I'm Jawahir Ahmed, Somali-American Model -- AMA

[OfficialAMA]

I'm Jawahir and I will be answering as many questions as I can starting at 3 PM EST ( 8 PM GMT) for about an hour.

 

[Jawahir J Ahmed]

Online now and will be for the next hour. If you have any questions, you're welcome to ask xx

 

[Ronaldinho]

Are you full ethnic Somali or?

 

[Duchess]

Hi, welcome to our forum @Jawahir J Ahmed. I see that you recently visited Somalia. Was that trip personal in nature or did it have something to do with your mental health advocacy?

 

[Jawahir J Ahmed]

Are you full ethnic Somali or?

I'm full Somali, my parents were both born and raised in Somalia (Iskushuban) and came to the states in 1991 which was the year I was born.

 

[menace]

I honestly don't know you but il ask you a question none the less!

Name 3 cities/towns you would wanna visit in SOMALIA and why them ?

 

[Jawahir J Ahmed]

Hi, welcome to our forum @Jawahir J Ahmed. I see that you recently visited Somalia. Was that trip personal in nature or did it have something to do with your mental health advocacy?

Thanks for the welcome! It was a personal trip... Somalia was amazing. My aunt and I tried to go visit a mental health hospital in Bosaso but the folks were being extremely sketchy. They were okay with us visiting at first but when my aunt told her I was doing research- the hospital changed their mind. Inshallah, the next time I go, I will be more organized with the specific hospital I visit.

 

[Bohol]

Do you consider yourself a Puntlander?

 

[Jawahir J Ahmed]

I honestly don't know you but il ask you a question none the less!

Name 3 cities/towns you would wanna visit in SOMALIA and why them ?

Good question...one place is is Kismayo to see if their xalwo really is the best. Second would be the capital Mogadishu, obviously. I would hope to be introduced to Abdirahman Ali Habeeb who is a psych nurse. Third would be Garoowe. During my travels I missed an opportunity to go there. My aunt raves about it so I would like to see what the excitement is all about. But any other places would be up for grabs, I am sure every place in Somalia has something beautiful to offer.

 

[Jawahir J Ahmed]

Do you consider yourself a Puntlander?

This might not be the answer that my family would want to hear but no, I would just be lucky to consider myself Somali.

 

[NaomiHoney]

Salam Jawahir!
What made you become a mental health advocate? and, what are you doing your research on?

Many thanks.

 

[Geeljire]

Hi Jawahir

Is your family from the meheri saleh clan?

How serious is the issue of Mental Illness in Puntland?

 

[Land of Punt]

i agree with your Aunt, Garoowe is a beautiful city

 

[Bohol]

This might not be the answer that my family would want to hear but no, I would just be lucky to consider myself Somali. Most people know how I feel about the segregation of tribes. It's foreign to me.

Interesting. I never knew your parents were from Isku Shuban, Bari. I thought you were from the Benadiri community of Mogadishu.

 

[Jawahir J Ahmed]

Salam Jawahir!
What made you become a mental health advocate? and, what are you doing your research on?

Many thanks.

Salaam !
Personal reasons Currently I work as a psychiatric technician at the #1 Best Hospital in Utah according to U.S News for Health. So I get a first hand view of how to properly care for someone who has a mental health disorder. So I wanted to see what a generally "top" hospital was doing right or wrong in the field, in Somalia. It was very broad, but Somalia couldn't handle it this time around. Maybe next time

 

[Abdalla]

How did your family react to your modelling career?

 

[Jawahir J Ahmed]

Hi Jawahir

Is your family from the meheri saleh clan?

How serious is the issue of Mental Illness in Puntland?

No I am not.
The issues of mental illnesses is very serious; not just in Putland but all of Somalia. I am not the only one who has taken a personal interest in mental health in Somalia. Even the World Health Organization has statistics to prove that it is only getting worse. Mental Health disorders are not "curable" but they are treatable. When undiagnosed and untreated for so long, it only makes matters worse.

 

[Jawahir J Ahmed]

i agree with your Aunt, Garoowe is a beautiful city

Inshallah I will see it soon

 

[Bahal]

Is there a large Somali community in Utah?

 

[Tucking_Fypo]

Jawiahir its great of you to highlight the almost non-existent state of mental care back home and i hope you can become some kind of advocate for the people who need urgent care in Somalia


Is it the first time you travelled to Puntland and what were your expectations?