In a world, with its ups and downs, pleasure takes its way to redeem sorrow and sadness of the monotonous bad experiences of life predicaments in an attempt to leave no slightest worries behind by replacing nightmares with beautiful dreams and traumas with triumphs, and ranking some people to heavens of endless joys, in favor of humanity. Worries, by contrast, serve the world to reverse harmonies and to undo man’s achievements, bringing highly delighted people to the bottom, leaving mental scars and threatening to more evils.
In this planet of opposite alternating facts and events, to may dismay, on early morning, I happened to be on a bed. Then, I was awakened by my phone alarm. Frightened, I rubbed my eyes and soon a light wind blew from the window, shaking all curtains to make its way inside. Perhaps, this meant a morning greeting. “Get up” the wind implied. It did not take me long to convince my conscience that the reason why I set the alarm was very special, far from the usual – not to miss a golden opportunity and a turning point for my life.
A moment of agony passed after I had got changed into black trousers, white shirt and a blue dotted tie for the first time in my life to physically fit my appearance to the occasion, the long-awaited day – my graduation day. Then, I ran all my way to the bus station.
Now, in Amoud, I had to get out of the bus. In next to no time, my gaze rested on the panoramic view of the revamped outlook of Amoud campus, crowds of people dressed up to their nines, the euphoria, and the pervasive rapturous feeling of the people congratulating heartily to the graduating students, hugging, shaking and kissing. Remote and isolated from the rest of the crowd, a middle-aged woman stood with her son clasped in her chest. She pushed her hand through his head. Later, in excitement, she released down streams of tears that rolled down her cheeks dripping on his head. “Son, it is our day, our turn. My king, you will help both your people and your country,” the woman said. Then, a muffled cry came to my ears. It was the son showing some kind of unknown feeling. “But, why?” I thought.
I was deeply moved by the scene. Consequently, I got astonished, cupped my chin and clumsily leaned my back against a tree. Someone shouted to me “keep out, man. Your shirt is white and the tree is dusty”. Glanced back I saw a person I knew her face but her name eluded me. Really it had totally disappeared from my memory without trace. So, I said, “I don’t know you”. The girl replied matter-of-factly “I am an ex-class mate”. “You are a graduate, luckier than anyone else, so, why, you may wonder, should you be so disappointed in your graduation day?” she added. I did not know what to say but I noticed that her conversation enticed me away of my surprised mood.
Near the inception of the ceremony, by the time it was to go the hall, where the graduation ceremony was held, every one of us got dressed in the graduation form (an Abayad-like long sleeved black dress and a black mortarboard – special hat). We had no sooner slipped into the hall, than heard the applauding audience, the unrelenting clap, the mashharad (a beautiful sound made by women with gentle tongue movements), and screams. The honorable guests conveyed their respect and gratitude by giving as a moment of silence. Lots of renowned people, including the president, Kahin, and other various segments of the society displayed their smiles as through sense of congratulation. Thus, my heart hit of unutterable delight and tears filled my eyes with excitement. “Oh! Yes! I am going to be a graduate.” I boasted. This was an epoch making day.
Shortly, all that happiness didn’t last any longer. It vanished away for not only Suleiman Ahmed Guled, Amoud university president, enunciated that we had just moved to a broader university, the most trying coarse in life, but the menacingly ahead-lying hardships appeared to be ominous as if all portents were seemingly not good. Besides, there intimidated the tough time and the economic and political quagmire of the country. As a result, torrents of questions poured down to me and echoed in my mind. What does it mean being a graduate? Why are all people willing to congratulate so anxiously? ….What……when…..who…why….and so on. God knows how it was difficult to conceive any single answer.
On the contrary, one could respond in a confident manner if they were somewhere out of Somaliland, where conditions are favorable and welcoming. But, being a graduate actually dictates a sense of importance, socially prestigious status and financially strong personality that can contribute to the welfare of the society.
Now, parents want to see there fruits ripened after all those long years of educating and heavy parenting. They say, “It is time for us to go to bed and have a long lasting rest”. Their very expectation is unbelievably very high, as they need all their efforts back. But, the question is how?
Penniless and helpless with little hope, every young graduate is slowly getting the notion that he or she is facing a frightening reality. Their hands are wide open to the sky to beg Allah for a better future. More badly, no one knows when these prayers are going to be answered. Luckily, glimpses of hope shined to those graduated from education faculties since the increasing private schools and the inefficiently working public schools needs them. Business graduates, in turn, are looking curiously at the advertisement pages of the local newspapers in case any job vacancies are printed on them. Others started to be happy-go-lucky.
Every year local universities are going to produce dozens of graduates; they will be job demanding but the sad news is that very small percentage of them will get satisfactory jobs as the previous graduates have already experienced. The entire remaining will pile up in cafes, collapsed and disappointed. Any way, who cares? Any one? Absolutely no.
Well! Let us examine the fact and the corollary of the graduation. Taking the assumption that government and the interested parts don’t take the necessary action by employing graduates as instantly as possible, students, apart form the privileged ones, may either stay idle, endanger themselves to drags and illegal migration or face mental hazards.
These consequences are due to two main factors. First, our people are too short of money to set up their own businesses to employ anyone fully. Second, countries both management and economic systems are too weak to extend the expected assistance for one reason or another. Shame on us, so far, no employment plans have been set forth for the graduates. This could have been the sole function and the primary duty of the ministry of labor, if it was to function properly. Likewise, ministry of education should have considered the matter as part and parcel of its educational system enhancements because community put their focus on graduates in order that they could measure their efforts against the achievements of graduates, which, if it proved good, could lure more students to schools, improve their enthusiasm, and reduce the number of absenteeism and dropouts. At the same time, if graduates are employed, government will gain uncountable advantages as they are more knowledgeable than anyone in the system currently.
Why, with all means of a question, our government is attempting to seek country’s recognition with the existence of doubtless facts that it is ignoring to recognize its native people? The more we recognize our own people and ourselves, the quicker our country’s recognition will arrive.
Eventually, my last word is addressed right to the graduates. I say, with no hesitation, no one of us can decide the fate but we should be aware that no one is there for us to help. It is only our hands that we can build our future. Despite chances are not just ready for us, they lie somewhere ahead, may be very far ahead so we had better not give up hope and always keep exploring, and exploring. One day, sooner or later, we will be the masters because “where there is a will there is a way”.
By: Said Mohamed Dahir
Amoud,Borama, BBA.
NB:
Said Mohamed Dahir is one of Amoud graduates, he enjoyes a tremendous of memories from Amoud University and still works for Amoud as Dean Assistant and Assistant Lecturer.
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