A family's dreams taking shape

Graduation day in Wellington was a scene a million miles away from the refugee camp the Sofe family came from just a decade ago - a place where survival rather than success occupied their minds. 

Ahmed – the oldest of five sons – graduated yesterday with a Bachelor of Business degree majoring in accountancy. His high marks also saw him nominated for the College of Business elite Dean’s List of top performing students.

Mr Sofe fled war-torn Somalia with his mother and brothers as a small boy and the family lived for the next ten years in a refugee camp in Ethiopia. They arrived in Wellington in 1999 where the then 14-year old Ahmed, who had never been to school, started his formal education at Wellington High School.

The family settled in Strathmore and has stayed together in the city Mr Sofe describes as ‘a very beautiful place.’ Wellington, he says has been good to them. His second brother is studying law and accountancy, the next brother is a builder and he says the younger two are doing well.

Mr Sofe’s mother Amina Fahiye is tremendously proud of her sons and what they have achieved. Her eldest sons play a big role in taking care of their brothers and their mother, who brought permanent wounds with her to New Zealand in the form of a bullet wound in the leg that has left her partly disabled.

Mr Sofe starts work at Ernst & Young in February and is now working part-time for the University as a marker.