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Taxan Newsletter is a bi-lingual, quarterly paper sponsored by Somali Family Service of San Diego.
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SFS: Career Development Roundtable SomaliFamilyServiceandlocalagenciescollaboratedoncombatingunemployment
Inside this Issue Career Development
1,2
Mental Health Problems 1,4
A Success Business Story 3,4
Fletcher Spoke with the community
4
How to stay healthy 5
ObamaCare, what does it for you and for your family?
2,5,6
Announcements 6
By Ali Artan, Taxan Newsletter
Volume 9, Issue 3 November, 2013
Mental Health Can No Longer be Ignored in Our Community
By Ali Artan, Taxan Newsletter
article continues on p4
On October 5th, 2013 SFSin collaborationwith five ofits partners held its firstMental Health Awarenessforum at the Multi CulturalStorefront. At the forum,community leaders ex‐pressed their concerns tohealth professionals overthe recent increase of men‐tal health problems in theSomalicommunity. Andtheneedtocombatthisproblemonceandforall.
SFS of San Diego hosted acareer development round‐table on October 3rd, 2013.About ten local businessesand agencies participated inthemeeting.Theobjectiveofthe meeting was to discussways of decreasing unem‐ployment in the communityand utilizing the availableresources within the localagencies more appropri‐ately.Community leaders stressedthe lack of employment forall in particular for theyouth. Mr. Ahmed Dahir, aSomalielderandanSFSstaffmember
article continues on p2
Employment Roundtable continued from p1
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Taxan: The Somali News Link Volume 8, Issue 3
November, 2013
expressed the importanceofinvestinginouryouth.“Ifwedon’t help them today theywill eventually becomecriminals and burden totheirfamiliesandtothesoci‐ety at large in their latterdays.” Mr. Dahir also pre‐dicted that ifunemploymentamongtheyouthisnotgiventhe care it deserves now,God forbid, it will cost usmuchmoreinthefuture.
Representativesof theagen‐cies expressed their keeninterest in rolling out someprograms that can mitigatetheriskofunemployment inthe community. They alsoacknowledged the impor‐tance of tackling the youthunemployment and prom‐isedtocooperatewithSFSinordertocollectivelycombatunemployment with theavailable resources. Dr.Joachim(Joe) Reimann, theBoard Chair of SFS, empha‐sized that the coordinationof activities of local busi‐nessesandagenciesisessen‐tialindeterminingtheneedsof the community and pro‐vidingadequateassistance.
Yasmeen Maxamuud withthe East African Collabora‐tive informed the audienceoftheneedtobuildabridgebetween the agencies andthe community representa‐tives where employing liai‐sonsbecomesnecessary.
article continues on p5
Workforce Development Meeting Participants
Artan Consulting
ObamaCare, What does it for you and for your family? By Towfik Elmi, Researcher at Tri-City Health Center & Alameda Health System On March 23, 2011, PresidentObamasignedintolawthehealth‐care reform legislation. The Af‐fordable Care Act (ACA) requiresU.S.citizensandlegalresidentstoenroll in a qualifying health planbyMarch, 2014.ACA isprojectedto transform the insurance land‐scape of the healthcare industry.Obama‐Care also addresses coreissues that drive healthcare coststhrough nationally funded pro‐grams:wellness andpreventativeservices and economic incentivesfor providers to invest in elec‐tronic records and to exchangesecurepatientdata.About18%ofthe U.S. GDP goes to healthcareservices,by farthe largestexpen‐diture component of the federalbudget.
Covered California is the healthinsurancemarketplaceforCalifor‐nians toshop,compareplansandgetfinancialassistance.Underthe
ACA, all states must establish ahealthbenefitexchangeandmustcertify four basic levels of plans(thinkofitasinsurancepolicyforyour car).Theseplansare tradedin the marketplace and will beoffered to individuals and smallbusinesses in the form of Plati‐num, Gold, Silver and Bronze. Afifth level, known as catastrophiccoverage, is available for thoseunder 30‐years of age. The Plati‐numplancovers90%ofthecostsof health services, and it’s themostexpensiveone.FourmillionsofCaliforniansareestimatedtobeeligible for healthcare insurancethrough Covered California (Webandphone‐basedaccess).
