At the northern corner of Gandhi Library, Hargeisa, there sits a young man in his mid twenties with a literature book in his hands. He is reading an article in the book with his eyes open wide, his posture straight up and his face filled with all the enthusiasm one can demonstrate in this highly tamed environment. Occasionally, he takes his eyes off the book and looks up, which an unbiased observer may think, that he is accessing unreached territories in his brain and past memories which were subject to decay. Whenever he does this, he returns his eyes back to the book and smiles as if though he saw what he so direly longed to see.
I was interested to know what on earth that could make this man so hooked that he could not have felt a pain had his leg got burnt. What is even more interesting is that he read the same article four years ago. He read it at Amoud University Library, where he was then a freshman student. As the story goes, he was sitting close to the middle of the library with a book titled, "Opening Doors." The way his books, pens and papers were so dispersed on the desk as well as the sweat soaking his shirt were good indicators of the hard work he was putting on the material. Shall it pay off? Who knows? With the aid of two dictionaries lying on his table, he was strenuously trying to decipher not only the content and the main idea, but also the key words of the passage.
The title of the passage was, "Saved," an excerpt from the autobiography of Malcolm X, the renowned Black Muslim American. It is about how Malcolm X who, as the excerpt indicates, had no schooling further than grade eight, educated himself during his prison life. He started his self-study scheme in the prison library by copying the words of the letter A from the dictionary; all without external help other than the pad and the pen. He continued in this way until he finished it and passed to letter B and onwards. Finally, he was for the first time able to read books without much difficulty and with an improved comprehension. His newly wed love for the written world led him to read in times when such an activity was almost impossible. For example, the author recounts how he read in the night with the beam of the corridor light and suddenly jumped into his bed so that the guard could not catch him reading. His passion never stopped even after his release. In the passage, he asserts that you cannot find him fifteen minutes of spare time without reading.
To my full amazement, I learned that the man who read "Saved" in the two libraries was not somebody else - but me, the very author whose words you are now reading. While I was in Gandhi Library, I read the selection to project an important slot of the past which shaped my present and anticipated other potential fruits it will yield in the future.
Saved struck a chord deep inside my heart in a time when I needed it so desperately. As an innocent victim of the collapse of the ex-Somali state and as a young man with high ambitions and vivid dreams, I was planning, just about the time when Amoud University was established, to go to abroad for one overriding purpose: to ensure that my education does not get stuck. However, my parents urged me, contrary to my desire, to enter the admission examination of Amoud University; which I did only to satisfy them. I passed the test with relative ease, but to continue learning at Amoud became a subject of debate in the family circles. I decided to take a middle road in which I carry on with my plans and at the same time ensure that my parents do not perceive me as disobedient. Thanks to the understanding nature of my parents which allowed my diplomacy to work for a while!
As a part of my plan, I went to Djibouti while the first semester of the intensive course was about to commence. I returned as the semester started with good progress achieved thus far. During the first semester, though I attended all the classes regularly, I always told my parents how inappropriate and inconvenient learning at Amoud was. They never doubted the quality of education Amoud offered and they always used to quote the words of the professors to back up their assertions. Nevertheless, I used to discredit such claims on the grounds that those who asserted them had to do so to ensure the success of their business. To illustrate that the words of these noblemen were only to boast their job, I never hesitated to ask, "Dad, would you please tell me how you could expect a man to tell you the flaws in his vocation?" Dad would reply in a more philosophical way and in reference to historical events he learned during his lifetime.
The intensive course ended and was immediately followed by the start of my freshman year. Amoud then offered three courses, namely Freshman English I, Islamic Studies and Biology. These limited courses coupled with the fact that I was very familiar with most of the concepts covered in these courses fuelled my already-burning discontent. More importantly, it also served me well to demonstrate the weakness of the institution. To my dismay at the time and to my luck now, my parents never gave up.
Without any significant progress in my plans, the first semester ended. Five courses were offered in the second semester of which one of them was Spoken English I. The instructor, Mrs. Good, an American lecturer, assigned reading selections from different books, including Opening Doors. And then I read Saved.
When I absorbed the material, I came to ponder over myself and analyze my circumstances from a new perspective. I asked myself critical questions, questions that helped me define the turning point in my life.
The questions - which compared the two contexts that of Malcolm X and mine - were as follows:
1. If Malcolm X educated himself in a prison where he did not enjoy the fruits of freedom, why not you with your freedom?
2. If Malcolm X educated himself in a prison at a time when technology was not as developed as it is today, a time when the Internet was not as available as it is today, why not you in this Information Age and the Global Village?
