Somalia’s brightest compete for education in Turkey


Date posted: October 9, 2011

Youth in the Somali capital of Mogadishu formed long lines in front of schools this week as they competed for a slot in a rapidly expanding student exchange program sponsored by the Turkish relief organization Kimse Yok Mu. The organization is planning to provide scholarships for 350 new students from the famine-stricken nation.

Bilal Çelik, Somalia representative for Kimse Yok Mu, explained in an interview with the Anatolia news agency that word of the program’s expansion has garnered an overwhelming response in the capital, with a total of 10,000 students attending exams over the 10-day testing period. Faced with such unprecedented numbers, the representative says the organization is considering as many factors as possible during the selection process. “We are giving priority to children living in tents and orphans,” he said.

Çelik notes that students are hopeful of gaining an education abroad, saying, “After seeing a good education in Turkey, these youths’ biggest goal is to return to their country and help their people as doctors, engineers or as experts in other fields.” The program aims to place the 350 new students in Turkish universities and prep schools within the next month.

The student exchange program is just one part of a massive aid campaign undertaken by Turkey in response to East Africa’s worst drought in 60 years. Turkey’s relief efforts so far have included donating TL 500 million in aid to Somalia and distributing food to 12 million people in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. The UN’s refugee agency recently declared that the east African drought is currently the “worst humanitarian disaster” in the world, and has urged other international actors to pledge additional assistance.

In addition to the 350 students which it plans to support in the coming months, Kimse Yok Mu presently provides education for 400 high school and 100 university students from Somalia.

Source: Today's Zaman , 25 September 2011

Tags: | | | |


Related News

Foreign students express bewilderment over gov’t bid to close Turkish schools

Foreign students who are graduates of schools opened by Turkish entrepreneurs affiliated with the Hizmet movement all around the world, have expressed bewilderment over the government’s plan to shut down the schools, saying that the Turkish government is making a grave mistake in targeting these schools as they are renowned and praised for their high-quality education by foreigners.

Turkish dinner in Erie brings together flavors, cultures

She was telling me about the event and I was about to explain that she needed to send something in writing and we’d be happy to put it in the appropriate calendars of events. Then she caught my ear: Turkish cooking class … at a Presbyterian church … as a fundraiser for Puerto Rico? Wait, wait, wait, wait.

Kimse Yok Mu continues relief efforts in Bosnia

International charity organization Kimse Yok Mu continues its humanitarian aid campaign in Bosnian which was hit by floods severely in May. Arriving in the city for the second time with three semi-trailer trucks, volunteers from Kimse Yok Mu delivered food, blankets and couches to the flood victims.

The Gülen Movement and Turkish Soft Power*

The Gülen approach to education aptly demonstrates the group’s global strategy—Gülen movement schools are open to both Turkish migrants and citizens of host countries, and they avoid advancing a religious agenda. These schools aim to help Turkish migrants succeed in their host societies without losing sight of their Turkish roots, and at the same time they promote social unity by serving the needs of migrants and local students alike. The success of Gülen movement schools stems both from the success of the students (and the satisfaction of the parents) and from the prestige and goodwill they enjoy among local and political authorities for promoting integration and acting as a social mediator.

Nigerian students win at global contests

Students of the Nigerian Turkish International Colleges, who represented Nigeria at the International Young Inventors Olympiads (IYIPO), have won a silver award.

Colors of world meeting at Turkish Language Olympics

The Turkish schools abroad should top the list of the global brands Turkey has produced. It’s not easy for a brand to make a name for itself. Sustainability matters as much as other qualifications do. There have been so many enterprises that started to fade from the very beginning. In this respect, the Turkish schools have been our international brand that keeps the bar highest in their work all the time.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Int’l language and culture festival ends with spectacular ceremony in Germany

Another new mother detained in Turkey over Gülen links

Turkish foundation drills 1,000 boreholes for Nigerian communities

Afghan education minister pledges to open more Turkish schools

Blanket Drive for Syrian Refugees a Great Success

Turkish Olympiads close with perfect ceremony

‘Fethullah Gulen is one of the leading Islamic thinkers in the world’

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News