Let’s educate our women to educate our children

photo courtesy: wfp.org

Somalia locates on East Africa the population of Somalia is estimated about 8 million although there is a trend of population growth but the census of 8 million people was recorded before the collapse of the Somali central government.

For many decades of Somalia’s government was not working effectively all the social services like Education, health were not sufficient to the entire society which resulted too many children not to attend primary schools.

Education is defined as the wealth of knowledge acquired by an individual after studying particular subject matters or experiencing life lessons that provide an understanding of something or in other words it is the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.

Education is one of the most important factors in the development of a country. Education brings more job opportunities for those who are educated. Without a doubt, Education, change a person's future, job opportunities are more likely to get for those who are more educated which improves their life style as well as for their country’s development

 In many Developing countries like Somalia number of female students enrolling in schools is very low compared to male students. Somalia, Gender Parity Index (GPI), which is the ratio of female-to-male primary and secondary net attendance ratios shows there is a difference between boys and girls in school enrollment.

According to State of the World's Children (SOWC) 2013, UNICEF (M: male; F: female) the net ration of Somali female attending to primary school female is 15 but male is 18, while the net ration of Somali female attending to High school female is 8 and male is 12, this report has been compared the enrollment of boys and girls in the Eastern and Southern Africa Region (ESAR).

For the above ratio girls are small number in enrollment than boys in both primary and secondary schools in Somalia due to many reasons such as:  
1.Cultural belief: The cultural beliefs of parents emphasize to educate their boys and give little priority for the girl’s education because they believe the education of their daughter ends when she is married; in rural areas women are remained illiterate due to lack of schools in the remote rural villages. 
2.Poverty and the cost of education: many parents are unable to pay the school fee of their children and girls cannot access to education if the cost of the school fee is high and children are large in number. 
3.Early marriage: as usually Girls are married when they are matured and this factor had forced many Somali females not to pursue their education in secondary and universities.

However, girl’s education can be improved first by encouraging all the parents to take in to the account to educate their children equally which is obligation, second, that negative cultural belief of that girls has no right to educate is stereo type and she has right to educate whether she is married or un married.

Islam encourages for the education the Prophet Muhammad Peace be upon him (pbuh) said in Hadith “Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every Muslim.”

In another hadith the prophet said “He who has a girl and teaches her good manners and improves her education and then manumits and marries her, will get a double reward; and any slave who observes God’s right and his master’s right will get a double reward.”

Girl’s education is very crucial to the development of the society; an educated girl will rise educated children for the future, researches have shown that educated mothers tend to have healthier, better-nourished babies, and that their own children are more likely to attend school.

I had conversed with many female students in secondary and university of Puntland state of Somalia they are very happy to pursue their education now but they are pessimistic to the future because they are not sure whether they will finish their education or their parents will force them a man.

Kowsar Ahmed(High school student) told me while I was conversing with her female education in Somali, she said “to educate a girl is to educate whole nation” for her statement she mentioned when you educate a girl she will help her children, her brother and the community at large for the future; she added that last two decade of lack government educated women contributed to the development of the community by holding social awareness of peace, health and education of the young children.

Lastly, let’s educate our children equally and make justice for them and particularly female education because when you educated her today she will raise educated children for future.

Contacts

Mohamed Osman Muumin, B.A in Development Studies at Puntland State University (PSU) in Garowe.

 He can be reached at mcmuumin1@ gmail.com

9 Books About East and Horn of Africa You Need to Read Before End of 2013

9 Books About East and Horn of Africa You Need to Read Before End of 2013

BREAKING NEWS:— Biggest donor Turkey stops direct budget support to Somalia

(Reuters) – Turkey has stopped direct budgetary support to Somalia, cutting off a major source of funding for a government trying to rebuild the country after more than two decades of chaos.

Turkey is a key ally of the Somali government. Its vast humanitarian aid effort at the height of the 2011 famine has endeared the country to many Somali people, especially as Ankara continues to build hospitals and dispatch aid across Somalia.

Turkey has backed the Somali government with direct cash aid, in contrast to Western governments who have pledged billions but not in the form of direct budget support.

A Turkish foreign ministry official told Reuters direct budget support payments stopped at the end of 2013.

It is not clear how much cash Turkey donated to Somalia in 2013, when the government budget totalled $110 million.

Somalia’s former central bank chief, Abdusalam Omer, said during his seven-month tenure the support amounted to $4.5 million per month, which he said was paid in cash to the central bank.

A Somali government official confirmed the support stopped at the end of 2013 but said his government “hopes the payments will be re-started”.

When asked whether there were plans to restart payments in 2014 or whether talks were taking place over resuming direct budget support, the Turkish official told Reuters in Ankara: “We have no such plans at this stage. It is not on our agenda.”

An official from TİKA (Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency) said its projects in Somalia were unaffected and would continue.

Turkey’s support for the current government has angered Islamist al Shabaab rebels, who in July raided Turkey’s embassy compound in Mogadishu, killing three people and wounding nine others.

