Twenty young women from Galgadud region have been awarded two-year teacher training scholarships to bring women into the education sector.
Currently, there is not a single female teacher in the region.
The 20 women will soon travel to Mogadishu to start their courses, as Adado has no higher education institute.
Anisa Mohamud, one of the teacher trainees, said she did not get the chance to go to university so this was a huge opportunity.
“This is a significant step that will improve life for girls in school, as they need mentoring and special support from female teachers,” said Anisa, who finished high school two years ago.
Once qualified, it is expected that the 20 women will take up jobs as teachers in their homes areas.
The scheme was organized by Himan and Heb administration’s education office and the umbrella of education institutes in the region.
Ahmed Hussein Khayre, Himan and Heb secretary for education and youth affairs, said the initiative would attract women into the teaching profession and improve girls enrollment and retention in schools.
He said girls often dropped out of school because of the lack of female teachers. Few girls finishing high school were given the opportunity to go on to university.
