By Ali Haji Warsame
It was sometime in 1997. I was working in Abu Dhabi as a Senior Accountant for one of the largest private companies in the city. I did not expect a significant shift in my career without being a Chartered Certified Accountant, but that prospect seemed far off. My close friend, Mohamed-Bile Yusuf Isse, also worked for another private firm. We both graduated from the prestigious SIDAM Institute of Somalia (Somali Institute of Development Administration and Management). Mohamed had left Mogadishu a bit early, before the start of the civil war, and was fortunate to miss the tragic events that unfolded in our beloved city. However, as we were supporting our families back home, we faced significant financial pressure at that time. Somalia was becoming a nightmare, with daily news of atrocities, killings, rapes, and maiming dominating the headlines. The only solace was that we were both respected at our workplaces and not under threat of losing our sole source of income.
One of our former classmates from SIDAM, Jamal Ali Hussein, CPA (Certified Public Accountant), had just graduated from Harvard with an MBA when he had visited in Abu Dhabi. At that time, Jamal was working for Citibank. As we sat together, updating each other on the events in our country and beloved city, Mogadishu, he asked if we had obtained CPA certification. We were both taken aback by this question, as becoming a CPA required sitting for the exam in the United States, which was a distant dream due to the difficulty of securing a US visa. We both reluctantly dodged the question, but Jamal was persistent.
“Guys, you are qualified and competent in your field, but being a mere accountant without certification will take you nowhere. You need to wake up and prepare yourselves for that journey.”
“What about the US visa?” we both inquired.
He confidently replied, “You will be granted the visa, provided you demonstrate that your are genuine.” “How would we do that?” we asked.
He explained that to qualify for the visa, you must enroll in a professional CPA exam preparation program. The exam is held twice a year, in May and November. We would also need to have our certificates evaluated by state evaluators and then register to take the exam in the US state of our choice. The good news is that a bachelor’s degree from SIDAM has already been confirmed to be equivalent to a US bachelor’s degree, which makes us both eligible to fulfil the required credit hours.
“Where can we find a CPA tuition provider?” we both inquired.
Jamal expressed confidence that a well-known professional tuition provider should be available in the UAE, as many local students apply and sit for the same exam. Later, we discovered that Becker CPA review , a globally known educational resource firm for professionals in accounting and finance was promoting their training services in UAE. Despite our persistent pessimism about the likelihood of our visa application eventually being rejected, Jamal concluded that we should at least try our best to gain the necessary knowledge.
We said goodbye to each other, still unsure about venturing into the uncharted territory unnecessarily. However, as days and nights passed, we could not get the plan out of our heads. Eventually, we found out that Becker was in town, promoting their tuition services at a high cost. Their local counterparts, the Majestic Management for professional training, was located near our residential area. After much consideration and persuasion, we finally enrolled in the course and started attending the weekly lectures given by qualified professional tutors.
In 1997, we both struggled to manage the hefty fees of the course, but the institute offered us an 11-month instalment plan to ease our financial burden. As 1998 began and the application deadline for the exam approached, we both started to panic, fearing the possibility of not securing a US visa. We decided to choose Delaware State to sit for the exam due to its suitable requirements. Luckily, we had no issues with the evaluation of our certificates, as the state evaluator recognised our degree as equivalent to a US bachelor’s degree.
We later received confirmation to sit for the exam at the University of Delaware in Newark on May 6-7, 1998, just four months away. We were also provided with a list of requirements from the embassy, including salary and employment certificates and bank statements to ensure that our salaries were directly deposited into these accounts, in line with the salary certificates from our employers. Additionally, we received confirmation from the institute and Becker that we were enrolled as students for the entire course duration.
On a Monday in early March 1998, we submitted our application dossier to the US embassy in Abu Dhabi. We provided all the necessary documents and passports and underwent a brief interview. Following the interview, we were instructed to pay the application fees. Upon delivering the receipts, our passports were returned to us. We both exchanged puzzled looks.
After paying the necessary fees, every other applicant left their passports at the embassy to have the visas affixed later. However, our passports were returned to us. We were told to check the status of our visas the following week. Feeling hopeless and rejected, we returned home, confident that our efforts were in vain and would not be granted the visa. The week that followed felt like a nightmare. Nevertheless, the following week, we returned to the embassy with the slightest expectation of being granted a visa.
We both presented our receipts to the visa clerk with dismay. After verifying our identities, we were each provided with what is known as a waiver – a visa stamped on paper instead of being affixed to our passports. The counter officer congratulated us on our successful visa applications and the final confirmation to travel.
We could not believe what we were hearing: a USA visa valid for six months was granted to us! What a surprise. We ran out of the embassy, feeling like we were on top of the world. At that moment, nothing seemed impossible unless you believed it to be. We quickly confirmed our travel arrangements to secure our flights to the US.
