NAGEEYE Abdi

General
FROM SOMALIA TO THE NETHERLANDS
Born shortly before the Somali Civil War began, in 1996 he moved from Somalia to Den Helder, Netherlands. There he and his two brothers stayed with his half-brother, who had already emigrated from Somalia. "In Den Helder I immediately went to primary school. There I could just be a child, I could safely play outside and there were no soldiers and army vehicles on the street. It was a great time for me, it felt like I had ended up in Disneyland." At age 10 his half-brother took him to the Syrian Arab Republic, where he spent three years before returning to live with his parents in Somalia. At age 15 he decided to try and return to the Netherlands. There was no Dutch embassy in Somalia so he travelled in various cars and trucks to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with his money hidden in his sock. The Dutch embassy in Addis Ababa initially did not believe he had previously lived in the Netherlands until his old school teacher sent some of his notebooks as proof. He was then allowed to return to the Netherlands, and went on to obtain Dutch citizenship. (nos.nl, 26 Dec 2015; losseveter.nl, 13 Aug 2012; abdinageeyefoundation, 01 Dec 2017)

FOUNDATION
In 2017 he founded the Abdi Nageeye Foundation, through which he raises funds to improve sporting facilities for children in the country of his birth, Somalia. "For many children in the Netherlands, sport is self-evident. It is important for their development, because they can acquire new skills and learn to deal with setbacks better. My goal is to offer the same opportunities to children in my native Somalia and to ensure that they too can play sport. In a country that has had many years of civil war, this will bring about sustainable development and great happiness, both for the children and their parents. Together we can make Somalia safer, more tolerant and more liveable." (Abdi Nageeye Foundation Facebook page, 29 Apr 2020; abdinageeyefoundation, 01 Dec 2017)