Somali's Future Brighter with Turkish Schools

Somali’s Future Brighter with Turkish Schools

The old Technical University (Photo credit: Anadolu Agency)

Date posted: November 30, 2012

After opening the first Turkish school, Bedir Academy, in Mogadishu, Somalia, Turkish entrepreneurs are this time opening an educational complex with a capacity of 700 students on the campus of the old Technical University. The complex will have a school building, a dormitory, faculty housing, guesthouses, and a theater. When it is completed, it will be one of the largest schools in Somalia.

Additionally, the relief organization, Kimse Yok Mu, is gearing up to build a boarding school for girls, a grammar school, a dormitory and a research hospital with 60 beds in the city center. The expected completion date for the complex is April of 2013.

Bilal Kose, the principal of the Bedir Academy, explained that the school started last year with 60 students and ended up with 120 students by the end of the year. He is proud that his students won 3 bronze medals in science and math Olympiads that took place in Tanzania, Azerbaijan and Kenya and 2 bronze medals in International Turkish Olympiads in Turkey in their first year. He added they started a Turkish Language course for 160 students and already sent 550 students to Turkey with the help of Kimse Yok Mu relief organization. Most of these students enroll in high schools and the rest attend universities in Turkey.

Somali families who have migrated to Europe due to the 20-year-long civil war, are now sending their children to Turkish schools located in Mogadishu. Another unfortunate outcome of civil war is the high number of orphans. In order to provide education to the orphans as well, the elementary and the high schools have special quotas reserved only for them; 30% and 20%, respectively.

Kose also said that they intend to start an international school next year due to the high demand. The principal underlines that they have great support from both the government and local people.

Source: Mynet Yurthaber November 15, 2012

Disclaimer: The original article is in Turkish. Slight deviations from the original meaning may have occurred due to the difficulties in translating phrases and idioms. PII volunteers translated the article.