Osman was orphaned and self-educated through odd jobs before Mogadishu

Evidence

Osman’s early life entailed a difficult struggle to survive in an impoverished environment. Parentless, he had to learn to fend for himself through odd jobs as he tried to educate himself any way possible. His childhood came to an end when he made his way to the colonial capital, Mogadishu. — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 129