At that time, there were no nonstop flights to the US, so we had to transit via London, Paris, Rome, or Frankfurt to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The travel agent later informed us that our travel was impossible without a transit visa for these countries. We were once again plunged into despair. How could we have a US visa but no flight to take us there? It felt like another insurmountable setback.
Despite our predicament, we continued to put more time and effort into our studies. As D-day quickly approached, we decided to take drastic measures. We both took a month off from work (all of April 1998) and ultimately moved out of Abu Dhabi, settling in a farmhouse owned by Mohamed’s boss in a Saad village between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. We decided to cut ourselves off from the world and prepare for the exam.
We used to contact our travel agent occasionally, knowing our limitations. We took a leap of faith and decided to focus solely on our studies, telling ourselves that if we were meant to take the exam, we would make it happen regardless of any obstacles. We took our friend Jamal’s advice to heart: either we would have the opportunity to travel to the US and take the exam, or we would enhance our knowledge. Either way, we would benefit from this experience. As the saying goes, if it is meant to be, no one can stop it. Nothing is indeed impossible unless you think it is impossible.
In late April 1998, while we were still in the village of Saad, we received a call from our travel agent confirming the availability of a new flight. Malaysian Airlines offered a flight departing from Kuala Lumpur with a stop in Dubai, then continuing non-stop to JFK, New York. It was the first non-stop flight from Dubai to New York, taking 14 hours and 50 minutes. We were thrilled and incredibly grateful when we heard the news.
After giving the final confirmation to our agent, we doubled our preparation efforts. At the end of April 1998, we returned to Abu Dhabi to prepare for our travel scheduled for the night of April 28, 1998. We left Abu Dhabi early to ensure we did not miss our last chance to travel. After thorough scrutiny of our visas and identities, we were allowed to board.
As we settled comfortably in our seats, we put aside everything we had been through and kept our focus on passing the exam. The plane was massive, the first of its type in my humble experience. I performed my prayer on the plane, standing as usual. They had assigned a small area fit for two people as a prayer corner with a small screen directed towards the Kaaba. The flight was on time, and we departed at 2 p.m. on April 28, 1998.
When we arrived in the US the next morning, we were hosted by our former classmate, Mohamed Osman Abdirahman, who was working for Deloitte US at the time. Mohamed had already completed his MBA in the US and partially completed his CPA. He arranged everything to make us feel comfortable, and he even prepared our food to help us focus on our studies. Two days before the exam, he took us to the University of Delaware at Newark, Delaware State, to familiarize ourselves with the exam site.
After a week of intensive preparation, we finally sat for the exam on May 6 and 7, 1998, and It took 15 consecutive hours administered in two days to complete. We both achieved our dream of becoming Certified Public Accountants (CPA).
Becoming a CPA has dramatically changed our lives and career paths. We did realize that it was a worthwhile endeavour. The rest is another story, and it is a lesson for the young generation, who are the majority of this country, not to give up against all odds.
The moral lesson of this real-life story is that to succeed in life, you need the following:
- Have unflinching faith,
- Never underestimate honest advice,
- Maintain commitment and perseverance,
- Avoid despair, even if your chances seem zero,
- Focus on your mission and not entertain detractors,
- Remember that success often comes just one step after many failures.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our friend and former classmate, Jamal Ali Hussein, for motivating us and pushing us to go the extra mile. I also want to thank my closest friend, Mohamed-Bile Yusuf Isse, for being a supportive companion throughout our journey of friendship. We are heavily indebted to our former colleague and classmate, Dr Mohamed Osman Abdirahman, for hosting us at his home and taking care of us upon our arrival to the US soil.
Additionally, I extend special thanks to all my teachers and staff at SIDAM Institute, including the respected deans of that prestigious institution, Prof Ibrahim Mohamud Abyan (may his brave life rest in peace and paradise) and Dr Mohamed Ismail Bulale, for nurturing our passion for learning and generously sharing their knowledge. I want to assure them that their investment in us has been worthwhile or a sound investment, as they say in business.
Jamal Ali Hussien currently resides in Hargeisa. He has been involved in politics for a while but still maintains his dedication to the profession. Mohamed Osman Abdirahman was an audit manager at Deloitte & Touché at that time but is currently a medical doctor. He successfully graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia, USA. Mohamed-Bile Yusuf worked in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, until recently, and now he works as an independent consultant. Prof Abyan was killed in Mogadishu at the onset of the civil war but I am not aware of the whereabouts of Dr. Bulale. I am based in Garowe and work with various educational institutions in the country. Currently, I serve as the Executive Director of the Hiil Institute for Governance.
Ali Haji Warsame
Email: ali.warsame@hiilinstitute.org
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Ali H. Warsame is the Executive Director of Hiil Institute for Governance, former Puntland Minister of Education & former CEO of Golis Telecom Somalia.
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