Members of the Camden Somali community outside the Irish Centre at the party

Somali youths: ‘We need role models’

They speak out over ‘cultural gap’ growing up in West

SOMALI teenagers face a life involved in drugs and gangs unless the community can pull together, say a group of youths.

The young men were speaking at a party thrown at the Irish Centre in Camden Square, Camden Town on Wednesday to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the British Somali Community (BSC) – a group of Somali’s who have been meeting once a week for 10 years.

The young men say the gap in understanding between parents and their children has left westernised Somali youngsters growing up in a cultural vacuum and lured into the ‘tough guy’ lifestyle.

Yusuf Deerow, 23, a former Haverstock school pupil, said: “I feel despair about the problems facing youngsters. They suffer from a loss of identity and lack good role models. Instead of helping them the older community blame them, and they get involved in drugs, gangs and drop out of school.”

Former Haverstock schoolboy, Omar Deerow, 21, said the onus fell on young men like himself to help struggling teens, and called for older generations to trust them with greater responsibility.

Mohamed Aden, a member of the Kentish Town Community Organisation, criticised parents who send their children to Somalia to learn about their culture when they get into trouble, and said: “That is not the answer.”

Deqa Shire, 30, a mother of five, can see the struggles both sides face after coming to England at 16 with her mother. She said: “Parents need more support and understanding – when a child gets to 15 peer pressure takes over and parents don’t understand. I have an 11 year-old son and I do worry, but that’s why I tell him to talk to me if he has problems, adults do need to change.”

Camden’s Borough Commander Mark Heath said he felt the community was taking positive steps towards change by talking to each other in the aftermath of Mahir Osman’s death, the 18 year-old Somali youth murdered by a Somali gang in Camden Town in January.

He said: “There are some difficulties facing the young people, but the Somali community are taking responsibility in a way I’ve never seen in another community. They recognise the challenges they face and are trying to get to grips with them.”