Family life in Somalia

Welcome to Expat.com isabel10!

Harmonie.

Hi, I don't live in Somalia but I am Somali and have recently been there on vacation. Basically family life in Somalia is very much like other African countries, with the "it takes a village to raise a child" approach. A Somali household can contain extended relatives to even tribal affiliations. Gender roles are strictly observed and the young girls and women will mostly be in charge of the household, while the boys and men either go to school or work. A student life usually starts at 7 am, with the child coming back at 1. Most schools have uniforms that vary between elementary and high school students. If the student is female, she will most likely wake up at 5 am cook breakfast for the family and then go to school, if the student is male he is basically on call for any assistance the family needs (going to the market, lifting heavy things, running errands to neighbors). I hope I answered all your questions!

Hi, thank you for responding to my questions about Somalia. Where in Somalia are you originally from?

I'm now writing a paper about the life of students in Somalia and the differences to the life of students in Switzerland.
Can I ask you some more questions about Somalia?

1. Is living in Somalia as dangerous as the media makes it seem?
2. Do Somali students spend a lot of time at home with their parents, or do they prefer to hang out with friends?
3. Do many women go to University?
4. Do you think Somali students work much harder at school than Europeans, Americans, ...?

Thanks in advanced

Best regards,
Isabel