Entries by Mahad Wasuge

10 Years of Blogging

I have previously written two blogs reflecting on ten-year milestones. The first, which was widely read and shared, was a reflection on the ten years I lived in Mogadishu. The second blog was about my ten years of teaching. Now, it is the ten-year milestone for my blogging journey. I thought it would also be […]

Experiences and observations: my visit to Dar es Salaam

This is the first travelogue I am writing for a trip outside Somalia. When I first started these travel blogs in 2014, my mission was to document and share my experiences and observations in the Somali cities I visited. Although I frequently travel to countries in the Horn, I often don’t write about these visits. […]

Abdullahi Shirwac: A Tribute

In the early morning of May 29, 2022, I woke up to the terrible news of the death of my friend, the long-time peace activist Abdullahi Shirwac. Following a sudden stroke, he was in a coma for about a week in a local hospital in Mogadishu where he died. It was entirely unexpected heartbreaking news […]

Memories of Beledweyne

In March 2022, I traveled to Beledweyne for a Somali Public Agenda study. Since I concluded my secondary level education in Beledweyne in mid-2009, this was my fourth trip to the town. In the past 13 years, I had the opportunity to visit  in 2010, 2018, 2021, and now 2022. This time, the Ugaas Khaliif […]

Ten Years of Teaching: A Reflection

Today marks the tenth anniversary of my teaching; I started teaching at SYL Primary and Secondary School a decade ago today. It was the first time in my life I entered a class, introduced myself as a teacher, and wrote and explained a lesson on the blackboard.

Catching up with Kismayo

After about five years away, I traveled back to the coastal city of Kismayo, the capital city of the Lower Jubba region as well as the interim capital of Jubaland state. It was my fourth trip to the city. I traveled to the city in 2014, 2015, and 2016. Sayid Mohamed Abdulle Hassan, the famous […]

Feeling the heat at the border: my visit to Dolow

I have had the privilege to travel to many towns in Somalia in the past eight years, but I did not visit any of the towns in the Gedo region. Recently, however, I had an assignment in the border town of Dolow, and everyone I asked told me that it is the safest town in […]