Four Years Experience Reflection In Mogadishu University

Adam Osman Mohamed.

First of all, thanks to Allah who allowed me to reach in 2021 with peace, health, security and finished everything as normally. The first months of every New Year I make written plans and goals those I categorized short term and long term plans and I accelerate and quickly hurry how these dreams to be true.

To my parents, faculty and staff, university administrator, and fellow graduating students, good afternoon! I gather in this space and time for a very special moment, a special moment that each and every student long to experience and that is the graduation day. It is indeed another end and beginning of pursuing my education, right? As what Solomon Ortiz said, “Education is the key to success.” Others referred to it as a passport or bridge that will lead us to a brighter future. It is a very important aspect that eliminates ignorance and empowers us with the right and sufficient knowledge.

I’m Adan Osman Mohamed. I was born in baledweyn hiran Somalia. I graduated balwdeyne primary and secondary school in year 2016-2017 in blet-wein Hiran Somalia. Then I was travelled to Mogadishu to peruse degree program. I enrolled in Mogadishu University on July 28/2017 which I ethically preferred to study. I always came at the campus earlier because I had a passion for the university life; normally the first week of the university allows students to study the rules and regulation of the university before attending classes. (Cultural week).

 I joined Mogadishu University I studied faculty of political science department public administration.   I resided in nasteexa village in madiina district with relatives. I could not stay longer in nasteexa village; because some challenge was faced me at that time.  I was about to start at. I managed to relocate to yaqshiiid district when I started Mogadishu University in September 16/ 2017 years. I was a young, energetic man with a mission and a determination to study. Coming to Mogadishu especially for study at that time was not easy. But it was one of my best decisions. 

 The next week of the university the students attended the class about nearly 80 students but the long journey of learning has finished in about nearly 43 students who today, 16 June 2021, defended their graduation books. 

Over the 4 years I have lived in Mogadishu, I have developed a career and discovered my inner qualities. I had access to educational opportunities and other facilities that I could not have had access to if I were not in Mogadishu. The concentration of resources and basic public services in Mogadishu is undoubtedly one of the reasons why the city is overpopulated and insecure.

In the first years, I completed diplomas English language. I became when I finished the English Language diploma in November 2018, it gave me the opportunity to be recruited as an English teacher at Alahli Primary and Secondary School. Between 2014 and 2016 I had the opportunity to work with several schools. I become a teacher at the Tusma primary education.

Over the past years in Mogadishu have not been smooth and easy, during the second year of my study, as I was in my regular class of the university and it was late in the afternoon when there was a big explosion at the Zoobe conjunction. I was at Mogadishu University near the junction (ex control afgooye) during the studies.  The truck bomb was killed 500 hundred people. It was a painful memory that I will never forget. In several other areas, I was far from the explosions and suicide attacks.

I have lost friends and relatives throughout the second years I have been in Mogadishu. I believe in my close relationship with Allah, and know that I will not live longer than it has been written for me, after fourth years, I feel that I have achieved of my goals. However, the journey is far from over. I will keep working hard to contribute to the betterment of society.

I remember there was a time in some of my classmates and batch mates talked about the things that we will do in our last year in Mogadishu University. We planned and agreed that in our last year when I was in semester, seven we took an electronic government course taught by one of the lectures, named by Mahad Wasuge. I and some of my classmates decided to write about this subject based on Somalia. We have introduced with our lecturer and he encouraged us and we discussed the topic and we decided to write about the impact of E-government reducing corruption and promising transparency in Mogadishu, Somalia.

We wrote it and we will present it this year insha Allah I hope it will be very interesting and useful for government agencies.

Challenges faced during Corona Virus 2020-2021

Personally, I did have a hard time managing and adjusting to this new educational setup because first of all, I live in an area where internet connection is hardly felt. Second, the phone or computer the that I’m using tends to malfunction due to the insufficient storage and issues that it acquired as it gets old and been used for a long time, and third, if we are at home, it’s a fact that we really have chores to do, and it add challenge to me in managing my time as a student based at home.

Sometimes the biggest challenge was faced me during the period left out the internet, or cutting off a small child. With these obstacles, there are times get upset, tear up, and lose hope. There are times that I feel lonely, I feel so outdated, and I feel pressured in learning and doing activities independently at most of the time. I endlessly wish that Allah may give us a chance to go back to the traditional educational setup because I just miss going to university, I miss interacting with my classmates and teachers, and I miss their noises, their jokes, and boisterous laughs that echoes in the four corners of the room.

But despite all of these longings, troubles, doubts, and inconveniences that I faced, that we faced, we still stand strong. As we come to this period, I realized that all of the sufferings are worth it. This online class and this experience that we had midst the pandemic, although it’s tough, it taught me, it taught us, that with perseverance, time management, determination, and teamwork despite the distance, no pandemic can stand in our friendship, in our education, and in our pursuit to a brighter future.

No matter what happen, educating ourselves must continue. We must not give up just because the situation is different or the learning modality is different, but we must never give up because we have a dream. We have a dream for ourselves, for our families, and for our nation. So whenever you feel sad, hopeless, weary, and tired, just remember or do remind yourself of the goals and dreams that you are fighting for and it will set you in fire once more. You’ll become stronger, braver, and will eventually learn to view the situation or this challenges as motivation to gain success at the end but upon receiving this achievement right now, we most also acknowledge some special individuals in hearts that pushed and helped us along the way, to be in this position right now.

Let us take historical and witness picture one of my beloved teachers Ahmed-nor Mohamed Abdi and supervisor of my thesis book. 

 So to my mother Shukri Mohamed Adan, to my father, Osman Mohamed Ahmed and to my brother Ibrahim Yusuf Mohamed, my Aunt Naima Abdirizack and my Aunt Dunia Mohamed Ali  of course to all of the parents of the graduates, I would like to thank you all for the patience and support that you gave to me. I know that in this period, you were also suffering to lots of problems and challenges that might be known or unknown to us but then still, you continuously support and motivate us with all that you’ve got. You were and will always be our inspiration that’s why we keep fighting and striving in life, especially in our studies. Achieving this milestone right now is a big thing for us because, this is our only way of paying back the sacrifices that you’ve done, our way for making you proud and feel how much we love and treasure you as our parents. Then, to our dear teachers and family of Mogadishu University.

So my dear classmates and batch mates, our journey upon learning with each other had ended. Thank you so much for becoming a part of my life. The connection that we established and the memories that we’ve shared will always be treasured in my heart or in our hearts. Upon leading to different paths of life, may we still find comfort with one another and may we still continue being courageous and optimistic in facing challenges, especially in furthering our education amidst this pandemic. Upon starting a new journey, upon learning more for the life that we will become in the future.

Let us take historical and witness picture of my classmate all of us

So I wish you all the best –let’s wish each other the best. Let’s all remember that our friends, family, teachers, and most of all, our loving Allah will always be with us in every step of the way. Always remember that with or without the pandemic, away or near from one another, we are a team, a family, a forever, iron man, and iron girls Batch 2021 PA Mogadishu University. So congratulations everyone, thank you, and Allah Bless us.