Hussein Osman

MARSHALL — Many people don’t get a chance to get know their neighbors — particularly neighbors from another culture. Our Somali neighbors love their new life in Marshall but also want to help those still in Somalia.

When Hussein Osman stepped into the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport 11 years ago, he entered into a new world. He saw “stairs that move.” He saw a “box that takes you up and takes you down.” Used to only gravel roads with no striping and turning lanes, the tarred streets and the neat and organized roads with traffic signals were an additional source of wonder.

After living in Minneapolis a few months with his mother and siblings, the family moved to Marshall.

“My mother’s friends, they all told her to have the kids grow up in a place that was less populated — away from violent influences,” he said. “So we moved to Marshall at the end of 2006.”

Not knowing a word of English when he entered Mrs. Shaikoski’s fourth grade, he would watch what the other kids did. If they picked up a pencil, he picked up a pencil. If they opened the desk, he opened his desk. One time he and his brother were on the swing during recess and another student said something to them. Osman and his brother couldn’t understand him and the student got angry. They all ended up at the principal’s office where it was finally sorted out that the student was just asking for a turn on the swing.

Osman’s family had lived in Somalia, but it was too violent, so they had to leave.

“Open your door, bullets are flying,” he said. His mother’s brother sent them money to leave, but it wasn’t enough for the whole family, just the younger ones and an older sister to help.

They took a bus to Kenya, but were stopped in Somalia by the military. Osman’s family didn’t have identification so they were kicked off the bus and put in jail.

“It wasn’t really a jail,” he said. “It was not very humane. It was more like a cage. We sat in a corner and had to go to the bathroom in another corner.” There were no bathroom facilities.

After a week, more money enabled the family to get out and continue on their way to the United States. After living in Kenya for six months to establish residency, they were ready to leave on a certain day in September, but then were told no planes were flying — it was Sept. 11, 2001.

They went back to Somalia and it wasn’t until four years later when they were finally able to emigrate to the United States. It was hard to learn English at first, hard to understand the culture. The Somali community helped them as much as they could.

He’s glad his family ended up in Marshall. He is now entering his third year at Southwest Minnesota State University, majoring in business management.

“I love Marshall,” he said. “I wouldn’t be who I am now if it wasn’t for Marshall.”

Osman said he was happy to run into his fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Shaikoski, recently at Perkins. He said she was glad to see who he was now.

Osman appreciated the English language learners teachers.

“There were very helpful, very understanding, very committed,” he said.

Osman said he and his family help the people in Somalia who are still suffering from the effects of a multi-year drought.

“We send some money to close relatives and distant cousins,” he said. “They all have different situations. One has a lack of food. One has a lack of water, another has not enough resources. So we send what we are capable of sending.”