On Urubo, Liido, and Sugunto Liido beaches, the once pristine sands are now obscured by heaps of debris.
The pollution has marred the landscape, creating a stark contrast to the image of tranquility that draws people seeking solace from the conflicts between rival armed factions in this historic port city.
However, the local residents have rallied together, determined to reclaim their beaches. A collective effort is underway to clean up the coastline, with the hopes of reviving local tourism and bolstering the city’s economy.
At the heart of this endeavor are young volunteers, many of them students or university workers, who have taken the lead in this grassroots movement.
Week after week, these dedicated youth have been diligently gathering the litter that has defaced the beauty of the coast and posed a threat to marine life. Their hard work is already paying off, as patches of the beach are beginning to shine once more under the warm sun.
One of the enthusiastic volunteers, Maama Ugaaso, expresses her pride in being a regular participant in the beach clean-up sessions. She highlights how the younger generation is embracing a sense of ownership and responsibility for their city.
With their earnest efforts, they are sowing the seeds of hope for a brighter future for Mogadishu’s golden coast.
“It is the 87th week that we have been cleaning the beaches. This is a voluntary activity where young graduates, lecturers, and other ordinary Somalis participate. Among the reasons why these young people are doing such wonderful work is that they understand the fact that this country belongs to no one but themselves,” she says.
According to the organizers, 2 million kilograms of trash have already been gathered here.
That contained plastic waste, which is bad for aquatic life.
Even abandoned vehicles had been thrown on the shore, which had turned into a landfill.
All of the rubbish is being transported to a government dump outside of Mogadishu.
Arabow is pleading with the government to support the effort to restore beaches.
He says: “Currently, we are conducting this clean-up campaign on our beaches and we are hoping to expand it to other beaches across the country. Also, a beach clean-up campaign like the one we’ve done in the Liido should be replicated throughout the country. We also have done some cleaning up work on beaches like Isaley, Jazeera, and other places, but God willing, I hope that this campaign will reach every place in the country in order to live in a rubbish-free country.”
The primary focus of the beach restoration initiative is to actively engage young people, constituting 75% of the country’s population. For fisherman Hassan Mohamed, this work holds immense significance for the survival of the coastal region.
Expressing his pride in the dedicated young volunteers, Hassan emphasizes the importance of governmental support for their efforts.
He stresses that maintaining the health of marine life and promoting tourism go hand in hand, making this endeavor critical for the entire community.
The volunteers have garnered not only public but also government endorsement for their beach-cleaning endeavors. When the municipality of Mogadishu became aware of their restoration project, they stepped in to provide vehicles to assist in the removal of the accumulated rubbish.
Yaasir Baafo, an advisor to Somalia’s tourism authority, believes that aligning volunteer efforts with supportive government policies will lead to substantial progress. He emphasizes the vital role of the environment as a valuable resource that can breathe new life into the city and the entire country. With a collaborative approach, the initiative aims to harness the potential of the natural surroundings to foster growth and rejuvenation for Mogadishu.
Pointing to old photos on his laptop he says: “It’s really a breathtaking time, 1970s, 80s in Mogadishu as it was one of the most clean city in Africa, the most beautiful city in Africa. And when you look back at today what have been in Mogadishu, when we talk about the cleaning and the beach sites, so it’s really totally different and that’s what makes Mogadishu, people are still think about: how can we get back those glory and golden days of Mogadishu.”
With a bit of work, the beautiful sand beaches can be uncovered once again.
