Mataano: Twins

Born to Somali parents and raised in both Somalia and Washington, D.C., identical twins Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim are anything but ordinary. Having fled Somalia at the age of nine to escape the country’s civil war, the twins completed their college education; Ayaan at University of Michigan and Idyl at Boston University, before making the bold move to Manhattan where they aimed to stand out from the rest in the world of fashion and design. They always shared an interest for fashion. Experiencing the industry from the ground up through careful study and practice, they slowly crafted their talent in their studio with only distant dreams of launching a collection. They each had worked in fashion (Idyl at Jill Stuart and Ayaan at Betsey Johnson), and used that experience to learn the industry and, eventually, start their own line. In 2008 the time had come to stand on their own four legs.

On November 1, 2008, the Mohallim sisters took their first step together, launching a new brand, Mataano (ma-taa-no), meaning “twins” in Somali, and launched their premier Spring 2009 collection in New York City featuring a boutique preview of ten dresses. Not long after that they got a call from Oprah. The twins recently appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show featuring the Olsen twins and young millionaire moguls. Paralleling their success with the Olsen sisters, Oprah lauded the duo for their inspiring story and much deserved success, and gave them the national credibility that will undoubtedly launch Mataano as an emerging brand with a rich cultural heritage.

They have a strong presence in the internet. They have videos documenting our photo-shoots on youtube, and they blog. The twins say that they are greatly influenced by their Somalian heritage; growing up and being surrounded by beautiful women wearing colorful dresses. Africans love color and you can see how that influenced their Spring 2009 designs.

Their advice and recipe for success is “never give up your dream and be ready to really work hard.”

“Kip” Ward leads New U.S. Africa Command

General William E. "Kip" Ward, the U.S. Army’s only Black four-star general is Commander, U.S. Africa Command, and the first officer to hold this position. General Ward previously served as Deputy Commander, U.S. European Command. General Ward was commissioned into the infantry in 1971. He holds a M.A. in Political Science from Pennsylvania State University and a B.A. in Political Science from Morgan State University. His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced courses, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and U.S. Army War College. His military service includes overseas tours in Korea, Egypt, Somalia, Bosnia, Israel, two tours in Germany, and a wide variety of assignments in the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. He assumed his current assignment on October 1, 2007.

Prior to assuming his current position, he was the Deputy Commanding General/Chief of Staff, US Army Europe and Seventh Army. While in this capacity he was selected by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to serve as the United States Security Coordinator, Israel - Palestinian Authority where he served from March 2005 through December 2005.

The newly formed U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) is the acknowledgment of the emerging strategic importance of Africa, and recognition that peace and stability on the continent impacts not only Africans, but the interests of the U.S. and international community as well. The creation of AFRICOM enabled the Department of Defense (DoD) to better focus its resources to support and enhance existing U.S. initiatives that help African nations, the African Union, and the regional economic communities succeed. The creation of AFRICOM does not mean the U.S. military will take a leading role in African security matters, nor will it establish large U.S. troop bases. Rather, Africa Command is a headquarters staff whose mission entails coordinating the kind of support that will enable African governments and existing regional organizations, such as the African Standby Force, to have greater capacity to provide security and respond in times of need. AFRICOM builds on the many African-U.S. security cooperation activities already underway, yet will be able to better coordinate DoD support with other U.S. government departments and agencies to make those activities even more effective. I would just like to know why is the U.S. Africa Command headquartered in Germany? If you want to help put some bodies on the ground with money in their pockets.