3. If Malcolm X benefited from the prison library without help, why not you while you are accessible to vast university library surrounded by experienced librarians and instructors who are willing to help you succeed?
Cheers! How fortunate was I to get such wonderful piece of human treasure! Saved saved my future! This new understanding defined my path. I, for the first time, realized that quality education is not a function of country, nor a function of sophisticated buildings. Interestingly, I learned an invaluable lesson which I had to learn earlier: The ultimate responsibility of learning lies in the shoulders of the learner, NOT the institution NOR the instructors.
More interestingly though, I confessed to myself that not only can I learn at Amoud, but also that it is the best choice. With exhaustive discussions I had with other educated men and women from my immediate surroundings, I learned that the quality of education Amoud offers in relation to international standards is quite outstanding. Having examined the courses and course contents of different universities in different parts of the world, I learned that there is no significant difference between Amoud and those other universities examined. It is also worth mentioning that the significant difference between Amoud graduate and non-Amoud graduate does not lie in the institutions, but rather in the individual merit. In addition to the academic stance of the university, it is also important to note the extracurricular activities, which shapes learners almost as much as the curricular studies do. During my studies at Amoud, I learned about a valuable treasure I could not learn in Oxford, Harvard, Yale, Toronto nor in any other part of the world; though these prestigious universities might satisfy my academic interest. I appreciated this poor nation's men in history, its rich literature, and the meaning of a true sacrifice. To make that long story short, I would not accept if a miracle offers me to change my life at Amoud to a life in any other prestigious university in the world similarly to the way I would not accept to change my family.
This article, Saved, influenced me more than any other article I have ever read. Its influence also touched Amoud University. When I was exposed to it, I also enjoyed reading the other selections in the book as well as the book in its entirety. My close classmate, Mr. Khadar Ibrahim Ainanshe, also did the same. Being convinced of the quality of the book as well as the potential impact it may have on improving the learning strategies of the students, my friend and I proposed to Prof. Hassan Omar Halas, the then Dean of the School of Business and Public Administration, a course designed to help students grasp learning strategies. Prof. Halas, whose openness to suggestions I really appreciate, promised he would give special consideration to the subject. After his diligent examination of the idea, he admired it – and the introduction of the course to Batch III followed.
In conclusion, this dead man's words are still living inside my heart and serve as a compass that directs my ever-compulsive indulgence to learn and grow.
Mukhtar Hassan Maidhane,
BBA
Amoud University
I was interested to know what on earth that could make this man so hooked that he could not have felt a pain had his leg got burnt. What is even more interesting is that he read the same article four years ago. He read it at Amoud University Library, where he was then a freshman student. As the story goes, he was sitting close to the middle of the library with a book titled, "Opening Doors." The way his books, pens and papers were so dispersed on the desk as well as the sweat soaking his shirt were good indicators of the hard work he was putting on the material. Shall it pay off? Who knows? With the aid of two dictionaries lying on his table, he was strenuously trying to decipher not only the content and the main idea, but also the key words of the passage.
The title of the passage was, "Saved," an excerpt from the autobiography of Malcolm X, the renowned Black Muslim American. It is about how Malcolm X who, as the excerpt indicates, had no schooling further than grade eight, educated himself during his prison life. He started his self-study scheme in the prison library by copying the words of the letter A from the dictionary; all without external help other than the pad and the pen. He continued in this way until he finished it and passed to letter B and onwards. Finally, he was for the first time able to read books without much difficulty and with an improved comprehension. His newly wed love for the written world led him to read in times when such an activity was almost impossible. For example, the author recounts how he read in the night with the beam of the corridor light and suddenly jumped into his bed so that the guard could not catch him reading. His passion never stopped even after his release. In the passage, he asserts that you cannot find him fifteen minutes of spare time without reading.
To my full amazement, I learned that the man who read "Saved" in the two libraries was not somebody else - but me, the very author whose words you are now reading. While I was in Gandhi Library, I read the selection to project an important slot of the past which shaped my present and anticipated other potential fruits it will yield in the future.
Saved struck a chord deep inside my heart in a time when I needed it so desperately. As an innocent victim of the collapse of the ex-Somali state and as a young man with high ambitions and vivid dreams, I was planning, just about the time when Amoud University was established, to go to abroad for one overriding purpose: to ensure that my education does not get stuck. However, my parents urged me, contrary to my desire, to enter the admission examination of Amoud University; which I did only to satisfy them. I passed the test with relative ease, but to continue learning at Amoud became a subject of debate in the family circles. I decided to take a middle road in which I carry on with my plans and at the same time ensure that my parents do not perceive me as disobedient. Thanks to the understanding nature of my parents which allowed my diplomacy to work for a while!
