Dawud Muhammed Story: From Nefas Mewcha to Software Engineering

Before the code and the server architectures, there was Nefas Mewcha. A journey rooted in a tight-knit family, village laughter, and a profound discipline that shaped everything to come.

Growing up in Nefas Mewcha, a vibrant city in the South Gondar zone of the Amhara region, gave me a foundation I wouldn't trade for anything. Life there was funny, warm, and tightly bound by the love of a proud family, loyal friends, and a supportive village.

Long before I ever laid eyes on a code editor, my early education was deeply spiritual. As a young Muslim, I spent years studying traditional Islamic texts, moving from memorizing the Quran to deeply analyzing Fiqh (jurisprudence) books. This structured, analytical reading quietly trained my mind to look for logic, rules, and order—skills that seamlessly translated into engineering years later.

My formal academic journey was a steady trek through my hometown: * **Age 5–6:** Kindergarten days filled with village laughter. * **Grades 1–6:** Zanti Primary School, where my competitive spirit began. * **Grades 7–8:** Nefas Mewcha Primary School. * **Grades 9–10:** Nefas Mewcha Secondary School. * **Grades 11–12:** Nefas Mewcha Preparatory School.

It was during my 11th-grade year that a casual conversation changed my trajectory entirely. A close friend started telling me about his older brother, who was studying software engineering at Addis Ababa University (AAU) while simultaneously working a tech job. Hearing that someone could be a student and a professional at the same time blew my mind. I looked around and realized the entire global trend was moving toward technology.

Right then, I made a definitive plan: I was going to graduate preparatory school, join a top university, study software engineering, and use tech to build a real future (and honestly, make some good money along the way!). That spark eventually led me out of my hometown and right into the gates of Bahir Dar University.