healing this earth
Of living for life
Of giving husbands to wives
and mothers to children.
But for now I'm going to concentrate on walking
just walking.
One foot slowly in front of the other.
We will stop soon,
Hoyoo says that just one more day
And we'll be in Dadaab.
Dadaab sounds like a place of magic.
I know there will be food there
and water ofcourse
bariis
and hilib
and injeera
and suqaar
and muuse
and shaah
and caano
and
and
EVERYTHING.
but there won't be guns
and there won't be flies there.
There will be loads of adults
in long white coats
maybe I'll be able to try one on
If I'm really nice.
And my little brother, Axmed will be there.
I haven't seen him for many days now
Hoyoo says he will meet us
He's just resting, waiting for Aabo.
But in dadaab he'll be there
and the doctors will give him
medicines and creams for his leg
Last time I saw him it was a funny colour.
Maybe they'll let me give him the medicines.
I need to practice
Dadaab will be a good place to start,
there are so many sick people walking there,
I'll have loads of patients.
We'll all get there in one more day
Just like Hoyoo said.
Even those who've just laid down to rest
Like Axmed.
One foot infront of the other
and sometimes just dragging really.

Nimo Hussein
2011

NB: 'hoyoo' is mother
       aabo- father
        Dadaab- the world's largest refugee camp where thousands of Somalis are walking to every single day
       Bariis- rice
        hilib- meat
        injeera- pancake-like
        suqaar- diced lamb dish
        caano- milk
        muuse- bananas (we Somalis eat bananas with everything)
       shaah- tea

Nimo Hussein
Copyright © 2011

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