As a part of my plan, I went to Djibouti while the first semester of the intensive course was about to commence. I returned as the semester started with good progress achieved thus far. During the first semester, though I attended all the classes regularly, I always told my parents how inappropriate and inconvenient learning at Amoud was. They never doubted the quality of education Amoud offered and they always used to quote the words of the professors to back up their assertions. Nevertheless, I used to discredit such claims on the grounds that those who asserted them had to do so to ensure the success of their business. To illustrate that the words of these noblemen were only to boast their job, I never hesitated to ask, "Dad, would you please tell me how you could expect a man to tell you the flaws in his vocation?" Dad would reply in a more philosophical way and in reference to historical events he learned during his lifetime.
The intensive course ended and was immediately followed by the start of my freshman year. Amoud then offered three courses, namely Freshman English I, Islamic Studies and Biology. These limited courses coupled with the fact that I was very familiar with most of the concepts covered in these courses fuelled my already-burning discontent. More importantly, it also served me well to demonstrate the weakness of the institution. To my dismay at the time and to my luck now, my parents never gave up.
Without any significant progress in my plans, the first semester ended. Five courses were offered in the second semester of which one of them was Spoken English I. The instructor, Mrs. Good, an American lecturer, assigned reading selections from different books, including Opening Doors. And then I read Saved.
When I absorbed the material, I came to ponder over myself and analyze my circumstances from a new perspective. I asked myself critical questions, questions that helped me define the turning point in my life.
The questions - which compared the two contexts that of Malcolm X and mine - were as follows:
1. If Malcolm X educated himself in a prison where he did not enjoy the fruits of freedom, why not you with your freedom?
2. If Malcolm X educated himself in a prison at a time when technology was not as developed as it is today, a time when the Internet was not as available as it is today, why not you in this Information Age and the Global Village?
3. If Malcolm X benefited from the prison library without help, why not you while you are accessible to vast university library surrounded by experienced librarians and instructors who are willing to help you succeed?
Cheers! How fortunate was I to get such wonderful piece of human treasure! Saved saved my future! This new understanding defined my path. I, for the first time, realized that quality education is not a function of country, nor a function of sophisticated buildings. Interestingly, I learned an invaluable lesson which I had to learn earlier: The ultimate responsibility of learning lies in the shoulders of the learner, NOT the institution NOR the instructors.
More interestingly though, I confessed to myself that not only can I learn at Amoud, but also that it is the best choice. With exhaustive discussions I had with other educated men and women from my immediate surroundings, I learned that the quality of education Amoud offers in relation to international standards is quite outstanding. Having examined the courses and course contents of different universities in different parts of the world, I learned that there is no significant difference between Amoud and those other universities examined. It is also worth mentioning that the significant difference between Amoud graduate and non-Amoud graduate does not lie in the institutions, but rather in the individual merit. In addition to the academic stance of the university, it is also important to note the extracurricular activities, which shapes learners almost as much as the curricular studies do. During my studies at Amoud, I learned about a valuable treasure I could not learn in Oxford, Harvard, Yale, Toronto nor in any other part of the world; though these prestigious universities might satisfy my academic interest. I appreciated this poor nation's men in history, its rich literature, and the meaning of a true sacrifice. To make that long story short, I would not accept if a miracle offers me to change my life at Amoud to a life in any other prestigious university in the world similarly to the way I would not accept to change my family.
This article, Saved, influenced me more than any other article I have ever read. Its influence also touched Amoud University. When I was exposed to it, I also enjoyed reading the other selections in the book as well as the book in its entirety. My close classmate, Mr. Khadar Ibrahim Ainanshe, also did the same. Being convinced of the quality of the book as well as the potential impact it may have on improving the learning strategies of the students, my friend and I proposed to Prof. Hassan Omar Halas, the then Dean of the School of Business and Public Administration, a course designed to help students grasp learning strategies. Prof. Halas, whose openness to suggestions I really appreciate, promised he would give special consideration to the subject. After his diligent examination of the idea, he admired it – and the introduction of the course to Batch III followed.
In conclusion, this dead man's words are still living inside my heart and serve as a compass that directs my ever-compulsive indulgence to learn and grow.
Mukhtar Hassan Maidhane,
BBA
Amoud University
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