Gardo is a city located in the northeastern region of Bari, Somalia, and has a long history of civic pride that encourages local participation at every level. Fiercely contested local elections are a regular part of life in Gardo, where officials are held to account by a rumbustious citizenry who expect, no, demand, accountability from those who rule them. For the past two years, Abdulqadir Said Qaal has been the city’s mayor – a position no one would describe as being an easy one – however, this mayor has been the focus of much criticism recently, centred upon a fact of urban life all people understand – how to deal with the trash!
Anyone who visits Gardo City (unless they are blind and have no sense of smell) will immediately note that there is a terrible waste, and waste disposal problem, for by any standard this essential aspect of modern life is badly handled here. Huge piles of untreated garbage are left a mere 2 kilometres from the city limits – an offence, for the regional policy demands it must be no less than 10 kilometres distant – yet nothing is done to stop this health hazard from inversely affecting the people of Gardo.
It would be unfair to claim these problems originated with the present mayor, but what cannot be denied is that Mr Abdulqadir Said Qaal understands that the garbage problem is out of control. Unprocessed medical and food waste is piled alongside plastics, toxins, and human excrement, in a manner wholly unfit for modern urban life. Indeed, local farmers and concerned citizens have pointed out that this growing, untreated rubbish, is poisoning the land and even the water (through runoff). So bad has the situation become tribal elders have directly approached the mayor asking for something to be done, only for Abdulqadir Said Qaal to send them away without even attempting to converse with these venerated people.
Disposing of human waste is something all cities struggle with, and no one can expect miracles, but it is disappointing that the authorities in Gardo City are not more willing to engage with their electorate on this matter. An oversight that the mayor might regret when the next election occurs.
Dr Neil Watson.
SOURCE: https://medium.com/@palezombievplo/abdulqadir-said-qaal-the-trashman-of-gardo-04a9c0c70731