From Somalia to Peace

Posted on 12. Feb, 2009 by Colleen Matschi in All Posts, Vision Videos

abdi-qAt the age of three his vision quest began, taking him from Somalia to Peace.  Abdi-Q Ahmed, now a member of PeaceJam, AmeriCorps VISTA and a volunteer with youthrive, tells his story of triumph over adversity to the Search Institute’s Healthy Communities Healthy Youth (HCHY) Conference in Minneapolis, MN on November 8th, 2008.  It was Abdi-Q’s TEL.A.VISION that first grabbed everyone’s attention as he elaborated on the details of his Vision for Peace.  See his TEL.A.VISION below.

Abdi-Q’s story began as a 3-year old Somali living amidst a civil war in which he was shot in the neck while playing soccer, an occurrence not unfamiliar in his neighborhood.  He was taken to the nearest hospital, where he was refused treatment once it was learned that he was from a tribe different from that of the owners of the hospital.  In Somalia, it was more likely that an 8-year old would possess a gun on a given day versus having sufficient food to eat.  With the civil war raging all around him, he was also witness to the physical abuse his father subjected women to.

After her hard work and dedication to her children, Abdi-Q’s mother was able to get his nine brothers and eleven sisters out of the country by 1991.  Prior to coming to America, Abdi-Q spent many years in a refugee camp.  While safer than the streets of Somalia, he was lucky if he got one meal per day, with hardly a space to sleep. (more…)