Self-entertainment or Social Collapse!

CHEWING QAT AMONG EDUCATED FEMALE

 (Self-entertainment or social collapse)

Mohamed¹ , Ahmed², Abdi Aziz³, Dr Yousuf⁴

Abstract

Khat is known in Somalia language as "qaad" or "jaad", is a plant whose leaves and stem tips are chewed for their stimulating effect. The purpose of the study was to show the hidden secret between the chewing khat and young educated females especially University female students. Study answered the question why such educated female population chew qat or what consequences that would have on their lives, families and society as whole. The study summarized the following as major reasons that educated female initiate Chewing Qat:really who supported them start chewing-Qat: Family problems, Peer influence, Relation with men chewing Qat, Stress and depression associated with employment after graduation, For some, poverty and need for financial support to survive etc. The study revealed that Qat has demolishing impact, in many ways, on women, families, children, and on the entire society. Based on evidence found in this research.

Introduction

Khat is known in Somaliland and Somalia as "qaad" or "jaad", is a plant whose leaves and stem tips are chewed for their stimulating effect. From the Harar area, khat has been exported to the territories of Somaliland, Djibouti, South central Somalia and Puntland, Khat is found other countries like Kenya, Madagascar, Tanzania and down to south eastern Africa. The plant, which belongs to the Celestrace family, grows wild at altitudes of 1500-2000 m above sea level.  Although people have recently started to recognize that Qat as a vital part of Somali culture, however, studies revealed in most parts of Somalia the habit of Qat-chewing dates back to centuries.

Before the Somali civil war, khat was mostly chewed on Thursdays or Fridays, in connection with particular rituals such as weddings, funerals, religious gatherings or readings (e.g. Mawlids), and special times such as during truck driving or preparing for exams. Later on, the life style of the community has been changed, and the socio –cultural norms that used to manage the consumption of khat has
evolved, or at least they have been radically challenged, with the large majority of the male population chewing khat every day. The change in khat consumption is seen in the consumption of khat by an increasing number of adolescents, women and nomads, and in the consumption of khat before lunch (İjabane) 4. Since the Somaliland declared independent state, chewing khat becomes widespread and social phenomenon in general and among educated young female. Khat has effects of economic
and political life of Somaliland, the lives of most individuals and families, and socio-cultural values, practices and identities.

Both in- and outside Somaliland, khat is a hot topic with non-chewers typically critiquing and chewers defending it.  In Somaliland, men are chewing khat all night and sleep all days because they do not support their family life, and do not take a full responsibility, for that reasons some families were breakdown and caused a conflict between husband and wife due to Qat is expensive and has caused financial crises. This leaves the mothers to do all the activities for the family including taking and bringing children to school, shopping for the family, cooking and cleaning. Indeed, it is more
devastating that women eat khat too and experience difficulties in marinating their families, some neglecting their children. It is well documented that Khat has many severe public health and social problems. In addition to the health problems associated with Khat use, a young female of Khat chewers spend considerable time in this habit; this time wasting affects the social and economic development of the country. Diversion of family income for purchase of Khat results in neglecting the family needs leading to family conflicts and discords. Many studies have demonstrated that there is a clear association between heavy consumption of Khat and psychosis. Somaliland is counted among the highest kat consumption people in all qat growing country, whereby it is being chewed equally by all socio-economic and demographic backgrounds; educated and illiterate, poor and rich, young and old, male and female as well. Although, chewing khar has devastating socio-economic and health effects on individual, family, community and on the nation as whole, nevertheless, about 70% of adult population are estimated to chew qat. Nowadays, qat chewing is becoming common among educated female and university female students, a specific group that were least exposed with qat before It is not that much clear, at least in the scientific literature, what makes
people start chewing Kat nor how it has impacted on lives and livelihoods. In Somaliland, particularly, no study have been conducted on why such educated female population chew qat or what consequences that would have on their lives, families and society as whole. In this regard, we have initiated to investigate causes and effects of chewing Qat among graduated or students at universities and those
who had already dropped out. The study attempted to generate research evidence on this destroying social problem with strong motives that findings and recommendations will be used as insights that will
inform policymakers, social activist and anyone else who concerns the matter.

Methods

This is a qualitative exploratory research in which female university students who chew khat was interviewed in an individual and Focus groups discussions in series sessions in a period of three months from September to November. We designed guiding questionnaire for key informant interviews (30 KIIs) and focus group discussions (3 FGDs). Respondents were all female who chew Qat in habitual manner. So, to collect reliable and deep contextualized information, all interviews took place in Qat chewing gathers. Qualitative data was noted down under two major thematic areas; causes and effect/ impact.
Ethical clearance was obtained from members of national committee for combating Qat and drug addiction. Informed consent was voluntarily granted from the respondents’ period participating focus group discussion or key informant interviews. Data collectors were confirmed for interviewees that the information collected will be kept anonymous and their names and personal contacts will not be recorded at all. However, to identify different viewpoints, code numbers were given to
them instead

Key findings

What pushes young educated female chew Qat?
People say it’s too hard to know exactly what had pushed one to startup chewing Qat. Most people realize themselves when they had already addicted! As far as educated female is concerned, the story is quite different and yet difficult to interpret compared to men’s. Out of the KIIs and FGDs, the study summarized the following as major reasons that educated female initiate Chewing Qat:really who supported them start chewing-Qat.

