Eastleigh is a bustling commercial center in Nairobi, but walking through it you'd think it was a city in Somalia.
The residents, shop owners and visitors to Eastleigh are predominantly ethnic Somalis- some from Kenya and others refugees from Somalia. No where in Nairobi can you find such a concentration of commercial enterprises. Kenyan's travel there from the countryside because its "the best shopping in town," with amazing prices on all sorts of goods- from flat screen tv's to a diverse array of clothing. Money is constantly changing hands, men are pushing past with boxes full of products, cars along the road move at a snails pace, women call you into their stores, and you dont know which way to turn next or what shop to look into. You could spend an afternoon just exploring one mall- Garissa lodge, Amal, Bangkok, Hongkong, Baraka- or you could avoid the indoor malls altogether and shop along the roads. I've been to Eastleigh four times since arriving in Nairobi and everytime I leave with many more bags of goods than I intended to purchase.
For me, walking through the streets of Eastleigh has a personal significance. I'm Somali-American but have never seen the country so visiting this somali enclave is a sort of homecoming, a place where I am surrounded by the somali culture and language, and a people who looked like me! But it can also be alienating. Never have I felt so un-Somali as when I am surrounded by Somalis in Eastleigh. They know almost immediately that I came from abroad- perhaps by the way I dressed- although I thought I would fit in. If not by my appearance, my poor Somali language skills made my foreign-ness certain.
Once, while getting lunch with two friends in the heart of Eastleigh, I suddenly felt a burst of confidence in my language skills and decided to test it. "Walaal" I called the waiter, "I'd like the rice and fish." He began writing, then turned to me and asked "which type of fish?" At this point I began mumbling in broken somali, not sure what the different types were called. He soon realized that I was struggling with the language. "Oh no", he began to lecture, "you forgot your mother tongue? Where are you from". I said Virginia, feeling a new sense of comfort in my Virginian identity, as if it gave me an excuse, or perhaps it simply was a more accurate description of who I am. He went on with several reasons why its important to keep your mother tongue, with the oddest reason being that I can "make a lot more money knowing Somali." That's questionable, but he was right about one thing. Its pretty embarrassing not knowing the language well.
Aside from my personal discoveries in Eastleigh, it provides great insight into the potential Somalis have as businesspeople. Right now the economic power of Somalis is enjoyed by Dubai, Nairobi and other cities around the world, but these same businesses are on stand by, waiting for the chance to invest back in their homeland.
As soon as peace returns to Somalia, commerce will naturally follow, and I predict many will be in awe of how rapidly the economy grows into a powerhouse in East Africa.
