THE BURJI AMBASSADOR TO ENGLAND

By Tego Wolasa

No! it is not what you are thinking.

I am not referring to a diplomat driving around London’s streets in an SUV fitted with the Burji flag.

Our Ambassador lives in Bolton. A town in North West England, Bolton is part of The Greater Manchester, England.

If you lived in Bolton today, what would you be sharing on your Facebook and Instagram accounts?

Photos of you taken at the University of Bolton Stadium? The home of Bolton Wanderers football club.

Or Maybe you will drive for 26 kilometres to the city of Manchester and upload multiple photos from the vicinity of Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium?

Not so with Hawo Hage Omar, the Burji Ambassador in Bolton. Those who are familiar with her Facebook page – Gulgubeinta Masoo, will agree with me on that.

Born in Marsabit, the 30-year-old mother of three emigrated to England in 2015. She joined her husband, Abdi Chota, who had been in the UK since 2012.

Not long after, Hawo noticed that she is losing grip of the little she knew of her native Burji Language.

Besides, she was worried about her children, who might never get to learn the Burji language.

With only nine Burji families in the UK, all of who live in different cities, she does not have the privilege of meeting with others to converse in the Burji Language.

That challenge prompted her to start the Facebook page- Guli Gubeinta Masoo. She created the page for promoting the Burji Language.

The Livestream on fb.com/dasheeculture, which comes every Saturday at 8 PM East African time, lived to its expectations.

You would often see experts conversing and teaching various aspects of the Burji Language during the many online fora.

Armed with an O level certificate from Kenya Muslim academy-2008 and a diploma in Human Resource Management, the pro Henna artist is currently pursuing Beauty therapy at Bolton College.

Despite his busy schedule at Amazon, Mr. Abdi Chota, the husband, is often seen by her side during her live Burji Language broadcast.

Hawo belongs to the Bambal clan. Her ancestors originated from the Yeban area of the Burji District in Southern Ethiopia.

She intends to start a one-dollar drive where people voluntarily contribute one dollar a month towards uplifting our people’s welfare.

She wishes to see us supporting one another instead of ridicule and putting one another down.

D’ekoma mal d’ek basin ninsaga tolaau yed’ ey – Without unity among us, we cannot achieve anything. She said in her parting advice.

Hawo and Abdi have proven to us that you neither need to hold a formal office to add value to your community nor become a millionaire to contribute to their well-being.

What are you doing to add value to this great community?