Mohammed Omer Mulla

  At just 23, Hawa Adan Hassan, a university student in Somalia, is fast realizing her dream of becoming the best fashion designer in Africa. Her clothing designs are inspired by Somalia’s heritage of dress, which she says she is rightly proud of. Armed with scissors, she sits at her sewing machine bringing her imagination and creativity to life, developing original styles of clothing that are popular among the Somali community. “I have always wanted to become a fashion designer. My passion has been to suit people of all races, ages and sizes.” Adan spoke as her electric sewing machine made clanking sounds as the needle and thread penetrated a red fabric numerous times, fastening two pieces together. “I have always wanted to make clothes affordable for all people. That is why I love my career choice. I have developed -- I would call it -- a sixth sense for patterns, style, color and texture.” Adan’s customers come from all walks of life but are mainly wome...

Two weeks ago, I visited Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital. The first thing one might notice is the vast number of daily transactions that happen via Hormuud Telecom’s EVCPlus (from bus fare to shopping to buying properties) — a mobile money transfer service that transcends the banking system in the country. The service is a lifeline in Somalia and leads to massive economic damage if Hormuud’s network stops, and that is precisely what happened on 22 August 2019. The Kenyan Defense Forces (KDF) serving under AMISOM—the African Union peacekeeping troops in Somalia—attacked a Hormuud Telecom mast, or cell tower, in Aws-kurun vicinity in Gedo, southern Somalia, disconnecting up to 4,000 people. There have been twelve attacks of this kind in less than two years with previous incidents killing and injuring Hormuud’s staff, according to a press release by the company following the latest incident. A recent report by Hormuud also claimed, “the perpetrators of every a...