Date posted: February 26, 2013

YASİN KILIÇ | MOGADISHU

Future of Somalia, striving to combat the famine that the civil war and severe drought left behind, is raised at Somali-Turkish schools in the country. A total of 390 students -30 elementary and 360 high school- are receiving education at three different schools operated by Nile Institutions.

On February 21, Bedir Somali-Turkish High School students hosted a group of Turkish guests with a special ceremony held on their honor. The event kicked off with Somali and Turkish national anthems, followed by Nile Institutions Deputy General Manager Murat Kilic’s introductory speech on the schools’ background: “Nile Institutions started its activities on May 1, 2011 with the certificate granted by Somalia Ministry of Internal Affairs. We serve the needs of Somali people in the fields of education, healthcare and humanitarian aid. Bedir High School with its dormitory facilities is currently home to 240 students. Kiblenuma Primary School setting off on 2012-2013 now offers education to 30 students. Moreover, Vifak Turkish-Somali School in northern city of Herseysa is in service of 120 students, since again 2012-2013 academic year.”

Kilic also noted that the schools’ equipment and supplies including desks, computers, smart boards and laboratory materials are provided from Turkey. “By offering English-medium instruction in physics, chemistry and biology we enable our students to easily integrate into the world. Besides, through Turkish classes, our students are able to speak, sing and recite poems comfortably in Turkish” said Kilic.

According to Kilic, Bedir students achieve fluency in speaking Turkish, English, Arabic and Somali languages by the time they graduate. “Being the most modern school across the country, our students have proudly represented their nation by winning bronze medals last year in International Computer Olympiads in Tanzania, INEPO Environment Olympiads in Azerbaijan, and Turkish Language Olympiads. We, on the other hand, have the privilege of delivering the aids donated by honorable Turkish people, who are cutting down on their own children’s expenses, for their fellow Somalis.”

In the last part of the ceremony, the Somali students sang well-known Turkish songs “Gesi baglari” and “Adini kalbime yazdim, by Tarkan” concluding the event.

Source: Cihan News Agency, 22 February 2013. English translation is retrieved from Hizmetmovement.Com

Tags: Africa | Education | Hizmet-inspired schools | Somalia |