Naima | Mt Roskill, Auckland

“Maalin aniga iyo hooyo waan u lugeeyneynay shaaricka. I think waxaan aadeeynay New World Mount Roskill. Nin baa gaariga ku jiray, wuu na caayay.

Wuxuu iraahday wadankiina ku noqda. Waan sii jeedsaday, waan arkay. What? Wadanka ku noqo? Waxaan iraahday New Zealand waan dagnaaday 20 years so wadankeyga waa iska New Zealand haddeer. Maku noqoni karo Somalia haddeer. Wali dagaal baa dhacaya. Wali safety ma ahan. Insha’Allah mardhaw waan noqonayaa. Somalia ha noolaato! Laakiin waan sii jeedsaday waan u sheegay. New Zealand waa wadankeyga waxaas waan u sheegay. New Zealand waan imaaday sanadka 2000. Waligeyna markaan iskuulkaas u lugeyn jirnay iyo markaan supermarket-kaas ka lageyni jirnay dad badan baa na caayi jiray. Wadanka ku noqda, madoowtihiin, foolxumo Laakiin maalintaas ma aqaan waxa dhacay. Waan sii jeedsaday. Waan u sheegay. Wadankeyga waa New Zealand. Wallaahi! New Zealand waa iska wadan fiican Alxamdullilah. Iyo dadki oo dad fiican. Racism wuu dhacaa. Waligiis wuu jirayaa. Allahu aclam laakiin insha’Allah waxaan doonayaa ciyaalka badan oo New Zealand jooga ciyaalka New Zealand joogaan inay noqdaan brave. Inay dadka u sheegaan wadankan waa wadankeyni. Waa haddeer It’s our new home. Haa.

Translated

One day my mother and I were walking on the footpath. I think we were going to New World Mount Roskill. A man who was in a car abused us. He said ‘go back to your country’. I turned around, I saw him. ‘What? Go back to your country?’ I said. I have been in New Zealand for 20 years so right now my country is New Zealand. I cannot go back to Somalia right now. There is still a war going on. It is still not safe. God willing, I will go back soon. Long live Somalia! But I turned around and told him. ‘New Zealand is my country’ I told him. I came to New Zealand in the year 2000. And we were always being insulted by many people when we walked to and from the supermarket. Go back to your country, you are black, ugly but that day I don’t know what happened. I turned around. I told him. ‘My country is New Zealand. I swear!’ New Zealand is a good country. Thank God! And the people are good. Racism happens. It will always exist. God knows but God willing, I want the many children in New Zealand, the children in New Zealand to be brave. To tell people that the country is theirs. It is now, it’s our new home. Yes.”