By Hussien Mohamed Yusuf

It is well known fact that there are Somalis living in every corner of the world. These Somalis who have emigrated for some reason or another make short visits back to their homeland at some point. Some make the trip regularly while others make occasionally or some never do it.

There are times of the year where these Somalis in the Diaspora favor to visit the home country, mostly these people visit home during the summer time. People coming home for a visit are easily recognizable by the way they act, talk and their overall mannerism. It is as if there is some sort of sign on them that is very recognizable from the moment they converse with people. Such people, depending on how long they have been away from home, are dillussioned about the way of life to a varying degree.

It seems as if they expect life to stagnate starting from the time they had left home, although this attitude differs in severity with the length of time they have been away. Almost everyone will make a comment or ask a question that makes them seem like a fool. Most of them have something negative to say about everything. The relative change from when they were gone is lost on them as they fixate their minds on the place they have come from making comparisons that are ludicrous.

Another noticeable trait of the people who have come to visit home is the social outlook they have. Although they may have come from a place where there is a large community of people from the country, their social fabric is very thin and not satisfying to most. On the other side people who live at home have a very wrong impression of life abroad and the people that come from there. This is evident by the way people react when they find out that someone came back for a visit. First of all, it is common for family, friends and almost everybody who knows the person who is visiting to expect some sort of gift just because he or she has come from abroad.

Secondly an attitude has developed consequent of the skewed view of the outside world that makes the people treat the Diaspora as some sort of royalty. People are seen doing extraordinary things by asking silly questions. Some insist that the water here will make diaspora people sick and provide bottled water. Others see these people as a gateway to a better life and financial gain. They will go extra miles to accommodate in every way possible to get their good grace. 

Visiting and saying hello to the visitor will make their relatives very uncomfortable because they think that everybody wants something from that person. The most surprising of all is that the people here at home believe that everything is plenty abroad. Whatever the matter is, it is also evident that the diaspora people believe that all people are in need and expect something from them.

But the reality is changing these days with younger generations for the reason that social media has given them access to the true reality of life abroad and that has, to some extent, reduced their expectations.

It is only with older generations, who do not have access to social Media, whose perception and Expectation are always high compared to the younger Generations back home.

Hussien Mohamed Yusuf
Email: hussienm4@gmail.com