Geographical Borders Can Be ChallengesEssay Preview: Geographical Borders Can Be ChallengesReport this essayLeila IsmailEnglish 121Sandra Muegge.11/07/2013Geographical Borders can be ChallengesWe live in a world where people travel and across the borders of countries wish depending on their travel destinations. Broadly, a border is defined as a line separating two or more geographical areas, such as countries or states. Throughout the world, countries have different rules and regulations when crossing the border. Considering Africa, especially the easterly region of the African continent, usually two countries that share the same, border have different rules and regulations. Kenya and Somalia are two countries that share such a border crossing, named Liboi. Kenyans and Somalias tend to crisscross this border smoothly; although, tough border controls exist on each side. The security situation in the border region between these two countries seems defective during certain occasions. Law enforcement personnel, such as border patrols, tend to safeguard the security of the borders while maintaining law and order. Although these two neighboring countries share a border, they are different in many other ways. Kenyans and Somalias speak different languages within their borders, practice diverse cultures, and have different rules within their borders. This creates challenges.
First, Language obstacles always exist between speakers of different languages. Language can be an obstacle for Kenyans and Somalias who do not have the same language. Language is difficult to understand in Kenya and Somalia. For example, Ali is the father of six children. He is going from Somalia to Kenya, and when he comes to the border, the security guard asked “Ali,” “Where are you going?” However, Ali doesnt understand the Kenyan language (Swahili). Ali uses sign language, and the security understands Alis purpose. Similarly, in the episode of “Lucys Bicycle Trip,” Lucy was trying to communicate with an Italian farmer, but she did not speak Italian, nor did the farmer speak English, so she used sign language to express her needs. Furthermore, in the story “Borders” by Thomas King, when the border patrol officer asks the mother about her citizenship and she says “Blackfoot” (291). Then the officer brings in one of his colleagues, and the officer says “just to keep our records straight, what side do you come from Canadian or American side?” (291). She said “Blackfoot side” (292). Second, street signs are different in Kenya and Somalia. For example, Abdi went to visit his mother in Nairobi, Kenya. He drove from Somalia to Kenya. Before he reached the border between Somalia and Kenya, he saw a billboard. Abdi stopped to read what was written on the billboard, and he could not read, or understand it because the writing was in Swahili. Abdi struggled to figure out what was written on the billboard and stood for a while staring at the billboard. He finally gave up and drove to the border when he saw a sign. The sign was written in Swahili and it said “reduce the speed limit” – (kupunguza kasi ya mbele), but unfortunately for Abdi he did not understand it. Abdis speed was different than the sign, so when he came to the border, he got into a lot of trouble. The security guard got an interpreter and yelled at him. The guard gave him a warning. Third, Kenya and Somalia have different slang colloquialisms. They do not understand each other when slang words are used. Kenyans tend to speak a vernacular dialect that is hard to comprehend for other nationals who come from other places. For example, in Kenya there is a variety of slang words that are commonly spoken in Kenyans but difficult to understand for Somali learners. There is also an urban slang variety commonly spoken by Kenyan urban youths called Sheng, with a grammar that is very different to Somali language.
Culture can be challenging when crossing the border between Kenya and Somalia. First, clothing is different in each country. For example, Ladan is from Somalia, and she is wearing a hijab that covers her entire body. Conversely, Akello is a Kenyan girl, and she is wearing jeans and a shirt like the American style. They both arrived at the Kenyan side of the border. The security guard on the Kenya side speaks to Ladan and he asks, “kwa nini wewe kuvaa nguo hii kubwa ni wewe mafichoni kitu” which means, “Why did you put on these big clothes are you hiding something?” But, Ladan defends herself, and she tells him that it is based on her religion and Somali culture. Also the culture challenge of dress can affect business.
Migrant men with disabilities have many ways to become a part of the community. A friend of mine saw a local community member dressed as a Somali woman in front of several other people in the front office building in the Somali capital. This helped her move up the corporate ladder, which in turn made her start small, building as high as one hundred new employees. She says that she started by dressing as a Kenyan and seeing many of the others in their position, with other girls. This has given her confidence that no, they won’t be intimidated. She is now just going on her own and that is where business comes in. It is also where the community can get together, to learn and build something or a project that they, like all of us, want to get going towards.
I’m from a small town in the Somali capital, where there are many women that make an important profession on the ground. Our first job was to do a school project in the middle of the evening and we had a huge number of young people coming as we went. But we were scared because, if you didn’t go you probably wouldn’t get an interview. We had very few young people in the business but that really surprised us, because we know if anybody in the country comes here now there are many young people who will take their place.”
I went to Kenya to train, but not really. I wanted to be a farmer and become a lawyer and then a mechanic. It turned out that my family were poor farmers and my future was really uncertain and there were few farms for me to raise so we were not particularly interested in pursuing something with a little money. I did my best to make a little money by creating money and building for myself. One of my first jobs was in a textile mill and I have been getting jobs in all the places that I know people can take. I was always amazed at how this thing can be good for their future. We knew I wanted to be a lawyer and make some money and I spent a lot of time in Kenya to train. And then I didn’t have any family in the local community that I would want to be in. So I just went to the same old Kenyan business to make money. I was just not prepared for my job at first. And that’s fine with me, but I just didn’t meet my family.
This is where my family was when I came to here. When it became the city here it was very difficult. Our grandparents were quite poor but we weren’t even aware of the fact that they had to work for $2 per day. And it was only when these days there is no more and these people who want a work do it first. But here