(ERGO) – Several hundred children from poor families have started classes in the first primary school opened in Dhurey in southern Somalia’s Bakool region set up by local people and their relatives living abroad.
Without a local school, parents were concerned about their children’s future. Some families were sending their children long distances to schools in Luq, Dollow, Baidoa, or Mogadishu. Not needing to travel is a huge benefit.
Bashir Omar, 16, who has been driving a taxi, joined first grade for the first time. He heard from friends about the free school and enrolled himself, hoping that education can enable him to lift his family out of poverty.
“I decided to go to school and start studying. I wasn’t able to go to the city for an education. Now that our city has this education centre, it’s easy for me to go to school. I decided to start learning because I feel that education is a great hope that I was missing,” he said.
Bashir, the eldest in his family, supports his mother and eight siblings. He goes to school in the morning and works for the rest of the day. His $6-12 earnings take care of the household needs as well as his school materials.
He says he aspires to become a doctor to improve health services in his area.
“The health centres and doctors are not very good in this area, so I hope to be among the young people who will work to strengthen the health sector,” he said.
Locals and the diaspora have been raising funds for almost a year for the school that opened in February. Funds are being collected to cover the monthly $200 needed to pay the two teachers and a principal.
“The children were just idle, but the school is going well now. Now the children don’t roam around with no education. I see organised children who are getting an education,” said Abdullahi Isaq, one of the fundraisers.
With only 62 girls compared to 279 boys enrolled, Abdullahi said few understand the importance of girls’ education. He has taken part in an awareness campaign, walking door to door convincing parents to give opportunities to their daughters.
After persuasion, Saynab Ahmed enrolled her 10-year-old daughter in March. Her daughter used to graze the family’s 10 goats. Saynab has been pleased with the results.
“Now my daughter has learned to write in Somali. She can now read and write. If I ask her to write me something she can do it. Like with the phone, if I ask her to save a number, she can do that. So that is part of the benefit we are getting from the school,” she stated.
Saynab, a mother of 10, said she plans to enroll all her children in school and has decided to take care of the livestock herself.
“The reason I now herd the remaining 10 goats is because my girls and boys need to learn. I take care of the goats in the morning until noon while they are in school and they take care of the goats in the afternoon,” she said.
However, the school is overcrowded with 341 students in only two classrooms, and further investment is needed to ensure enough desks and chairs for all.
