Somalia: The woman who dared

Ms. Batulo Essak, during the interview in Nairobi

Somalia as a country has been known for 18 years albeit for the wrong reasons It is a country that has been known for devastating civil strife that has rendered thousands homeless and has seen numerous people killed

Somalia as a country has been known for 18 years albeit for the wrong reasons. It is a country that has been known for devastating civil strife that has rendered thousands homeless and has seen numerous people killed. Some have been even harsh enough to describe it as a failed state. This state of affairs has blinded many people to any good news that emanates from that country.

The above scenario is however not the focus of this feature article, which is borne out of my interaction with a woman who anybody of good will would describe as source of inspiration not only to Somalia women but to many. One I would only describe as a woman who dared. She is none other than Ms. Batulo Essak. As the first black woman councilor in Finland and a Somalia at that is no mean feat. A part from this, Batulo has numerous awards to her name. She is one of the councilors in the City Council of Avant which is one of the cities in Finland. I got the opportunity to interact with her at the ongoing Somalia Women’s International Conference in Nairobi.

When I ask her what inspired her to join politics, her answer is straight forward and candid. “I have been involved in activism for a better part of my life. I wanted to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. Immigrants of which I was part have always been blamed for the wrong things and more so those from Somalia. I wanted to prove critics wrong”, she says.

To call Batulo a dynamo is an understatement. But from the moment I approached her for an interview, I realize she has warmth and humor to make her approachable. But beneath all these, lies a keen intellect which frequently emerges as I take her through debates and engage her with a myriad of complex issues.

Batulo is just the girl- next- door. She was born and raised up in Mogadishu and her beginnings from what she tells me were far from auspicious.

“I was born and grew up in Mogadishu. That where I went to school up to high school”, says the 41 year old with an aura of a youthful smile.

Batulo left Mogadishu in 1985 and headed to Moscow Russia where she joined one of the polytechnics there to study medicine. After her studies, she left Russia in 1991 and proceeded to Finland where she sat her exams and later got a job as a midwife at a university hospital in Helsinki for a period of three years beginning 1995.

Batulo later worked as a Mother and Child Health Care (MCHC) expert at a city health centre in Avanta city for three years leaving in 2002 to join the murky waters of politics. In 2003, she vied for a council seat but did not make it. This however did not kill her spirit giving credence to the adage that what does not kill you makes you stronger. She was to later try her luck in 2005 under the Green Party and registered history as the first black woman to be elected as a councilor in the city Council of Avanta.

“In the council, I sit in two committees. I sit in the Multicultural Committee and the Housing Committee. This makes my schedule pretty busy”, she tells me.

Asked whether she still consider herself a citizen of Somalia, her confirmation is swift.

“I still consider myself a citizen of Somalia and I will always do everything within my abilities to help my sisters and children back home”, she says fondly.

And affirm her care for the people back home, Batulo has helped build a 24 hour clinic in Afgoye city which is 30 kilometers from Mogadishu.

Far from being the focal point person for Somalia Women Agenda, SWA, in Finland, Batulo has numerous feathers to her cup. She has been awarded by the Refugee Centre in Finland for being one of the most active refugee women in Finland and for fighting for the rights of women and child immigrants in that country.

To call Batulo a dynamo is an understatement. But from the moment I approached her for an interview, I realize she has warmth and humor to make her approachable. But beneath all these, lies a keen intellect which frequently emerges as I take her through debates and engage her with a myriad of complex issues.

Batulo is just the girl- next- door. She was born and raised up in Mogadishu and her beginnings from what she tells me were far from auspicious.

“I was born and grew up in Mogadishu. That where I went to school up to high school”, says the 41 year old with an aura of a youthful smile.

Batulo left Mogadishu in 1885 and headed to Moscow Russia where she joined one of the polytechnics there to study medicine. After her studies, she left Russia in 1991 and proceeded to Finland where she sat her exams and later got a job as a midwife at a university hospital in Helsinki for a period of three years beginning 1995.

Batulo later worked as a Mother and Child Health Care (MCHC) expert at a city health centre in Avanta city for three years leaving in 2002 to join the murky waters of politics. In 2003, she vied for a council seat but did not make it. This however did not kill her spirit giving credence to the adage that what does not kill you makes you stronger. She was to later try her luck in 2005 under the Green Party and registered history as the first black woman to be elected as a councilor in the city Council of Avanta.

“In the council, I sit in two committees. I sit in the Multicultural Committee and the Housing Committee. This makes my schedule pretty busy”, she tells me.

Asked whether she still consider herself a citizen of Somalia, her confirmation is swift.

“I still consider myself a citizen of Somalia and I will always do everything within my abilities to help my sisters and children back home”, she says fondly.

And affirm her care for the people back home, Batulo has helped build a 24 hour clinic in Afgoye city which is 30 kilometers from Mogadishu.

Far from being the focal point person for Somalia Women Agenda, SWA, in Finland, Batulo has numerous feathers to her cup. She has been awarded by the Refugee Centre in Finland for being one of the most active refugee women in Finland and for fighting for the rights of women and child immigrants in that country.

Source: Garowe Online