Somalis rely on money transfers. Barclays, don't sever this lifeline
Sixty years ago Somali sailors like my father, who lived in Britain, used a simple system to return some of their earnings to family members in east Africa: one of them would stuff all his money into his rucksack, get on a ship and hand-deliver each share to the designated families. There were no records or regulations, just trust and honour; and if any was lost, stolen or given to the wrong person, restitution was a slow, painful process.
Now, if I want to send money to my family in Somaliland for their hospital or university fees, I get on a bus and go to one of the many Somali money-transfer companies that have sprouted up across Britain.… Seguir leyendo »