I have known at least half a dozen Somalis who’ve killed themselves
in London because of their HIV status. Most throw themselves under a tube
train,” explains Mohamud Yasin, a project worker with the Naz Project,
London.
“A Somali who finds out he is positive will say to himself the virus
is punishment from God. So if he lives and gets sick, that’s extra pain
and sickness in this life. So why live?”
‘A white man’s disease’
Dispelling this deeply pessimistic view of living with HIV is a major challenge
for Mohamud who runs Besharo-Kher, a support group for positive Somalis in
the UK. But it is not the only challenge.
“My biggest battle is against fear and ignorance. Somalis here see HIV
as a white person’s problem, a gay disease and something that doesn’t
affect Muslims. They believe if a Muslim becomes positive, it’s because
he or she followed these white, gay ways.”
But the reality is quite different. “Most positive Somalis in the UK
became infected abroad. When civil war broke out in the early 1990s, many
fled to neighbouring countries, such as Ethiopia and Kenya, temporarily settling
in cities or refugee camps before coming to the UK. That’s where many
became infected.
Mohammed Omaar, executive director of the Association of London Somali Organisations
and brother of BBC reporter Rageh Omaar, calculates that there are around
300,000 Somalis in the UK. This includes second and third generation Anglo-Somalis.
Half live in London, while the remainder have settled mostly in Birmingham,
Sheffield and Cardiff. About 55 per cent are under 16.
Currently there is no way of knowing how many Somalis are affected by HIV,
but it is thought to be on the increase. A recent meeting of Besharo-Kher
attracted 75 people. Part of the problem is that Somalis only discover their
HIV status when they become ill. “Somalis often discharge themselves
from hospital rather then face an HIV test,” says Mohamud.
Covered faces
These attitudes to HIV have their roots in their home country. Even in the
capital Mogadishu, there is little infrastructure to support people who test
positive.
“They tend to be put in isolation. One man, ill with Aids, lived separately
from the rest of the family and his mother would pass him food through a window.
Motherhood is very important in Somali culture. If that mother had had the
correct information, she would never have done that. She loved her son; I
know that. That’s why she kept him in her house.
“In most cases a positive person will just leave their home patch and
live somewhere where they are not known. They often get desperate and go for
local cures and potions. Basically, they are setting themselves up to die
alone.”
Here in the UK, language and deep feelings of stigma stand in the way of Somalis
accessing services. “When they go for a medical appointment, they are
afraid of being seen by another Somali in the waiting room. Many cover their
faces. Others, if they see another Somali waiting for the doctor, will go
away. Sometimes they’ll try to check with the receptionist if any other
Somalis have appointments that day.”
Taking a leaf...
Even talking about sexual health is hard for Somali men and women.
“Typically, men blame women and women blame men. Qat, a leaf with amphetamine-like
properties, is strongly related to unprotected sex in the Somali community.
Often men will chew Qat all night long and afterwards, they want sex. But
if their wives, busy with family and domestic chores, aren’t available,
they’ll go out to get extra-marital sex.
“Positive Somali married women say this is how they’ve become
infected. And when a married Somali man finds out he’s positive, he
blames his wife. Personally, I usually believe the woman in this blame-game.
I know in most cases they spend a lot of their time indoors looking after
the family, and the opportunity to go out and have extra-marital sex just
doesn’t arise.
“I’m lucky; my family accepted me when I told them about my HIV.
I felt I couldn’t hide it all the time. I knew being secretive would
make me sick and even more depressed. Being open about respecting myself,
which is an essential first step for me to respect other people.
Something good
“After I became infected in the late 1990s and started work in the HIV
sector in east London, I found it difficult to talk about it within my community.
But I knew, if my community had proper information about HIV, they would love
positive Somalis again. But it was such a fight to get this information to
them. Many times I felt like giving up, but I always said to myself, ‘If
I don’t get involved, who will?’ The stigma and the isolation
would never be dealt with - not only my own - and education around HIV in
my community would never happen.”
Mohamud chose the name ‘Besharo-Kher’ - meaning ‘something
good’ - for the support group. “I wanted positive Somalis not
to see HIV as a reason to commit suicide. Something good can come of it. But
everything starts with being open. That’s why I decided to be open about
being positive myself.
“I try to help positive Somalis be more open. By bringing them together
I want them not to feel they are alone and that they can support each other.
A year ago, I joined NAZ as a project worker and carried on with the group,
which has continued to grow. I think we are the only open HIV support group
for Somalis in the world. Members have even met, fallen in love and got married.”
Mohamud also runs an Islamic HIV support group and a group for gay Somalis.
He and his team of volunteers, four of whom are positive, conduct advocacy,
outreach and education sessions in community groups and mosques. “These
four are now willing to be open about their status and it’s my dream
come true.
“Being open is very important. Back in July, at a NAZ conference for
black and ethnic minority women, a Somali woman stood up and came out as positive
in front of everyone. When she did this, I can’t tell you how I felt.
It was like my heart was singing. It felt like someone had given me the biggest
gift in the world.”
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| Country: Africa bordering Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean Climate: Mainly desert HIV prevalence: 1 per cent (UK: circa 0.1 per cent) Affected groups: 47 per cent are sex workers Transmission: Mainly sexual. Low levels of sexual health awareness Population: 8.5m with 50 per cent aged under 16 Safer sex: Very limited access to condoms Politics: Ruling regime ousted in 1991; civil war and tribal infighting ensued; no stable, recognised, national government Health: One of world’s least developed nations with some of the world’s lowest health indicators HIV action: Somalia Aid Coordinating Body (SACB) Working Group on HIV/AIDS based in Nairobi, Kenya |
| Qat fact-file • Also known as khat • Leaf is chewed to produce an affect similar to amphetamine (speed) • Penalties for trafficking in US and most of Europe equivalent to heroin • Legal in the UK but possible changes to law in next year • Cost in London about £3 a bundle • Thought to increase male fertility For help with Qat abuse contact: somalifamily4us@aol.com |
Besharo-Kher group for Somalis and Muslims living with HIV.
Contact Mohamud Yasin at NAZ on 020 8741 1879
