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BORLÄNGE. The image that the Dalarna Student Union paints of the inhabitants of Tjärna Ängar as illiterate poor is incorrect and prejudiced.
That is the opinion of a Somali association in the area. Now they invite the students to a meeting.
– We must work together for an area that is safe for everyone, says Abdullahi Sheikh Ali.
A few days ago, Aftonbladet reported on how Dalarna University students felt unsafe in their student accommodation in Tjärna Ängar after shootings and assassination attempts in the area. Several have also been run over by robberies and the students have felt persecuted on their way home.
In a letter to the university’s management, the student union demanded that students be allowed to move.
The letter described Tjärna Ängar as an area with poverty, low education and high illiteracy, and it was thought that students should live in an area with high motivation. It was also said that it is difficult for students to participate in Swedish culture and tradition here.
Photo: Private
Abdullahi Sheikh Ali, president of Umis, a Somali association in Tjärna Ängar.
Something that made several react in Tjärna Ängar. One of them is Abdullahi Sheikh Ali, president of Umis, a Somali association in the area.
– It is not a question of whether there are problems in the area, linked to the socioeconomic vulnerability that exists here, and I have no doubt that this makes people feel unsafe. But when a student union evaluates people based on backgrounds and education, it doesn’t feel right, it increases polarization in society, he says.
– Many here now feel singled out and disappointed with the student union.
“Reject young people from college”
The association, which is a minute’s walk from the student accommodation, offers help with homework and runs a project in which young people are motivated to continue studying.
– They should be a role model, help and be a place for everyone. When the student union talks about living here in this way, it pushes children and youth away from here, he says.
Photo: JERKER IVARSSON
Tjärna Ängar was built in the 60s and 70s and consists of three-story houses.
Photo: JERKER IVARSSON
Student accommodation in Tjärna Ängar is owned by the Tunabyggen Municipality.
That people here would be less motivated is not true, he says, and takes examples of parents helping children with homework in the afternoons and walking at night on weekends.
Going out and demanding that students be able to move is strange and short-lived, he thinks.
– What about the children and parents in the area then? Should they also move from the area? It does not solve the problems. Safety is a must for everyone, we can’t just focus on one group.
Reported robberies and violent crimes have decreased
He tackles what he thinks is one of the basic problems: school. That more than the Tjärnaängsskolan teachers’ brochures they lack eligibility and that children who need support at school do not get help on time.
– The cameras and the police are not enough. They can arrest criminals who commit serious crimes. But what about children and young people who have problems at school and who do not receive help to cope? That’s where it starts.
The number of reported robberies and violent crimes has decreased so far this year compared to last year, according to P4 Dalarna. The police also see that the situation in the area is calmer now after an unusually criminal period. But Abdullahi Sheikh Ali understands the students’ sense of insecurity as newcomers to an area where they know no one and where several serious crimes have occurred in a short time.
“Students can help young people”
He thinks the idea of hosting a meeting where residents and students can meet is great.
– Everyone here is affected by robberies, knife cuts and shootings. But instead of escaping the area, maybe we can all meet. Students can be role models for children in the area and help with homework, for example.
– I will contact the students this week, says Abdullahi Sheikh Ali.
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