1.      Family problems: It’s so common in our society that parents and older brothers do not understand well the psychological needs of female at various stages of growth. As a result, girls feel fear and distrust with patents in early adolescent and they look for a close girl or boy friend to trust. Whenever, a girl comes home late, parents and the old brothers tend to violently blame or even badly beat her. In fact, this pushes far away then it corrects the mistake. As a result, many girls escape away from home and get expose to many more serious problems and risk behaviors including Qat chewing. In other perspective, educated female who are married and have dispute with their husbands or separated/divorced have also shown to be victims of Qat, mostly ending up with other subsequence more dangerous health and social risk behaviors.

2.      Peer influence: human being is social in nature and female goes to larger extent in this regard than male. In our Somali culture, we say a girl is her peer “ Inani waa saaxiibadeed”. Interviewees repeatedly mentioned that whatever there might be other drivers; their girl/boy friends were really who supported them start chewing-Qat.

3.      Relation with men chewing Qat: in a time that noble marriage comes too expensive, and life gets more and more complex with many risk behaviors, attitudes and life styles brought into our society, it becomes so prevalent nowadays that women, educated particularly, some even students at universities, have relation with men and chew Qat together.  It’s clear that men are who initially pull women into trouble of chewing-Qat . Such forbidden and unsocial destroying phenomenon has widely been increasing now more than ever before. Many houses and hotels, some was visited by the research team, in Hargeisa city serve as nice guest houses for such gathering.

4.      Stress and depression associated with employment after graduation was also identified as reason that educated women drops out life and get into risk of chewing Qat with influence of peer or illegal relation with men.

5.      Some respondents have pointed out being far away from parents’ e.g; coming from other regions for study or work, as another cause of chewing Qat.

6.      Addicting with pipe smoking found also as predisposing factor for initiating Qat for some women. It happens so, because of gathering and exposing with those who chew qat in the same “fadhi” so frequently.

7.      For some, poverty and need for financial support to survive was driven to have sexual relation and Qat chewing with bad cruel men.

8.      And for others, it all started like making fun or for group reading for exam preparation, just like the case of men.

How far Qat addiction affect female?

The study revealed that Qat has demolishing impact, in many ways, on women, families, children, and on the entire society. Based on evidence found in this research, such impact is summarized in the following themes:

 Dark future: chewing Qat behavior is very much different in women than men, it’s so, because for men it’s often social gathering but for women Qat is most commonly associated with relations with men. That can attribute to the fact that women hide always from the eyes since they are not culturally allowed to chew Qat in public like men. It is evident that Qat addicted women is not wanted for marriage, even, among men who very closely chew qat with them. Therefore, whether single or divorced, women have dark future with no hope of establishing/re-establishing happy family life, unless to stop at all and resume life again, if the unsupportive social pressure, eg. Stigmatizing, would luckily overcome.

 Health problems: as witnessed by a number of respondents Qat has associated with a lot of health problem including increased risk of blood pressure , insomnia , constipation , tiredness , malnutrition and TB due to loss of appetite , depression , tooth darkening (Tooth plague), hallucinations and more advanced mental health problems, e.g; psychosis . It also causes abdominal/ intestine obstruction and appendicitis. Moreover, Qat-chewing behavior among female significantly increases spread out of HIV/AIDs, Hepatitis and other sexually transmitted diseases as a result of increasing sex-drive and interaction of both female and male and having multiple sexual partners

  Family collapse: Numbers of interviewees were divorced women after their husbands had uncovered them, often after some time of hiding away. Such, families have broken down leaving their children innocent victims of such tragedy.

  Qat chewing its self is pushing factor for female to other worse drugs addictions; smoking, pipe smoking, alcohol, Hashish, ect. That is to more deadly edge of life.

Recommendations

The study alarms for urgent actions at different levels to effectively response to the upraising trend of female addicting Qat and its associated catastrophic impact on society and development. Below are recommended areas for action:

1 1. The problem should be recognized as priority issue at the top state policy level.

2 2. The National committee for combating Drug “Qat” addiction should effectively advocate for this issue at various levels. Mass awareness campaign is very much needed in this context.

3 3. Anti- Qat education and awareness should be integrated into Youth development programs and university education systems.

4 4.   Investment in both Qat prevention and rehabilitation programs are equally needed as we are facing an “epidemic”. Many young educated male and female who are heavily addicted Qat can be rehabilitated and brought back to more productive, safe and healthy life.

5 5.  Community members “social activities and teachers” should be educated and empowered on implementation of effective prevention and rehabilitative interventions.

6 6. Provision of youth employment, voluntary work, open spaces like parks and playgrounds, sports, as well as social support centers including marriage

1.         Mohamed Abdi Abdilahi (Indha yare).: BSc Environmental Science, Bachelor Degree of Education and Candidate for master of research and Statistics

2.         Ahmed Omar Askar: BSc P.H, BSc PA, IMPH, Cert. Health systems analysis.

3.         Abdi Aziz Omar:  BSc PH & Environmental Health, MSc PH .

4.         Dr. YousufAhmed Ali Ardo, Director general of higher education.