Retiring teacher’s Somali farewell song propels Wajir school to world fame

A little-known school in Wajir County has shot into global fame following an emotional song they dedicated to a teacher who retired after serving for 44 years.

The song, “Hoyo ya kuheli kara” (Mum you are irreplaceable), sung by the Sabuli Primary School choir during a farewell ceremony organised by learners, popularised the institution after a video clip went viral on social media.

Four months after the event, the song honouring the virtue of mothers remains popular.

Ahmed Ali Hassan, the school’s headteacher and the choirmaster said the song that pushed him to the limelight fitted the occasion, connecting easily with listeners, especially those with emotional attachment to their mothers.

In an interview with The Eastleigh Voice, Ahmed said that together with his students, they were elated after the video gained prominence among the Somali community in Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and the diaspora.

“I never expected the school choir event dedicated to our retiring school teacher to rise to fame, making both the audience and famous social media content creators shed emotional tears as they listened to the song’s message of compassion, mercy, and unconditional caring nature of our mothers,” he said.

Ahmed said he continued receiving calls from anonymous callers from the Somali community in Europe, Australia, and America after his contacts were shared on social media.

They appreciated him for the song that they said made them emotional and reminded them of the unique virtues of mothers.

He believes the song would have had more impact if it had been translated into various languages.

“The message is strong and nostalgic; it reminds us how our mothers gave us care, love, and mercy,” he said.

The headteacher developed a passion for drama and music after graduating from Egoji Teachers Training College in 1998. He said he researched for two weeks on what song to dedicate to Ms Khadija Mohamed, popularly known as Mother Gudho, as she retired. He was her pupil in his years in primary school.

As he searched, Ahmed came across a song that was once sung by a group in Somalia but never became popular.

“The message of the song attracted me and I thought this would have an impact since the retiring teacher had all the virtues of a mother that earned her the name Mother Gudho,” he said.

He introduced the song to his school choir and made several rehearsals before the event that attracted hundreds of former students who passed through the hands of Mother Gudho.

Sabuli Primary School choir on stage. (Photo: Farhiya Hussein)

On stage, the song moved the audience, some who shed tears. The school choir had to appear on the stage four times.

“Many started recording videos during the event, not knowing the song would gain global recognition,” he said.

Viral song

A day later, the song could be heard playing in almost every household in Sabuli after it went viral. Social media content creators were using it to develop a fan base.

Abdirizack Mohamed, a social media content creator from Garissa, said the song’s great impact was due to its message and the emotional attachment many have to their mothers.

“The first time I saw the video clip of the Sabuli school choir, I replayed it three times and I felt overwhelmed with emotions as I remembered my late mother,” he said.

According to Abdirizack, the song summarises all the good motherly virtues, making it charming and viral.

During TV interviews with, Hirsi Dhuux, a Somali music composer based in Mogadishu who composed the song two years ago, could not hide his joy after it gained prominence. He appeared on several TV stations after a search to identify the songwriter began.

“I am proud to witness how a song I composed two years ago was saved from extinction by a school in Kenya, and it's now popular globally after it moved the masses,” he said.

Hirsi said he gave the song to a choir group in Mogadishu who sang it once at a public gathering but it never attracted the attention of the audience.

He said Sabuli Primary School in Wajir performed it with a difference, attracting audiences instantly.

“I remain indebted to them. It is now a catchy song that went beyond social media and it is sung in almost all events in Somalia and the neighbouring countries,” he said.

He acknowledged that the song would have remained unknown without the performance by the school in Wajir County.

During Somalia's Independence Day celebrations on June 1, a music group in Mogadishu took to the streets singing the song to appreciate the role of mothers in nation-building. Women enticed by the song were seen waving the Somalia national flag and dancing to the tune.

Khadija Mohamed, the Wajir school teacher to whom the song was dedicated, was not present at the farewell party as she was sick and bedridden. Her relatives informed her that the song dedicated to her was rising in popularity on social media.

“I watched the video, listened to the song by the children led by the headteacher and I could not control my tears. It is a universal song that appreciates all mothers regardless of their race or religion. I became relieved and felt deeply appreciated by the community at large,” she told The Eastleigh Voice by phone.

She said she preferred to be called Mother Gudho by her pupils as she considers mothers to be the first teachers that a child encounters at home and who have a unique parental role.

She said hers was an exceptional farewell since she had never before witnessed the community organise one for retiring teachers.