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Somali female poet uses poetry to empower and inspire change

Raxma Xuseen Huriye waxa ay jeclaatay gabayada iyadoo yar, marka ay heeseyso iyada keligeed ayay heesi jirtay oo way ka xishoon jirtay inay maansadeeda la wadaagto dadka kale marka laga reebo qoyskeeda.

“Waxaan ka dhashay qoys abwaanno ah, waxaana ku soo koray miyiga,” ayuu tiri Raxma oo 26-jir ah oo horey ugu guuleystay tartan gabay. “Qoyskaygu way iga dhegaysan jireen gabayada, wayna iga sixi jireen marka aan qaldo tuduca”

Sannadkii 2013, waxay u soo guurtay magaalada Hargeysa, halkaas oo ay kula kulantay saaxiibbo cusub iyo gabdho kale oo abwaanno ah oo suugaantooda ku wadaaga baraha bulshada. Durbadiiba waxa ay bilawday in ay gabayadeeda soo dhigto Facebook-ga ugu dambayntiina waxa ay ku dhiiratay in gabayadeeda ka akhriso bandhig faneed dadbadani daawanayay.

“Facebook wuxuu i siisay geesinimo aan shaqadayda la wadaago dadweynaha. Waxaan dareemayaa kalsooni, sababtoo ah akhristayaasha ma i arki karaan, aniguna ma arki karo iyaga,” ayay tiri. “Waan ku dhiiradaa markaan arko faallooyin wanaagsan iyo dadka oo ka hadlaya gabayadayda.”

Inkastoo nolosha magaaladu ay siiso Raxma fursado iyo dareen xorriyadeed, haddana waa inay si taxaddar leh uga fiirsataa bulshada oo ku adag in dumarka u ogolaadaan in ka hadlaan fagaarayaasha.

“Ma fududa in haweenku si xor ah u hadlaan sida ragga, waa inaan ka taxadarnaa arrimaha dhaqanka xasaasiga ah iyo xitaa muujinta waxyaabaha caadiga ah si dadku u aqbali karaan. Isku dheelitirnaan wanaagsan, wadashaqeyn ayaa lagu  gaari karaa in bulashada si firfircoon ugu qayb galaan,” ayay tiri.

Bishii Sebtembar, Raxma waxay isku keentay laba ka mid ah saaxiibbadeeda, waxay abaabuleen xaflad gaar ah oo lagu soo bandhigayio gabayada dumarka.

“Mid kasta oo naga mid ah ayaa soo bandhigay saddex maanso, waxaana ku casuunnay laba abwaan oo caan ah oo nagala soo qayb galay doodaha iyo ka jawaabista su’aalaha. In ka badan 100 qof ayaa goobta yimid. Waxay ahayd markii ugu horreysay oo aan ku hor bandhigo dad badan oo I daawanaya,” ayay tiri Raxma. “Annaga, waxay noo ahayd wax ka badan inaan gabayadayada soo bandhigno; waxay sidoo kale noo ahayd hab lagu muujinayo awoodeena iyo xirfadayada hoggaamineed,”

Guusha ka soo hoyatay xafladaasi waxay ahayd mid Raxma siisay kalsooni iyo dhiiranaan ay ku gashay abaal-marinaha suugaanta ee Hoyga Maansada ee sannadlaha ah.Waxayna aad ula yaabtay Raxma in ay ku guulaysatay abaal marinta Gabadha ugu gabay wanaagsan,  Gabaygeeda ay kaga hadlayso midnimada iyo muhiimada ay leedahay ilaalinta dhaqanka Soomaaliyeed.

Tixdan soo socotaa waxay ka mid tahay gabaygeeda guusha:

Sugitaanka qarankeena iyo, nolol samaynteena

Sahashiga haddaan kaga tagnoo, saydhno wadarteenba

Jirrideenu way suuli oo, siidhku uu bi’iye

Sal halkaan ku leenahay, ayaan subax la sheegayne

Ku guuleystayaasha tartanka gabayada oo socday muddo bil ah, ayaa lagu shaaciyay munaasabad ka dhacday magaalada Muqdisho 22-kii November.

“Weligay uma malaynayn in aan ku guulaysan doono abaal-marin heer sare ah!” ayay tiri. “Waxaan markii hore rabay inaan codsado qaybta ugu sareysa, taas oo u furan ragga iyo dumarka labadaba, laakiin ka dib waxaan u maleeyay inaan fursad badan u leeyahay qaybta haweenka, maadaama aysan jirin dumar badan oo gabayaa ah.

“Waxaan si xadfhaaf ah ugu farxay fariimaha qoyskayga, asxaabta iyo dadweynaha iga soo gaaray tan iyo markii natiijada lagu dhawaaqay. Facebook-gayga waxa buux dhaafiyey boqollaal farriimo oo la iigu hambalyeynaya abaal-marintan.”

