Training for life in Somaliland
18 August 2008
When two young cousins from rural Somaliland arrived in the bustling port town of Berbera they were full of excitement about the opportunities that lay in store. But as Muuse Ali Elmi and Abdikarin Adan Ahmed soon found, their lack of a formal education seriously held them back.
The 16-year-olds were keen to learn a trade but stood little chance of being accepted on a training course because they were unable to read or write. However, thanks to an organisation supported by DFID, the pair now have basic literacy skills and are on their way to becoming apprentice plumbers.
A second chance
Like many young people in Somaliland's villages Muuse and Abdikarin spent their childhoods looking after livestock rather than studying in a classroom. "Our parents' priority was never our education," they say.
In Berbera, though, other skills were more prized. A plumbing course run by the General Assistance and Volunteer Organisation (GAVO) caught the teenagers' eyes but literacy was one of its entry requirements.
Fortunately, GAVO had recently established a reading and language programme, set up in response to the high rate of illiteracy in Somalia. Open to both children and adults, Muuse and Abdikarin enrolled, successfully learning to read and write Somali as well as gaining elementary English.
In January 2007 they qualified to join the vocational plumbing course and in September the same year were among the 150 young people to graduate from it.
A thirst for learning
Energised by this experience, Muuse and Abdikarin have returned to their village with a new thirst for learning. "We want to learn more about subjects like maths, science, Arabic and English," they say.
The cousins now plan to catch up on the education they missed out on as children, in addition to making use of their plumbing skills. A recent stint assisting a local plumber went well - he was impressed with their handiwork and said that they showed real promise.
However, they are still too young to handle heavy jobs and they still can't afford basic plumbing tools. The challenge for GAVO is to look at ways of equipping trainees with the tools needed in their new-found trades as well as providing grants or loans to help them get their businesses off the ground.
Muuse and Abdikarin intend to begin their plumbing careers soon. In the
meantime they are keen to get back to school. Both agree that GAVO has made a
huge difference to their lives, making them aware of their own potential and
giving them hope for the future. But they feel that training opportunities
should be available to more people from their sort of background. "A lot of
young people need the same help we got," they say.
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Facts and stats
- GAVO is a partner of Progressio, a UK non-governmental organisation that is receiving DFID funding between 2005 and 2011 (£2.8 million per year for the first three years).
- GAVO's vocational training programme targets young people aged 15-25 from poor communities and families. It teaches skills that will help trainees secure self-employment or employment in Somaliland's private sector.
- The GAVO programme has benefited more than 500 young people since it was set up in 2001.
- The programme conducts vocational courses for five different trades.
