Somalia: una perspectiva diferente

Students at General Daud School in Mogadishu. Three hundred students ranging from six to 25 years old attend General Daud School in Mogadishu. Photo: Petterik Wiggers.

Photo: 1/21 Students at General Daud School in Mogadishu. Three hundred students ranging from six to 25 years old attend General Daud School in Mogadishu. Photo: Petterik Wiggers.

Attendance is free for students. School principal Sayed Farah Dirie, 25, says all the teachers are volunteers. Sayed earns an income from private tutoring in the evenings so he can buy second-hand schoolbooks and materials for students to use.

Photo: 2/21

A pastoralist rests his camels at a watering hole, near Wajir Pastoralist Aden Barre rests his camels at a watering hole near Wajir, close to the Somali-Kenya border. Photo: Petterik Wiggers.

Photo: 3/21 A pastoralist rests his camels at a watering hole, near Wajir Pastoralist Aden Barre rests his camels at a watering hole near Wajir, close to the Somali-Kenya border. Photo: Petterik Wiggers.

Somalia is home to six million camels, the largest camel population in the world. In the rich legacy of Somali oral traditions the camel has become symbolic of the people’s tenacity and strength.

Livestock at Bosasso port, Puntland At Bosasso port, Puntland, the export of livestock is one of the most important sources of income. Photo credit: Petterik Wiggers.

Photo: 4/21 Livestock at Bosasso port, Puntland At Bosasso port, Puntland, the export of livestock is one of the most important sources of income. Photo credit: Petterik Wiggers.

Elsewhere in Somalia, Mogadishu’s seaport officially reopened its doors for livestock export in March 2013 for the first time in almost two decades.

A boy and his catch of the day on the coast. Somalia boasts 3,300 kilometers of coastline – the longest stretch in Africa. Photo credit: Petterik Wiggers.

Photo: 5/21 A boy and his catch of the day on the coast. Somalia boasts 3,300 kilometers of coastline – the longest stretch in Africa. Photo credit: Petterik Wiggers.

Over the last two decades, instability has greatly restricted the development of the fishing industry, but now that Somalia is enjoying more peace there is potential to harvest the bountiful waters off its coast.

Photo: 6/21 A young girl at the market in Hargeisa, Somaliland. Photo credit: Petterik Wiggers.

A young girl chooses from an array of goods at the market in Hargeisa, Somaliland.

Photo: 7/21 Market in Hargeisa, Somaliland. Photo credit: Petterik Wiggers.

A young boy waits for a fresh cup of Somali yoghurt made from cow’s milk at the market in Hargeisa, Somaliland. Milk is one of the staple foods in Somalia.

Shukri Abdul-Kadir Ahmed, a nurse at a health center in Badbaado camp, Mogadishu, listens for a baby’s heartbeat. Badbaado shelters 28,000 people who have fled conflict or drought. Photo: Petterik Wiggers.

Photo: 8/21 Shukri Abdul-Kadir Ahmed, a nurse at a health center in Badbaado camp, Mogadishu, listens for a baby’s heartbeat. Badbaado shelters 28,000 people who have fled conflict or drought. Photo: Petterik Wiggers.

The health center is run by a local organization, Humanitarian Initiative Just Relief Aid (HIJRA). Trained medical staff care for more than 100 patients a day. For pregnant women, the health center provides a safe place to give birth.

Photo: 9/21 Abdi Ali Celue and his son at a therapeutic care center in Mogadishu. Photo credit: Petterik Wiggers.

Abdi Ali Celue arrives with his son, Liban Abdi Ali, for the baby’s first day of treatment at a therapeutic care center for malnourished children and mothers in Mogadishu – one of 17 run by local agency SAACID.

Photo: 10/21 Agro-pastoralist communities in Somalia. Photo credit: Petterik Wiggers.

Oxfam is working with a local partner, the Horn of Africa Voluntary Youth Committee (HAVOYOCO) to help agro-pastoralist communities prepare for and cope with drought by improving access to water resources and pasture, and improving livestock health.

Photo: 11/21 A woman is carrying an Oxfam bucket. Photo credit: Petterik Wiggers.

Hussein Mohammed listens to the BBC Somali service on his radio while his camels stop for water. Radio is often the main source of information for people in rural areas. Photo: Petterik Wiggers.

Photo: 12/21 Hussein Mohammed listens to the BBC Somali service on his radio while his camels stop for water. Radio is often the main source of information for people in rural areas. Photo: Petterik Wiggers.

To create awareness about the access to education for women, Oxfam and long time partner TASS (tadamun.org) organized a radio debate on Daljir FM to provoke discussions about gender inequality. The phone lines were open for the public to share their view.

Photo: 13/21 Children in a camps for internally displaced people, Mogadishu. Photo credit: Petterik Wiggers.

There are still an estimated 369,000 people living in camps for internally displaced people in and around Mogadishu. Despite the challenging conditions, children manage to entertain themselves – in this case by making fun of the photographer!

Photo: 14/21 Primary school students in Galkayo. Photo credit: Petterik Wiggers.

Primary school students are eager to have their photograph taken in Galkayo, Somalia. In the past, education was free in Somalia from primary school to university.

Photo: 15/21

The Central Mosque in Hargeisa. Islam is a central part of Somali life and its teachings form an important aspect of community and culture. Photo: Petterik Wiggers.

Photo: 16/21 The Central Mosque in Hargeisa. Islam is a central part of Somali life and its teachings form an important aspect of community and culture. Photo: Petterik Wiggers.

During the civil war in 1988, Hargeisa was reduced to rubble and 80 per cent of public utilities and services were completely destroyed. Somalis are making enormous strides in rebuilding infrastructure, opening up major towns for business and investment.

Photo: 17/21 Girls sitting at a wedding ceremony, in Somalia. Photo credit: Petterik Wiggers.

Girls at a wedding ceremony. Somali weddings are joyous occasions of feasting and poetry that bring together families and friends in a celebration of life lasting several days.

Photo: 18/21 A young boy drinks fresh camel milk from a large bowl. Photo credit: Petterik Wiggers.

A young boy drinks fresh camel milk in northern Somalia. The milk is greatly valued for its health benefits and medicinal properties. “A mouthful of camel’s milk keeps you going for half a day.”, Axmed Cali Abokor, The Camel in Somali Oral Traditions.

Photo: 19/21 On the way from Hargeisa to Berbera, Somaliland. Photo credit: Petterik Wiggers.

On the way from Hargeisa to Berbera, Somaliland, a dry river bed only holds water during the rainy season.

Photo: 20/21

Photo: 21/21 A boy and his camel, Somaliland. Photo credit: Petterik Wiggers.

Hargeisa, Somaliland, 2011. A boy and his camel.

3 mayo 2013

Durante dos décadas, los somalíes han sufrido conflictos y hambre. Su sufrimiento es lo que todo el mundo conoce de ellos, pero esta imagen es incompleta. La otra cara de Somalia, menos conocida, es la de una increíble fuerza y capacidad para sobrevivir y reconstruir sus vidas frente a las catastrofes humanas.

El fotógrafo Petterik Wiggers fotografió a principios de los años 90 los horrores de la guerra y el hambre, pero desde entonces ha vuleto muchas veces a las regiones de Puntland y Somaliland para captar la vida de la población somalí bajo otra perspectiva. En estas imágenes se muestra su amor por la familia, las celebraciones, el humor, la nueva y su orgullo y esperanza ante las adversidades.

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Somalia: una perspectiva diferente

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