Thursday, May 12, 2016
Photo | Mohamed Hassan,14, at work in Jowhar/Maryan Sheekh/Ergo
(ERGO) - Mohamed Hassan Ali, 14, is proud to be supporting his four younger siblings from his carpentry work but he really misses school himself.
When his parents separated four year ago, he dropped out of Sheikh Hassan Barsame primary school. As the first born son, although only 10 years old, Mohamed was obliged to go to work as there was nobody else to rely on for income.
“We used to depend on my father who was a carpenter, but he left town after the separation,” said Mohamed.
He wakes up early every morning and goes to a small workshop he shares with three other boys in Hanti-wadag market in Jowhar. The boys make tables, wooden boxes, and chairs for sale to local and upcountry customers.
“It saddens me when I see my classmates going to high school while I am here in the market,” Mohamed said. “I still love school and hope that one day I will go back to school to catch up with my age mates.”
His three woodworking colleagues also left school for similar reasons to support their families. Together they pool the shop rent of $21 a month and use the rest of their earnings on food and school fees for brothers and sisters.
Mohamed also carries out roof repairs, having learnt from his father.
“I am very popular and get the attention of many customers more than my colleagues at the workshop. I go to people’s houses to fix their corrugated iron sheets as it is the rainy season,” said Mohamed.
On a good day, he earns around $6. He is able to pay the monthly house rent of $15 and Koranic school fees for four siblings totalling $20. His siblings also attend a free elementary school financed by the Somali government under the ‘Go To School’ initiative.
Mohamed is happy he has been able to secure the future of his siblings, but he is making plans to educate himself as well.
He is training two of his brothers in carpentry so they can replace him. “When my brothers acquire skills they will be able to work when they don’t have classes, so that I go to school in my turn and attend school part-time classes,” he said.
Large numbers of children across Somalia are forced to drop out of school to work due to poverty and family break-up.