“If the Somali language were to vanish, we would lose its vibrant culture and profound oral history,” she remarked earnestly. “The initiative, Sing-Again, represents my hope for relishing and rejoicing in the language. The narrative isn’t solely about somber displacement or becoming a refugee; that’s not a tale we wish to dwell on constantly.”
Hassan secured a notable Minnesota Legacy Cultural Heritage Grant amounting to $121,394. She mentioned that a significant portion will fuel the book’s publication, while some funds will cover videography costs to capture age-old melodies for the project’s audio aspect. This grant also bolsters Hassan’s vision of broadening Sing-Again from the Twin Cities to encompass other regions like St. Cloud, enhancing its reach.
Preserving the essence of Somali language and tradition poses challenges, especially with the language’s written form only materializing in the 1970s. Furthermore, displaced communities often prioritize survival over endeavors like preserving their language, Hassan pointed out.
Per U.S. Census Bureau stats, Somali is the runner-up among non-English languages spoken at home in Minnesota. Yet, bridging communication within Somali families, spanning different generations, increasingly becomes a hurdle.
Hassan envisions her project as a bridge, linking parents and grandparents who might not be conversant in English with their offspring who may lack proficiency in Somali. Additionally, the project aims to furnish schools with resources facilitating a richly diverse learning environment.
“Revealing children to diverse narratives is crucial,” Hassan emphasized. “That’s how we forge bonds and nurture shared humanity. This endeavor offers the wider community a peek into Somali culture, aiding our journey to belong without quelling our identity.”
Sing-Again aims for completion by May 2025, promising an illustrated collection of bilingual lullabies and tales. Accompanying these will be a dedicated website housing recordings and resources, serving as both educational tools and an archive of treasured narratives.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
