My name is Nur and i teach Somali to the Somali students in the schools in Lund. Not only do I teach them their mothertongue but also their cultural background and many other things. I teach about 11 students spread around eight different schools in the community of Lund.
When people are getting information about Somalia in papers or on TV they often see war, hunger and a number of refugees but what do they know about the land and the people.

The land

Somalia is located in the northeastern part of the African continent, usually known as the Horn of Africa. The republic of Somalia is a flat land except for the Golis mountains in the north and a few hills in the south. The highest place is ' Surad peak' which is 2,633m above the sea level.
Somalia has a longer coastline than any other country in Africa. Along the northern coast lies the gulf of Aden. The Indian ocean is east of Somalia. Somalia has borders to three other countries. These are Kenya in the south-west and Ethiopia and Djibouti in the west and north-west.

The people

From ancient times Somalis have been normadic people migrating with their livestock, according to the season, in search of water and pasture. They know the time when rain is expected and know which areas are likely to have grass when other areas have dried up. Somalia is a semi-arid country.
Even though the settled population is engaged in farming in the inter-river areas, the majority of Somalis are primarily engaged in livestock rearing.
Somali language and culture
Somalis are among the truely homogenous national groups in Africa. We have a common language, religion, culture and traditions. The majority of the Somalis are Suni muslims, which means that they follow one of the main interpretations of the Islamic religion.
The Somali language belongs to the group of languages referred to by linguistics as Cushitic or Afro-asiatic. Ancient egyptian is a related language. There was no official script in written language until 1972 but the Somali language is very rich when it comes to oral literature with many proverbs, folk tales and long, sophisticated poems which are telling of heroes and important incidents in history.
The oral literature is carried on not only in books but in the minds and the memory of the people.
Some popular Somali dishes
Yoghurt : made from milk
Butter, called subag: made from shaken milk
Sauces and stews: made from the following basic ingredients: onions, garlic, tomatoes, hot spices.
Bread rolls, called rooti or roodhi and chapati, called sabaayad, are popular in towns.
Breads (canjeelo and muufo) and porridge (soor): made from grains like sorghum, maize, and millet.
Beans popular in the farming areas
Liver, thinly sliced and fried with onions, is very popular and delicious breakfast treat
Sambosa (sambuusa), filled with meat and especially popular during Ramadan for breaking fast

A recipe
Somali spiced tea
you will need to use a kettle or enamel jug which can be put directly on the stove, as all the ingredients are cooked together in a pot on open heat.
To six cups of tea you will need:
1 pint of water
4 whole cardamoms
4 whole cloves
a stick of cinnamom
4 tsp good tea ( 3 teabags)
1 teacup fresh milk (may be omitted)
1/2 teacup sugar( may be served in a bowl later)
Below are some lines from a long and famous poem which was recited to stop a war between two closely connected clans.
Lines 18-22
The know nothing fool will not understand;
But when the precious die in countless numbers
And the multitude of men is utterly distroyed,
Then people will not reproach each other.
Oh clansmen, stop the war!
Lines 54-60
{ You rankes are full } with men like children and the weak
With fools who proudly posture in the assembly place
But would quickly run for safety.
Oh clansmen, stop the war!
Pupils study materials
 

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