Balancing Between Work, Self-Growth and Family- This Is My Story!

All praise is due to Allah for the precious life, health, and family He has blessed me with. The first year of a new decade – 2021 – has passed in the blink of an eye. I ask Allah (SWT) to make this new year a blessed one for all of us. This is my 2021 year in review; I am looking back at the progress and struggles that 2021 had to offer me. This short blog recapitulates three important parts of my life: work, family, and self-growth.

At Work

At the beginning of the year, I was honoured to join SIMAD iLab of SIMAD University. It has become a place where I have grown professionally and learned a lot of new things. I have also teamed up with the greatest humbled team ever, 'The -A- Team'. Those who are not only willing to give me a supportive environment but also the morals and motivation I need at work.

Because of their strong support and inspirational team-work spirit, I was flattered to have received SIMAD University’s Best Innovation Award of the Year 2021 during the University’s anniversary of 22 years of nurturing the next generation of Somalia. My sincere gratitude goes to everyone who’s assisted me in any way possible on this journey, and more respectively, the top management of SIMAD University for honoring the gender innovation work being done at SIMAD iLab.

During the past year, I have made quite a few remarkable achievements, which have increased the value of my work. I proposed and was responsible for the execution of the Powering Up Women Program, a program that gives Somali women unique platforms, webinars, mentorship, and field tours to achieve the professional careers they are chasing after. In this regard, we've hosted more than six ladies' talk events—an event where women can be inspired and exchange ideas with successful female entrepreneurs in the city. We're glad to see the event has attracted to so many people who’ve shown their willingness to join and contribute to the inspiration and empowerment of our women. I just wanna say to every woman out there, the future is bright, but it only belongs to those who believe in themselves and work hard. Hmm… Working hard always pays off!

I have mentored also over 150 passionate young graduates on their digital, entrepreneurship and employment journeys. I have also given special inspirational talks and mentorship sessions to our ever-growing team of aspiring female entrepreneurs and future leaders.

During the year, I was privileged to be invited to national and international forums and conferences for consultation and discussions on empowering Somali women. chairing and moderating panel discussions on the improvement of Somali women's small and medium-size enterprises (MSMEs). Along the way, I've met incredible people both at work and outside who are working on important causes for the betterment of our community. If you are reading this, I am glad I have met you and got connected with you, I look forward to strong connections and collaboration in the interest of developing our society.

In the year 2021, I was also committed to building and improving my professional skills. Seeking to expand my skillset is a very important part of my daily life. Through MOOCs, I have earned over 15 verified courses from the world’s best universities in this year alone.

The MicroMasters Certificate 

I have completed a 1-year team challenge course, studying five graduate courses and a capstone project in the Design Thinking Program at RIT University in New York, and earned a MicroMasters certificate. This Design Thinking program helped me to think outside the box and understand effective ways of solving social problems through Empathy, Research, Ideation, Iteration, Prototype & Testing.

The Specialization Program 

In an effort to develop my writing skills, I have joined a unique specialization course in Writing and Editing and have successfully completed four series of courses on Writing and Editing Specialization from the University of Michigan in the USA. The course was quite challenging in terms of its volume, but I am glad I stayed committed and spent over five months on this specialization. The instructor of this specialization put all the course’s resources in the ‘Good with Words Book'.

The Professional Certificate Program 

As a person who is interested in advancing personal skills, I enrolled in another three verified professional courses in Excel and earned a professional certificate from the University of British Columbia, UK. Understanding how to create, manage, and analyze data in this data-rich age was very important to my professional career. 

In addition to that, I have also earned a few other short courses like Introduction to Human-Centered Design by Acumen Academy, Introduction to Design Thinking by Butterfly Works, Learning How to Learn offered by Deep Teaching Solutions, and Inclusive Leadership by the University of Colorado, USA.

By now, you’re probably wondering, "How much does all this cost?" Well, before I tell you that, please take the time to imagine the energy and effort it takes to earn JUST ONE verified credit certificate from the world’s top universities! I suppose you did! And according to my experience, it was never an easy task to submit an instructor-led assignment, quizzes with only one attempt, peer-reviewed assignment, carry out a real-life project, and all that in order to get an 80% passing grade. Trust me, it is a crazy world. Coming back to the cost, I was charged $2,200 for earning the verified courses. Yes, that is right! 

Thanks to SIMAD-edX and SIMAD-Coursera partnership who’ve sponsored my courses. Through SIMAD sponsorship, Somali youth are now able to study at the world’s best universities. If you would like to earn a verified certificate from any university around the world, the requirement is zero. Just present yourself and have the commitment. Sure!

Family 

It is unquestionable that marriage life comes with obligations. Many people regard juggling a career with raising children as a difficult and stressful experience. But I can assure you it is not. All it takes is your courage and time management. Despite my achievements in career and self-development, I am also a wife who performs all household chores and ensures that everything is on the table. How do I manage? Well, for someone like me, If I am at work, I would focus solely on my work responsibilities. When I'm at home, I prioritize my family, and in my spare time and flexible schedule, I work on my personal development goals.

As it is said, "the important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle, and the greater the struggle, the more glorious the triumph". The accomplishments of this year mean so much to me because of the hidden struggles that taught me powerful life lessons. Managing life while being pregnant has never been easy, but at the end of the process, there was an extensive joy.

On the second day of August 2021, my little family celebrated the welcoming of a new addition to the family, a little angel named Mubarak. May Allah bless him with prosperity and endless happiness. We are very grateful to have him in our lives. Motherhood is a God-given role. This should never be underestimated. One of the strongest parts of being a mom is waking up 3 to 4 times in a single night and yet being ready to go to work and do all your daily tasks. I believe women are super strong human species, and if they have the courage, they can balance everything in life and achieve above everyone else. All that is needed is the right attitude and a supportive family.

In a nutshell, this year pulled me outside of my comfort zone. By the grace of Allah, I am a proud wife, the mother of a five-month-old baby, full-time employee, MicroMaster graduate, certified trainer, and mentor. I will take this opportunity to thank my amazing husband for standing by my side when difficult times get hard, and for making me smile when I didn’t even want to. Your care and support are well-appreciated, darling.

Take away: Make learning a lifetime commitment, master your skills, and cultivate your qualities.

Thank you for reading this blog and have a happy new year.