SOS Schools in Somalia

SOS Nursery School Hargeisa

Although construction work was not completed in the SOS Children’s Village Hargeisa and nursery school, the groundwork was started even in the last quarter of 2007 so that the nursery school could be ready when the children are admitted to the CV.  In 2008 children and mothers were accommodated in rented houses in the city.  As the result of headhunting more than 80 applications were received for the position of nursery school teachers.

May 1st,, 2008 the SOS Nursery School was officially opened. As per the SOS system, three group rooms ( Class 1, Class 2, Class 3) are currently operating with a total number of 56 children. Immediately this nursery school has captured the attention of the country. The following are the highlights of the nursery school:

• English Medium (with Arabic language also)
• Each group has learning centres through which children learn individually
• USD 50 per child per month for cost covering
• Including the fee of the children from Village, almost financially self-supporting
• Annual holidays are during the fasting season of the year
• Mothers are given Literacy education in the afternoons
• Hargeisa SOS Nursery School was honoured by the visit of the President of SOS Children on June 5th 2008. The SOS Nursery School has made impressive steps in it's first year.

Way Forward

• Grade 1 will be opened in September 2009 for the current 26 Class 3 students
• Children Computer Center will be opened in 2009
• Children Library will also opened in 2009

SOS Nursery School Mogadishu

Similar to other projects under SOS Children’s Villages Somalia, the nursery school activities have been affected by the recurring fighting in Mogadishu. In order to protect the children from the fighting (stray bullets, etc), both the parents of SOS as well as the others decided not to send their children to the nursery school and therefore the SOS Nursery School was closed.

However, the SOS Nursery School Mogadishu educators consented to follow the education of SOS children housed in different places at least once or twice week and therefore they visited the children every Thursday in their respective rented houses.

SOS Primary and Secondary School Mogadishu

The combined SOS Primary and Secondary School opened in 1988. There are nearly 580 pupils - 490 primary and 90 secondary. 

Despite many challenges of insecurity, the school has kept to its schedule until it was beyond its control.
 

• 15Mar, 2008: The School was reopened, renting new premises. The school went on well finishing the academic year in July and closed until August, 2008-10-20. When the school was closed the govt made a new base in front of the temporary school and the attack and counter attacks happened around that area.

• On 16 Sept 2008     The insurgents closed the airport. They started to bombard the air port and the missiles were flying over the temporary school and parents started to stop sending children to the school.  From that onwards the fighting went back and forth.

• 19 Sept 2008    the school was closed for 10 days for the Ramadan (until Oct 4th).  The Kenyan teachers requested to go out the city for the ten day, at least to Marka.

• 4 Oct 2008    The Kenyan teachers went and came back and reopened. There were few students and daily fighting incidents were taking place. 

• 6 Oct 2008,     In the night of the government troops based close to the school premises were attacked by the insurgents.

• 7th October     The govt troops (5:30) entered the school campus to search for insurgents.  They immediately shot one of the security guard of the house (non SOS) and one lawyer who came to the building. They shot the doors of the teachers’ rooms and searched and took out all the teachers’ valuables accusing them that hey were behind the insurgents. (Principal + 3 teachers + Hussien).  After interrogation and harassment they were released. Immediately they were all evacuated from Mogadishu to another place lafole 10 km away. Expat teachers were evacuated on 8th to Kenya except the Principal. On 8th RO decided to close the school indefinitely until the situation improves. Principal and the school community were informed. When SOS School was closed incidentally all the other education institutions there were also closed.

IMPACT

Four Mogadishu HGS students for Islamic University in Uganda to train as future teachers for the schools.

SOS Secondary School Sheikh

The SOS Secondary School opened in 2003 to its first 53 pupils. By 2005 there were 150 pupils.  It has a capacity for 200 pupils.

Many of the 45 boys and 8 girls who started at the school in 2003 had previously been denied any education by the civil war and the interclan fighting that followed it in this war-torn country. Now they were given a new chance, since SOS Children rehabilitated a school which had been looted and partially destroyed during the civil war. Teaching staff at the SOS Sheikh Secondary School was employed from both Somaliland and Kenya, although SOS went further afield to find the new principal, Dick Eyeington. Dick and Enid Eyeington, both in their early sixties, have a passion for education in Africa. Dick had been both teacher and headmaster at the world famous Waterford Khamlaba School in Swaziland, a school opened by Michael Stern after the introduction of apartheid laws in South Africa in 1948. Many South African children, black and white, rich and poor, were educated there, including Nelson Mandela’s three daughters

In October 2003 Dick and Enid Eyeington were murdered in an unprovoked attack at their home on the school premises. Despite this tragic event SOS remains committed to the SOS Sheikh Secondary School and its pupils. Enid’s life skills classes are now taken by another female teacher. The ecology, debating and computer clubs continue as before, as does the teaching support programme at the public school of Sheik. Just before her death Enid was occupied with setting up the SOS Sheikh Secondary School library.

Update from 2008:

The school reopened for the new scholastic year on  7th January 2008.  The following are the highlights of 2008 which includes the 2007-08 academic year and the first terms of 2008:

• The school continued to score 100 % passing both in London IGCSE and local Somaliland terminal examinations
• All the successful graduates are successfully settled in aboard or local universities and other jobs such as teaching positions in the country
• The school became successful in convincing the students to take IGCSE examination with three years preparation
• 14 additional students were admitted increasing the total student population from 195 to 209 (170+39) for the academic year 2008
• 3 students from Mogadishu SOS Children’s Villages were admitted, however, one had to leave due to mental health problems. (Total youths from SOS CV: Girls  4+ boys 4)
• Advanced Computer courses were introduced and a PC instructor was recruited from Ethiopia to replace the previous teacher
• Business education subject as per the local curriculum was introduced
  

WAY FORWARD

The school will explore the possibilities of getting more scholarships for the needy students who are currently subsidized by SOS.  The school will further search ways and means to reduce the overall cost of the school expenses without reducing the quality of the school.  To find donors for expanding the school library and implement the policy ‘one student-one book-one week’ strictly.  Liaison with the government and SOS Regional Office to admit East Africa SOS youths.