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SOMALIA / UNIVERSITY REOPENS
STORY: SOMALIA / UNIVERSITY REOPENS
TRT: 2.42
SOURCE: AU / UN IST
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: SOMALI / ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 23 OCTOBER 2014 MOGADISHU, SOMALIA / FILE
1. Wide shot, Somalia National University
2. Close up, Somalia National University sign post
3. Med shot, students walking at the university compound
4. Wide shot, Abdulahi Mohamoud Ali giving a lecture
5. Close up, female students attending the lecture
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Abdulahi Mohamoud Ali, English Lecturer, Somalia National University:
“I recommend all Somali students girls and the boys together, the moment they graduate for example from the high schools to join us, to share this happiness with us, to join this cheerfulness with us and to share the happy life that we are leading at the Somalia National University.”
7. Med shot, female students in the economics class
8. Close up, female student attending the economics lecture
9. SOUNDBITE (Somali) Bishal Awil Ali Abdi, Student, Somalia National University:
“This university collapsed before I was born. It was shut down in 1991 and I was born in 1993, that’s two years after my birthday. I’ve been told this was a National university with 15,000 students who studied for free. The university was shut down before I was born so for me to be part of it now makes me so happy that I cannot even measure my happiness. I wish to share that happiness with Somalis all over the world.”
10. Med shot, Chancellor, Somalia National University, Dr. Mohamed Jim’ale in his office
11. Close up, signed documents
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Mohamed Jim’ale, Chancellor, Somalia National University:
“The government creates what is called the equal opportunity because when there is only private education, a lot of the young people cannot access it because of the economic situation but the Somali government realised that it is the duty of the government that it has to give the Somali young people equal opportunity.”
13. Wide shot, economics class in progress
14. SOUNDBITE (Somali) Ayan Abdiweli Mohamud, Student, Somalia National University:
“I’d like to say to all Somali women that will watch this, get up and get an education so that you’re qualified to help your country. The men are going forward and we must be like them. I urge all mothers to let their girls go to school so that they’re able to help themselves in the future.”
15. Med shot, students walking around in campus
Tucked amidst the rubble that serves as a stark reminder of the fierce battles that were fought in the streets of Somalia’s capital are five newly refurbished buildings. They house Somalia’s National University, which recently welcomed a fresh batch of students for the first time in 23 years.
The campus is located in the Hamarweyne district of Mogadishu - also known as ‘Old Mogadishu’.
The Somalia National University (SNU) has reopened its doors with the intention of producing the calibre of leaders that will drive Somalia’s return to the global stage. Many Somalis say the resumption of classes here is ‘history in the making’, and students have travelled from far-flung parts of the Horn of Africa nation to join one of the six faculties (medicine, education, veterinary, agriculture, law, and economics) on offer.
Pre-university courses in Mathematics, Physics, Biology and English began on October 6.
“I recommend all Somali students girls and the boys together, the moment they graduate for example from the high schools to join us, to share this happiness with us, to join this cheerfulness with us and to share the happy life that we are leading at the Somalia National University” said Abdulahi Mohamoud Ali, an English lecturer at SNU.
The campus was built by Italian colonialists in 1956 originally as an institute for Somalis to learn management, law and economics. In 1969 - nine years after independence - it was renamed the Somalia National University.
The school grew over the years into a 14-faculty institution that produced most of the country’s top civil servants. In 1990, the government of President Mohamed Siad Barre fell, and like all other government structures, the university was abandoned.
“This university collapsed before I was born. It was shut down in 1991 and I was born in 1993, that’s two years after my birthday. I’ve been told this was a national university with 15,000 students who studied for free. The university was shut down before I was born so for me to be part of it now makes me so happy and I cannot measure my happiness. I wish to share that happiness with Somalis all over the world,” said Bishal Awil Ali, one of the 374 students currently enrolled in SNU.
After graduating in 1976 with a Bachelor in Linguistics and a major in Italian Language, Dr. Mohamed Jim’ale has returned to his alma mater to serve as its chancellor. He says the revival of the university is an example of the restorative power of public-private sector partnerships. Terrorist group Al-Shabaab - which forbade education and stifled development -was driven out of Mogadishu in 2011 by the Somali National Army backed by African Union peacekeepers.
After the departure of the extremist militants, the Federal Government of Somalia (FGOS) had the security and support it needed to mobilise financial and technical assistance from local businesses to rehabilitate the campus.
“The government creates what is called the equal opportunity because when there is only private education, a lot of the young people cannot access it because of the economic situation, but the Somali government realised that it is the duty of the government that it has to give the Somali young people equal opportunity and that is why the force of the government was put behind the realisation and reinstatement of this University,” said Dr. Jim’ale.
Marginalised by Al-Shabaab, women are now being encouraged to take an active and leading role in the country’s social, economic and political renaissance.
“I’d like to say to all Somali women that will watch this, get up and get an education so that you’re qualified to help your country. The men are going forward and we must be like them. I urge all mothers to let their girls go to school so that they’re able to help themselves in the future,” said Ayan Abdiweli Mohamud, another student at SNU.
Somalia’s government has many challenges to overcome as it works to rebuild institutions like these. Soon it will have the support of the graduating classes of SNU, to assist in their country’s long road to recovery.
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