(ERGO) – Sixteen-year-old deaf student, Khadar Mohamed Elmi, is delighted to be back at school almost a year after being told that his education was about to end abruptly.
Howl-wadag School for the deaf, in the Mogadishu district of the same name, announced it was closing last December due to lack of funding, leaving 200 children like Khadar with nowhere else to go.
But the Somali federal ministry of education has taken over Howl-wadaag School and is continuing the provision of free education and meals.
Communicating in sign language, Khadar told Radio Ergo’s local reporter that he’s glad to be back in school.
“When I heard the ministry took over the school, I was very happy because we can continue our education. I hope that the school will not run out of funds and I can finish my education peacefully,” he said.
He had just joined secondary classes when the school closed and his parents are equally pleased that he still has an educational future.
Mother of eight, Nadifo Mohamed Abdikadir, has two children in the school. Her son, Aden Hersi aged seven, was born deaf, while her daughter Nadar Hersi Aden, aged 13, lost her hearing and became speech impaired after an injury when just six months old.
“They were learning in this school for three years, and they are learning well. Before we brought them to this school, they just used to stay at home watching other children going to school. They are now part of everyone and they don’t feel left out. They’re happy to be back to school,” she said.
Nadifo thought of getting treatment for Nadar so she could enroll in another school, but she couldn’t raise either the medical or school fees.
“My daughter is good, she can say father and mother. I’ve taken her to many doctors who’ve told me she needs hearing aids. They told me that they can get them in Kenya. When I heard that I got teary-eyed because I can’t afford even to take her out of Mogadishu,” she said.
Mohamed Omar, who cares for his deaf nephew, said they felt sad when the school shut. He tried to teach his nephew at home as they couldn’t afford to take him to another school.
“His father died in 2010 while trying to cross over the Libyan Sea. I took over his responsibility, I don’t have a job but we’re happy to have got him a free education,” Mohamed said.
He said his nephew, Mohamed Abdullahi Omar, feels lonely when left at home as he’s become used to socialising with other children at school.
The school director, Hamdi Mohamed Omar, said the Ministry of Education has taken over the school and provides them with a sustainable budget. She said the ministry responded after lobbying from activists standing up for people with disabilities and also broadcasts by Radio Ergo.
“These students have got their education back after their needs were broadcast by Radio Ergo. If their information was not shared, it would be hard for them to get an education,” she said.
However, Hamdi is concerned about school transport as 130 of the children come from far distances away from Howl-wadaag.
“The ministry has given us everything we need, and there’s no school that gets free transport from the government. We’ve got two old vans with the capacity to carry 20 students but we have to carry 40 students in each van,” she said.
This is the only school in Mogadishu offering free education for the deaf and was supported by CARE International until December 2022, when the teachers, students and parents were informed that money had run out and the school would close.
