A new playground in Mogadishu is making headlines. After years of being locked in their homes, Somali children seem to be allowed some carefree play time away from dangers of war and guns. The Mogadishu Guest House has recently opened a playground to offer Somali children of the city the opportunity to play after the al-Shabab militants have been pushed out of the capital and the surrounding areas.
Somali children at the Mogadishu Guest House playground. Image Source: AP
Yet, this may still be an illusion for many. While the playground offers children the chance to have fun, ride bikes, swim in the pool and climb on a jungle gym, play is not free as the hotel charges $2 per hour of entertainment. In Somalia, this is something that very few families are able to afford as according to a World bank study reported by Associate Press, ‘[a]bout 43 percent of the population lives below $1 a day, and 73 percent below £2 per day’.
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Ludic Geopolitics 