The Khat (the green grass) has been used for decades in Somaliland.
This kind of thing is known in Yemen for hundreds of years while it
appeared in Ethiopia long time ago. When I grew up I remember people
were chewing Khat specially after lunch. My father would come with
some friends to the house and they sit in a well-prepared place in
the living room. At that time people were not chewing so long, it
might take some 2 – 3 hours only and by then everybody was ready to
go home and do his duty.
As the war started in Somaliland and people flew to the refugee
camps in Ethiopia, people didn’t have anything to do but to sit,
debate and talk about the war. Here was the beginning of the Khat
nightmare. The refugee camps was located inside Ethiopia where the
Khat is planted and people make business of it. It was dramatically
cheap that anyone could afford to buy some leafs even those who have
nothing would get it from other friends or family. These two
conditions helped people to adapt long hours of chewing this grass.
People created what we call MAFRISH (a place to gather for chewing
and exchanging a particular information). Those places were getting
more and more by the days only people to come together and exchange
the news concerning the current war and the update of the military
positions. Again those places were becoming the centre for lobbying
ideas and taking decisions towards what was going on in the country.
As long as people were jobless, one would wake up in the morning and
start his days with some leafs of Khat just like we have the morning
coffee in the normal life. After the lunch was the biggest session
of chewing until it is late evening. This continued until some
people would chew until the next morning without having a one single
sleep during the whole night.
After people came back to the country in 1991, the habit could not
be ceased and the people start continuing their chewing style they
had in the refugee camps. Although it is 17 years now from that
time, the situation is getting even worse. I met some people who
chew 3 consecutive days without a break. Most of the mental cases in
Somaliland are referred to the Khat. Many men left their families
because of this leafes, many lost their job because of it, others
gone mad and chained because of it, some others bankrupted because
of this grass while others cannot live without Khat.
There is one fact concerning this issue, people will never stop
chewing and anyone who is planning to make people stop using this
thing is really dreaming. The previous government of Somalia banned
the use of the khat as anyone who is caught chewing or carrying this
leaves would face jail and punishment. This did not stop the Khat at
all, but in the contrary it arose the anger of the people against
the government. People adapted this grass, it has gone to their
blood and some cannot even live without it. We should look for other
solutions to this issue. As I said, people will never stop but the
only thing we can do is to tackle these long hours that people are
spending on chewing Khat.
The Solution
Not having a job is the major factor that makes people chew. Someone
will get those leaves with or without having money, it is a matter
of friendship and/or addiction. I have colleagues who chew, I have
others as well. The best experience of the past years is that if
those people are busy they will never get time to chew or at least
they will spend the minimum hours to sit for the session. Most of my
colleagues are chewing once or twice per week, others chew only when
on holidays while some don’t chew at all not because they don’t like
the leaves but the fact that they don’t have time for it and
avoiding its consequences of not sleeping that night so that they
will get up early next morning for work. The government, companies
and other institutions should work hard to scale up the employment
status so that most of the people will get jobs.
The working hours should also be increased. For the moment people in
the governmental institutions work from 8am to 2pm although most of
them leave before that time, we need to increase those hours and let
the people work from 7am until 5pm. This will contribute to the fact
that people will worry about sleeping early when they know they have
to get up early in the morning, again they will not have time to
chew when they finish the work late already tired and the end of the
shining day.
Sports, gyms, youth clubs, social events, discussion forums and
setting some other competitions will also contribute to convert the
people’s attention from the Khat. Once we make sure everybody is
busy then we shouldn’t worry about the effect of Khat in our
society.
Conclusion
This is the task of everybody. I’m saying that because some people
might think it is a responsibility of only one side but I have to
say it is for all. The government can create jobs but if there is no
one taking the job then it is the responsibility of the individuals.
People want jobs, if the authorities don’t create such environment
then it is the government’s responsibility. We have to work hard, it
is the responsibility of all. When I say all I mean the government,
the individuals, the local institutions, the business companies, the
parents, the teachers and lecturers, the intellectuals, the youth,
the women and all.
