Aicha - People of Akukoworld

“I’m Aicha Mohamud, I’m 34 and live in Sweden but was born in Somaliland (northern Somalia). My goal is to travel to all countries in the world. I have visited 81 out of 196 countries so far, whereof 23 African countries. Before Covid-19 I was planning a trip to Montenegro and Albania because it’s cheaper and closer to travel to, but I have also considered Eritrea, Djibouti and Sudan or Benin and Togo. I find it best to combine several destinations and countries when I travel.

I am a minimalist, hence my Instagram username @the_traveling_minimalist. It is a way of life that I have embraced more and more in recent years and it has helped me live a more meaningful life. I love to travel, and I do it as soon as I can, so I think the name fits my lifestyle and my name well. I enjoy learning new things from other people, cultures, and the history of different countries. People have a lot of prejudice about "the others" without really knowing anything about them. I want to see places with my own eyes and learn more about other countries and its population in my own way. I felt early on that no matter how much I read about a place; you can never compare it to what you learn when traveling. Every country and place are unique, so it is my goal to visit every country.

People always ask what the best destination is, but it is impossible for me to pick a favorite one. Many places have been fantastic. I did a round trip to Nambia, South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe once and that trip was really eye-opening. I learned so much about Africa and the places I visited were like nothing I could have ever imagined. Among other places that made a big impression on me are Cambodia, India, Peru, Rwanda, Ghana.

Traveling as a black woman has been very good so far and I have not encountered any problems, but of course some prejudice. Almost no one believes me when I say I am from Sweden and then I am asked, where I really come from. Many are surprised when I say I was born in Somalia and they proceed to tell me that they have never met a traveler from Somalia.

Now I have a bachelor’s degree in peace and conflict studies and leadership, but when I came to Sweden I didn’t know how to read or write and didn’t know any other languages than Somali. I struggled on my own in elementary school and then in high school as well. It was not an easy period because I was also working several extra jobs to earn my own money. University was also a challenge, as the academic world was foreign and at the same time, I was working more than full time, but I made it and that has given me strength and made me realize that nothing is impossible.


My best advice to other black women is that it is important to prioritize yourself and your goals without always listening to others’ opinions. Just do it. Everything is difficult and scary before you do it, and then when you do, it’s not scary at all. I have learned that what stops most of us is an unnecessary fear that we can defeat. Keep track of your private finances and prioritize right."