Financial subsidies or credits arealsoavailableforeligibleindividu‐als and families whose income isbetween 100% and 400% of theFederal Poverty Level (FPL). Pre‐miumcredits(theamountof
Towfik Elmi a member of a joint research project at Tri-City Health Center and Alameda Health System. He is also a member of American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) this year. Email: [email protected]
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Taxan: The Somali News Link Volume 8, Issue 3
November, 2013
Black Horse Limos (BHL), LLC: A Business Success By Ali Artan
article continues on p4
BlackHorseLimos,LLC, a flour‐ishing transportation business inCityHeights, hasbecomequite abusinesssuccessstory.ShakurElmifoundedBHLin2010.Salah Ahmed & Ways Abdullahibecamethefirstpartnersandtheonly sole owner‐operators at thetime. Today, the company hasabout 50 business owner‐operators. This fiscal year, thecompanygenerateda half‐milliondollars. Taxan Newsletter had arareopportunitytositdownwithPresident Shakur and interviewhim about the chronicle of thecompany. Ali Artan (AA) con‐ductedtheinterview.
Ali:Mr.Shakur,welcometoTaxanNewsletterShakur:ThanksforhavingmeAli:Whydidyouestablishthiscompany?Shakur:TherearemultipleunderlyingreasonswhyIfoundedthiscompanychiefamongthemistomakealivingformyselffirst,andtocreatejobsinthecommunitiesinwhichourbusinessoperatesbecauseIrealizedtherewasanuntappedwork‐forcethatwasworthtakingtheriskfor.AndIceasedthemoment.Ali:Whatthedifficultieshadyoufacedduringthefirststagesoftheformationofthecompany?Shakur:FilingthearticulationofthecompanyintheStateandfindingaplaceforthebusinesstooperatewithmylimitedre‐sourcewereproblems.Ialsohadtostrugglewithdevelopingbusinessprocessesandwearingdifferenthatsoverthecourseoftheday.Ali:Itseemsyourcompanyisgrowingsteadilywhatisthesecretbehindyoursuccess?Shakur:“Smalllaugh”.ObviouslysomeareintellectualpropertiesofthecompanyandIcannotsharewiththepublic.Butcommonbestbusinesspracticesarehonoredinourcompanywheretheemployeesarethemostvaluableassetofourcom‐pany.Andtherefore,wetakeseriouslytheirconcernsandfeedbacks.Ali:WhatgivesBlackHorseLimosacompetitiveedgeinthissaturatedmarket?Shakur:Ourbiggestsuccessstemsfromthebeliefofa“win‐win”scenario.Wehaveneveradvocatedazero‐sumgame.Wealsotrytorefineandretuneourbusinessprocessescontinuously.Ali:Youstartedwithonlythreeemployees.Howmanyemployeesdoyouhavenow?Shakur:54activeemployeesandwehavetrainedaround200drivers
Shakur Elmi, President of Black Horse Limos, LLC
SFS is now accepting applications for AmeriCorps*VISTA position. For more information, contact Cindy Alsol at [email protected].
Taxan: The Somali News Link Volume 8, Issue 3
November, 2013
A Success Business Story continued from p3 Ali:Wheredoyoustandonthesocialresponsibility?Shakur:BlackHorseLimostakestoheartthesocietalissuesfacingourcommunities.Andbasedonourcapacityweparticipateinsponsoringbeneficialcommunityprogramslikeeducation,healthandcivicengagement.Ali:Wheredoyouseethecompanyinthenearfuture?Shakur:Likeanyothercompanyweareobservingwhatishappeninginthetransportationindustry,intermsoflegalaspect,customer‐commutingbehaviorandotherrelevantfactors.Andthereafterweareaimingtoadjustandimplementthenecessarychangesthatwillmakeouremployeesandcustomerstostaywithusforthelonghaul.Ali:Thanksforspeakingwithus.Shakur:You’rewelcome!
