Parents Take Charge of Education in the Midst of Somali Civil War

With almost two decades having passed since the start of an ongoing civil war, the Somalian government has no education system, and only about 40 percent of Somali children attend school. With money coming from the Somali aid group DGB (Help For All), which receives its money from German NGOs and the German government, parents have taken charge of and are running schools.

One such school is Umulhura, in the Somali capital of Mogadishu. The school’s enrollment dropped from 3,000 to 600 as a result of the civil war. However, the school has continued to run for the past 18 years due to the efforts of the parents and under the leadership of the principal Hassan Adawe Ahmed.

One of the parents that took charge, Maryam Saleban Abokor, stated that she “was afraid that the children would become criminals if they were not busy and did not learn anything.” She then spoke to other parents in the neighborhood, suggesting that they renovate the school and begin teaching. For this reason the school has continued providing classes. Parents donated in whatever capacity they were able to, whether it was donating money or renovating the building.

Though a government has been in place in Somalia for a year, the parents still remain responsible for the schools. They determine school fees and the teacher wages. A committee of 40 parents also decides on the final curriculum, which can draw from the curricula of various countries.

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Written by Nina Thurau