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My name is Amina Omar. I was born in Shiikh. I am 29 years old. I have six children and no husband. His name was Ali Omar, he died in the war when I was pregnant with my sixth child. I had no money and I had little valuables: 3 gold necklaces, 4 gold rings and just enough clothes. I sold my valuables to buy fruit and vegetables to sell at the market.

After the war I moved back to the city in Burco looking for work, but I couldn't find anything so I took as much vegetables as I could and then went to sell them in the market. I had to leave my eldest girl at home with three of the children, she is only 9 and she is looking after a 6-year-old, 4 year old and a 3-year-old. I took the 2-year-old and the youngest 9 months with me.

The first few weeks went quite good; I made $2 a day; I used $1 for little food and the other $1 for savings. A mouth had gone past and I had saved $28. The reason I had made so much so quickly is because some days I went without food. My daughter Hibo was finding it hard to look after three very active and hungry children so I told her to tie them by the ankles when she couldn't handle them.

That day I went to the market to sell what little vegetables I had. Today I didn't make as much money, I made $1 and the children were hungry so I left and went home. On my way home I got stopped by two men. They said if I didn't give them what money I had, they would take my children and kill them then they would kill me too. I had no choice but to give them my money, they also took my last bit of vegetables that I had saved for the children.

When I got home I saw my house had burnt down to the ground. I saw Hibo standing and crying, I looked around for Ali, Ahmed and Shara but I couldn't see them. I put down Nimo and Abdi and ran toward Hibo, I grabbed her and shouted 'where are my children?' She was so scared. She told me that she had tied their ankles and she tried to make some food but it caught on fire and she couldn't put it out. She had to tie the rope very tightly because Ahmed was untying it. She couldn't untie it and a man pulled her out. She had burned her hands.

The next day I had to build a new house and I had to use the money I saved up to pay men to help me. Seven months later, my 16 month old baby Nimo died of starvation and shortly after Abdi died too. Shara survived and is now 14 and a 24 year old man asked for her hand in marriage. He is very wealthy and I know he will take good care of her, so I said yes.

Hibo is now 18 and she has three beautiful children, she has called them Nimo, Ali and Abdi. I am now dying of AIDS and no one will come near me, so I haven't received any medication to cure me. My daughter comes to visit and gives me food sometimes. I was lucky to live this long to see my grandchildren and see my daughter all grown up. I still have nightmares about my children dying in the fire.


(2 months later Amina died)

Link to:
Older Women's Project
Hibo's story
Somali Folk Tales