San Diego Mayoral Hopeful, Mr. Fletcher, spoke with our community Mayoral Hopeful Nathan Fletcherspoke about his candidacy at IftinCharterSchoolAuditoriumonSunday,September29th,2013.MayoralhopefulFletcher’shallmarkofevaluating, assessing and making asound decision on each given issuemakes him a proponent of parentswhen it comes to public or privateschool preferences. He aims toharmonize developers’ businessambitions and community concernsbecausehebelievesthatthedecision‐makingprocess forcityprojectsmustdiligently include community inputandfeedback.Nottomention,mayoralhopeful Fletcher pushes for greaterdiversity in terms of its workforce,promising to start the process ofinclusiveness in his administration assoonifheiselected.The Executive Director of Horn ofAfrica,Mr.AbdiMohamoud,summedup community’s main concerns inthree categories ‐ education,employmentandsecurity.Inresponse,Mr. Fletcher expressed that heunderstands community needs and isfamiliar with refugee community’straditions and customs. “if I amelected for the next mayor of theFinestCity,Iamgoingtoaddressyourconcerns and youwill see immediateresults.”declaredMr.Fletcher
Mental Health continued from p1 By Ali Artan Additionally,thestigmaofthementalhealthmustbemitigatedwithinthecommu‐nity.“Whileseeingapsychiatristisanintegralpartofthehealingprocess,spiritualand traditional aspects must be taken into account,” suggested Professor Abdul‐malik.
IFTIN CHARTER SCHOOL
5465 El Cajon Blvd San Diego,
CA 92115
(619) 265-2411
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Fadhiga Tea & Talk Joe & Vi Jacob Center 410EuclidAveSanDiegoCa92114OnMondayNov.11,2013@(6:00–8:00)PM
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Taxan: The Somali News Link Volume 8, Issue 3
November, 2013
CardiovasculardiseaseistheleadingcauseofdeathinmenandwomenintheUnitedStates.However,it'snosecretthatmenneedtopaymoreconsiderationtotherisksofheartdis‐easebecauseofthelackofattentiontheygivetotheirphysi‐cal and emotional health. Several significant things workagainstmenincomparisontotheirfemalecounterparts.
Men tend to smoke more than women. About 20% of alldeaths fromheart disease in the U.S. are directly related tocigarette smoking as a cause of coronary artery disease.Stress,economicdisadvantageandsocialisolationcanbefac‐torsforcontinuingtosmoke(andsmokingmore). Menalsotend to be less recreationally active because they spend somuch time and energy devoted to their jobs and they don'tseekmedicalattentionandadviceasoftenaswomen.Infactaprominentstereotypeisthatmenoftenseekmedicaladvicetoolateand“underreact”toseveresymptoms,whichleadstoa poorer prognosis. The reasons why men are reluctant toseekmedicalattentionareprobablyrooted inbiologicalandpsychologicalfactorsaswellassocialandculturaltraditions.Previous research has suggested thatmen view illness as aform ofweakness and have negative views aboutmenwhoseekmedicalhelp.
The biggest threats tomen's heart health can often be pre‐vented. Men can take care of their heart health bymakinghealthierlifestylechoicesthatdramaticallyreducetheirrisks.Currentresearchhasproducedsometriedandtruestrategiesfornotonlytakingcareofheartdiseasebutalsoforavoidingtherisksthatleadtohearttroubleinthefirstplace.
Here’ssomeDIY(doityourself)adviceforallmen:
Managestress.Stresscanstrainyourheart.Ifyoufeelcon‐stantlyonedgeorperhapssufferfromboutsofdepression,itislikelyyourlifestylehabitsmaysufferaswell.Takestepstoreduce stress — or better yet learn to deal with stress inhealthyways.
Includephysicalactivityinyourdailyroutine.Chooseac‐tivitiesyouenjoy,likewalking,hiking,swimmingorbiking,orfindateamsportyoucanplaysuchassoccerorbasketball.
Eatahealthydiet.Cutyourcholesterolwithhighfiberfoodssuch as vegetables, fruits (berries, apples, pears, bananas,figs), whole grains, oats and bran, quinoa and brown rice,beans, and nuts. For great health, you need 30 to 40 dailygrams from fiber rich foods. Eat only lean sources of beef,lambor chicken, and fish. Limit foods high in saturated fatand reduce unnecessary salt, since sodium can raise bloodpressure. Select fat‐free, 1% fat, and low‐fat dairy products.Andmostofallkeepaneyeonyourportionsizes
Learning how to get and stay healthy! By Samanta Hurst, PhD
Maintainahealthyweight.Extrapoundsincreasetheriskofheartdisease.Don't smoke. If you smoke or use other tobacco products,ask yourdoctor to help you quit. Blood flow to the heart iscritically reduced.Anyamountof smoking, even light smok‐ingoroccasionalsmoking,damagestheheartandbloodves‐sels so it’s also important to avoid exposure to secondhandsmoke.Managechronicconditions. Ifyouhavehighcholesterolorhigh blood pressure, follow your doctor's treatment recom‐mendations. Ifyouhavediabetes,keepyourbloodsugarun‐dercontrol.Sowhatareyoudoingtoprotectyourheart?
