Mohammed Tahlil

As a young boy in Somalia, Mohammed Tahlil knew his future was bleak . Problems in Somalia were rife – the rampant poverty, lack of prospects, political instability,  civil war, and constant warfare between tribes were daily features of life.  At the age of 17, Tahlil decided to take matters into his own hand and moved to Sweden in search of a better future. He settled in Sweden under refugee status, and began his assimilation in the new country – he took cultural and Swedish language courses, and various integration activities. Of course, as with any sort of immigration to a new country, Tahlil experienced his share of hardships – discrimination, culture shock, and huge language barrier to name a few. After the initial stage of adjusment, Mohammed Tahlil worked for 6 years in a butter factory and went through various jobs – before long, Sweden became like a “second home” to him.

However, Mohammed Tahlil didn’t only take care of his own future – he ensured that his family would have as equal an oppurtunity to work and live a good life. Between 1992 – 1997, Tahlil managed to help 15 of his 19 siblings to emigrate to Europe and America and escape the destitution of Somalia – they now live in various countries across the world, from Italy, England, to Canada. In 2001, Tahlil brought his mother to England – though he lived a continent away, Tahlil maintained his values and took care of a core unit in his life: family.

In 1997, Tahlil met his future Somalian wife while doing business in London (he worked previously in hotel management), and after moving back and forth between England and Sweden for a couple of years, Tahlil’s family permanently settled in London in 2009. Here, Tahlil is currently studying for his Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources and is an active member of WRC.

Tahlil uses the support/facilities of WRC to facilitate a program called Women’s Well Being Organization, a group which meets twice a week to educate recent migrants on issues such as health awareness (diabetes, etc.), communication support, and laws in England