DigitalNews
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Somalia has its many challenges as it faces its worst drought in 60 years, however, there is a good news to celebrate as the country moves its plans to invest in its future.
Nearly 1,000 high school graduates have registered for standard tests in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia to attempt a chance at scholarships. This is the first time that Somali refugees outside of Somalia will participate in these competitions. Currently, students at Dadaab Refugee Camps only receive up to high school education and many are left without any formal education beyond high school. Over 200 Somali Refugee students in Kenya including Refugees from Dadaab Refugee camps will compete for national scholarships for Higher Education. The Ministry planned to include refugee students in Yemen to also participate, however, security conditions there halted the plan.
Students will be tested on Math, Science (Chemistry, Biology and Physics), Social Studies and Islamic Studies. Tests will be given in Arabic and English.
Ten students selected from the Refugees in Dadaab and the other camps will be awarded $500 dollar grants towards their education donated by the Somali Business Community of Nairobi.
Some of students with a passing score from these national tests held in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia will be granted 2011 scholarships granted to Somalia by friendly states while others will receive Somali Government scholarships for local Somali Higher Education Institutions.
The Somali Minister of Education, Culture and Higher Education, Dr. Abdinur Sheikh Mohamed Mohamud, will hold a ceremony honoring Somali students who will be pursing a higher education. The ceremony being held today in the Somali Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, will bring a ray of light to many Somali Students who will receive scholarships and full tuition assistance towards higher education institutions.
Somalia’s Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education in Somalia is committed to improving the delivery of education in Somalia and to restore the quality of the educational system years ago. The Ministry believes education is the pathway for conflict resolution,peaceful co-existence, human and National Development. Education is not a privilege but a right for all citizens in Somalia.
“We want to restore hope and structure to Somalia’s education system. We want the world to know how talented and educated Somalia’s youth can be if we invest in them now. We are building amongst the suffering, but with an investment in education, you can never lose,”
Said Minister Dr. Mohamud.
As an educated Somali from the diaspora, Dr. Mohamud was appointed by former Prime Minister Farmajo to take over Somalia’s failed education system. He brings wealth of knowledge from his previous position a professor at Ohio University and was a long time employee of State of Ohio, Department of education in the United States.
The ceremony will be attended by:
Education Minister, Dr. Abdinur Sheikh Mohamed Mohamud
Famous Somali singer Saado Ali Warsame
Augustine P. Mahiga, UN Special Representative to Somalia
Mohamed Ali Nur, Somali Ambassador in Nairobi
and numerous community leaders.