Barnaamijka Hoyga Maansada Soomaaliyeed oo ay taageerto Hay’adda Qaramada Midoobay u qaabilsan Horumarinta ee UNDP ayaa dhawaan daah-furtay website-keeda, kaasoo lagu kaydiyo maansada Soomaaliyeed iyo majaladda online-ka ah ee lagu soo bandhigo wararka iyo maqaallada la xiriira gabayada, bandhigyo toos ah iyo mid online ah. . Hindisaha waxaa looga golleeyahay in lagu dhiirageliyo awoodda gabayada si kor loogu qaado nabadda iyo xuquuqda aadanaha.

“Barnaamijka Hoyga Maansada Soomaaliyeed waxa uu madal siinayaa abwaanada jiilka cusub, isla markaana dhiirigelinaya oo ilaalinaya maansada qadiimiga ah ee Soomaaliyeed iyada oo lagu kaydiyo qaab online ah oo dhamaystiran,” ayuu yiri Cismaan Cabdilaahi Guure, oo ka mid ahaa garsoorayaashii tartanka gabayada sanadkan. .

Raxma waxa ay doonaysaa in ay u adeegsato caannimadeeda cusub si ay u xoojiso codkeeda oo ay u dhiirigeliso dumarka kale ee gabya ee u baahan tusaale ay ku daydaan.

“Waxaa jira gabyaa badan oo dumar ah oo leh hal-abuur iyo sheekooyin wanaagsan oo ay aheyd in ay ka hadlaan laakiin aan lahayn geesinimada ay ku hadlaan, sidaas darteed waxaan rabaa in aan isticmaalo saameyntayda si aan u xoojiyo iyaga oo aan ka caawiyo inay la wadaagaan bulshada xirfadahooda qarsoon,” ayay tiri.

Somali female poet uses poetry to empower and inspire change

Raxma Xuseen Huriye fell in love with poetry at a young age, she would sing to herself about everything but was always shy of sharing her poems with other people except her family.

“I come from a family of poets and grew up in the countryside,” said the 26-year-old award-winning poet. “My family would listen to me and correct me if I got the verse wrong.”

In 2013, she moved to the city of Hargeisa, where she met new friends and other female poets who share their poetry on social media. She soon began posting her poems on Facebook and eventually became brave enough to perform in front of an audience.

“Facebook gave me the courage to share my work with the public. I feel comfortable because the readers cannot see me and I cannot see them too,” she said. “I get motivated when I see positive comments and people talking about my poems on their pages.”

Although life in the city provides her with opportunities and a sense of freedom, she still has to tread carefully to find a space in a conservative society which disapproves of women who speak up in public.

“It is not easy for women to speak up freely like men, we have to be careful about culturally-sensitive issues and even expressing normal stuff in an unacceptable way. It is a fine balance, which can be achieved through collaboration and active community engagement,” she said.

In September, she teamed up with two of her friends to organise a special poetry event featuring all-women poets.

“Each one of us performed three poems and we invited two well-known male poets to join us on the panel and help with the discussions and answering questions. Over 100 people came to the event. It was the first time I performed in front of a large audience,” she said. “For us, it was more than just showcasing our poetry; it was a way of showing our strength and leadership skills,”

It was the success of that event which gave her the confidence and courage to enter the Hoyga Maansada annual poetry awards. And much to her surprise Raxma won the Woman of the Year award for her poem about unity and the importance of preserving Somali culture.

The following lines are from her winning poem:

Sugitaanka qarankeena iyo, nolol samaynteena

Sahashiga haddaan kaga tagnoo, saydhno wadarteenba

Jirrideenu way suuli oo, siidhku uu bi’iye

Sal halkaan ku leenahay, ayaan subax la sheegayne  

If the solidification of our nation and leading of our lives

Is abandoned easily and our unity dispelled

We will have our existence uprooted, our seed gone for good

Our origins will vanish from memories

The winners of the competition which ran for a month, was announced at a ceremony held in Mogadishu on 22 November.

“I never imagined that I would win such highly acclaimed award!” she said. “I first wanted to apply for the top category, which was open for both men and women, but then I thought I had a higher chance in the women’s category, since there are not as many women poets.

“I have been overwhelmed by messages from family, friends and the public since the results were announced. My Facebook is flooded with hundreds of messages congratulating me for the award.”

The Home of Somali Poetry initiative, which is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), recently launched its website, which hosts a growing archive of Somali poetry and an online magazine for poetry-related news and articles, live performances and online resources. The initiative aims to use the power of poetry to promote peace and human rights.

“The Home of Somali Poetry initiative is giving a platform to a new generation of poets while at the same time encouraging and preserving classic Somali poetry through a comprehensive online archive,” said Osman Abdullahi Guure, who was one of the judges of this year’s awards.

Raxma wants to use her new-found fame to amplify her voice and inspire other women poets who need a role model to follow suit.

“There are many great women poets who have great stories to tell but do not have the courage to speak up, so I want to use my influence to empower them and help them share their hidden talents,” she said.

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