ObamaCare Continued on P1 By Towfik Elmi moneyyouwillbeabletosave)willbe linkedtothesecondlowest cost of the Silver plan in the area in which you orfamilyresides(seeTable1belowforeligibility).Healthplansmust cover 10 essential health benefits, which includehospitalization, maternity and newborn care, prescriptiondrugs, emergency services, mental health and ambulatorycare.Inaddition,insurancecompaniescannotpreventpeoplewithpre‐existingconditionsfromgettingcovered.
Family Size
Income Level LESS
THAN Income Level is BE-
TWEEN 1 $15,857 $15857 - $45, 960 2 $21,404 $21404 - $62040 3 $26,952 $26952 - $78,120 4 $32,500 $32500 - $94,200 5 $38,047 $38047 - $ 110280
You may Qualify for Medi-Cal Premium Assistance, Covered California SOURCE: Cover California
The old system thus failed to provide coverage to a largelyeligible but uninsured population. If the state supportsoutreach programs to educate the public about the newcoverageoptionandtheCaliforniaHealthExchangeprogram,simplifyeligibilityandenrollmentprocesses, itwill reap thebenefits associatedwith theACAearlyon. It’s expected thatthehealthinsurancewillcreate100,000newjobsperyearinCalifornia. Currently, there are approximately 7 millionuninsuredpeopleinCalifornia.
article continues on p6
Business Name2
‐SouthernSudaneseCommunityCenterofSanDiegooffersfreeArabicclassesforallages.Contacttheirofficeforthefallscheduleatwww.ssccsd.org.‐WanttoknowmoreaboutSomalicultureanddealingwithlanguageandculturalbarriers?SomaliFamilyServiceofferspresentations–pleasecontactusfordetailsat619‐265‐5821.
‐FadhigaTea&TalkJoe&ViJacobCenter410EuclidAveSanDiegoCa92114,onMondayNov.11,2013at(6:00–8:00)PM ‐TheSanDiegoRefugeeForummeetsthethirdTuesdayofeachmonthfrom10:30a.m.—noonat5348UniversityAve.Formoreinformation,thewebsiteiswww.sdrefugeeforum.org.‐[email protected],contactNajla(619)265‐5821ext.209‐IftinCharterBoardmeetsthefirstFridayofeachmonth@5:00p.m.Forfurtherinfocontacttheoffice‐After‐SchoolTutoringProgramonTuesdays,(4‐6)PMatSFS
Events Calendar
Taxan is sponsored by the Somali Family Service of San Diego
located at 6035 University Ave., Ste. 6
San Diego, CA 92115 Tel: 619-265-5821
Email: [email protected]
Newsletter Staff
Editor-in-Chief + Design ALI ARTAN
Editor/Writer CINDY ALSOL
Marketing Director AHMED SAHID
Somali Column Writer AHMED DAHIR
Taxan: The Somali News Link Volume 8, Issue 3
November, 2013
Editor HASSAN ABDIRAHMAN
Fantastic Eid Picnic @ Colina Park, City heights
The Affordable Care Act is projected to decrease this number by half, by the year 2016. Estimates suggest the changesresulting from ACA would enroll more than two million new members into Medi‐Cal programs. This newly eligiblepopulationcouldcostthestateofCaliforniaseveralhundredsofmillionsofdollarsannually.However,researchsuggeststhatmore thanhalfofnewenrolleeswillbeyoung (under theageof40)andhealthy,orat leastno lesshealthy thancurrentenrollees.Itisestimatedthatbetween15and25percentofpotentialnewenrolleesreportfairtopoorhealth;aquarterofwhich indicate a chronic health condition. It will be important for California tomake sure that these young and healthyeligiblesparticipateinthestatehealthexchangeprogram.
By Towfik Elmi, Researcher at Tri-City Health Center
Artan Tax Service 6035 University Ave, Ste 30 San Diego, CA, 92115 Tel (619) 944-0923
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