IN 1959 MY PARENTS SENT ME TO THE MAHADDAY WAYN MENNONITE MISSION BOARDING SCHOOL FOR BOYS

TO BE EDUCATED BY MENNONITE MISSIONARIES FROM NORTH AMERICA.

MY PARENTS TRUSTED THE MENNONITE MISSIONARY TEACHERS IN WHOSE CARE THEY PUT ME.

BUT JUST TO MAKE SURE MY PARENTS “VACCINATED” ME AGAINST THEIR CHRISTIAN INFLUENCE

BY MAKING ME MEMORIZE THE WHOLE HOLY KORAN BY HEART

SO I WON’T BE SEDUCED SPIRITUALLY

BY THE CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES.

TO TEST ME

ONE DAY MY FATHER ASKED ME,

“WHAT WILL YOU SAY TO THE MISSIONARIES

IF THEY TRY TO CONVERT YOU TO THEIR RELIGION?”

DADDY I WILL SAY TO THEM:

In the Name of ALLAH, the Compassionate, the Merciful

O YOU UNBELIEVERS!

I will not worship that which you worship,

Nor will you worship that which I worship.

Neither do I worship that which you worship,

Neither do you worship that which I worship.

You have your religion and I do have my religion.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

NEEDLESS TO SAY MY FATHER WAS DELIGHTED AND TICKLED BY MY INSPIRED ANSWER;

HE LET ME LEARN AND MASTER WHATEVER JUJU THE MENNONITE MISSIONARIES CAME TO TEACH ME

ALL THE WAY FROM NORTH AMERICA.

NO WONDER THE JESUITS SAY, ‘Give me a child until he is seven, and I’ll give you the man’. 

I SHOULD NOT BE ASHAMED OF THE FACT THAT I AM A MISSION BOY.

I AM IN A VERY GOOD COMPANY:

MANDELLA IS A MISSION BOY

ADAN ABDULLE OSMAN IS A MISSION BOY

ABDULLAHI ISSE ALI IS A MISSION BOY

NKRUMAH WAS A MISSION BOY

LAMUMBA WAS A MISSION BOY

HASSAN ALI MIRRE IS A MISSION BOY

SAID SHEIKH SAMATAR IS A MISSION BOY

MOHAMED ABSHIR WALDI IS A MISSION BOY

NGUGI WA-THIONGO IS A MISSION BOY

ALI MZRUI IS A MISSION BOY

WOLE SOYINKA IS A MISSION BOY

NURUDDIN FARAH IS A MISSION BOY

CHINUE ACHEBE IS A MISSION BOY

JULIUS NYERERE IS A MISSION BOY

MALCOLM MUGGERIDGE IS A MISSION BOY

PHILIP MIACHAEL MARYANO IS A MISSION BOY

SHOKOLOKUBANGASHAYA IS A MISSION BOY!!

I CAN MAKE THIS LIST ENDLESS AND ALL OF WHO IS WHO IN THE WORLD WILL BE IN IT!!!!

EVERY TWO YEARS ALL THE SOMALI MENNONITE MISSION BOYS AND GIRLS USED TO HAVE A REUNION WITH THEIR MENNONITE MISSIONARY TEACHERS

RIGHT HERE IN NORTH AMERICA TO REMEMBER AND TO REMINISCE ABOUT THE GOOD OLD OMAR EBY MAHADDAY WAYN BLESSED BAKSHIISH BASH-BASH

AND BARWAAQO HAPPY DAYS WHEN WE SOMALIS MADE SENSE AND BURNT INCENSE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE GRACE AND THE WISDOM AND THE MERCY

AND THE LOVE OF ALLAH.

OH THOSE HALCYON FERN HILL BURANE MAHADDAY WAYN SALAD DAYS

WHEN I WAS YOUNG AND EASY

WHEN TIME HELD ME GOLDEN

IN THE MERCY OF HIS MEANS

WHEN I WAS GREEN AND CAREFREE

FAMOUS AMONG THE HIPPOS & CROCS OF THE SHABELLE RIVER

IN THE SUN OF MAHADDAY WAYN

HAPPY OVER AND OVER

I RAN MY HEEDLESS WAYS

WHEN TIME LET ME PLAY AND BE

GOLDEN IN THE MERCY OF HIS MEANS

BEFORE AFWAYNE

BEFORE AIDID

BEFORE ALI MAHDI

BEFORE YAY

BEFORE SHARIIFKA LA SOO GAMAY

AT THE END OF EVERY REUNION THE MISSIONARIES WOULD SING THIS PLANGENT SONG

THAT EVERY SOMALI SHOULD SING FOR HIS/HER COUNTRY RIGHT NOW:

O healing river

1.

O healing river,

send down your waters,
send down your waters
upon this land. 
O healing river,
send down your waters,
and wash the blood
from off the sand.

2.
This land is parching,
this land is burning,
no seed is growing
in the barren ground. 
O healing river,
send down your waters,
O healing river,
send your waters down.

3.
Let the seed of freedom
awake and flourish,
let the deep roots nourish,
let the tall stalks rise.
O healing river,
send down your waters,
O healing river,
from out of the skies.

Words:  anonymous

------MAHAMUD SIAD TOGANE