CENTRAL BANK SCANDAL

The government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, which was firmly backed by the West when it came to power in September 2012 amid a wave of optimism, has since become a source of frustration for many Somalis angry with the slow pace of change, insecurity and graft allegations.

The government has lost much goodwill from Western donors angry over a scandal sparked by the resignation of central bank governor Yussur Abrar, who said she quit after only seven weeks in the job due to pressure on her to sign shady deals.

Somali officials denied the corruption claims.

The Turkish official said Turkey’s budget support cut was not related to recent developments, saying the support agreement was only in place for 2013 and had expired.

Horn of Africa analyst Rashid Abdi said the loss of Turkey’s budget aid will “definitely be a disappointment for the current government but I have no doubt they will find another (Middle Eastern) partner who will be happy to plug the shortfall.”

Western diplomats say they will not be stepping up to fill the budget hole and some shudder at how little oversight Turkey had over its aid.

Former governor Omer recalled how once a month he would visit Turkey’s Mogadishu embassy to collect $4.5 million in boxes full of cash. “It was always in $100 bills,” he told Reuters in Nairobi.

Turkey’s ambassador to Somalia declined to comment on his government’s method of delivering budget support.

Analyst Abdi said other countries may be much more secretive over how much financial support they give to Mohamud, an Islamist president with many allies in the Middle East.

“Turkey for all its faults was pretty transparent in its budgetary support for Somalia compared to other Muslim countries.”

Source: Reuters

Kalgacal Qaraabo Gurracanaa...!!!

Kalgacal Qaraabo Gurracanaa...!!! Jaamac waa arday waxbarashadii hoose kusoo idlaystay dalkii hooyo, balse usoo dhoofay inuu korarsado aqoontiisa, waxa uu iminka diyaariyaa shahaadada labaad ee aqoonta sare ee Jaamacadda. Inkasta oo uu Aqoon maadi iyo mid diinba sad fiican ka qaatay, haddana kama bad-baadin dareenka marna malabka ka macaan, marna dacarta ka kharaar (jacayl).

 Jaamac wuxuu badanaa naftiisa ku qanciyey iney mar un helayso nafta ku dhex nool waxaa uuna isku sasabaa xasuustii Cumar Rooraaye: Tacliintaan usoo dhoofaye, Uga imid dhulkaygii, Dhayal ila ma ahoo, Waan dhiganayaa, Midse la igu dheehaa, Dhiigayga xulaysa. Jacayl uu u qaadey Jamiila oo ah gabar ku nool dal carbeed, ayna isku dhowyihiin ayaa bilowgii hore ku salaamay dareen macaan, qabow iyo neecow deggan. Aqoonta qoysnimo ka sokow, waxaa sanad isku lingaxnaa qalbiyadooda.

 Jaamac waxa uu naftiisa dhex maaxshay bad-weynta jacaylka, dhanka kalena Jamiila waxba ma aysan hafran oo waxay u jishay dareen aan dhammaad lahayn, waa la is aaminey, waxkasta la wada wadaagey, musawiro kala jaad ah la is weydaarsaday, furayaasha gaarka ah ee cinwaanada (Password) waa la isku dhiibey. Madaama ay laba dal kala joogeen, Jaamac sitimaankii dhowr jeer ayuu wacaa gacalisadiisa. hadal debacsan, degganaan ayuu kala kulmaan, markuu dhib dareemo ama xaalad adag soo wajahdo, waxa uu nafta ku daweeya maqalka hadalkeeda.

 Inkasta oo uu Jaamac jeclaa in xiriirkani uu noqdo mid tolmoon oo ka tilmaaman xiriirada ay asxaabta ay isku gedaha yihiin ay jilaan, haddana horey ayaa loo yiri sir dumar laga ma sal gaadho. Muddo sanad ah markii lagu wada socday niyad-same, rajo wanaag iyo is aaminid, waxaa kala go'ay xiriirkii joogtada ahaa ee lammaanaha, madaama uu Jaamac fasaxii jaamacadda soo aadey Soomaaliya, nabar aadan filanayn xanuun badanaa...

 Maalin ayuu furey cinwaankiisa uu dad-weynaha kala xiriiro, wuxuu qoraalada asxaabta ugu jirta cinwaanka indhaha la raacaba, waxaa sadaradii danbe kasoo muuqdey tahniyad meher balse isaga u ahayd tacsi. Wiil ay isagana qaraabo yihiin, Jamiilana ay walaalo yihiin ayaa diraya tahniyad meher.. Tollow yaa loo dirayaa?

Waa Jamiilo iyo saygeeda cusub. Ma miyir doorsoomin, balse inuu jooga ka faniino waxyar buu ugu sigtay. Hunu-hunu hadal ma ahe, hadal dadkii ka ag-dhawaa wax ka fahmi waayeen buu ku hadlay, si deg-deg ah ayuu uga soo baxay goobtii uu ka isticmaalayey internetka. Ugu yaraan daqiiqad gudaheed ayaa waxaa sidii filim lagu soo celinayo ugu soo duxay maankiisa, waayihii uu la qaatay Jamiila, haddey musawiro ahaato, hadalo ahaato, calaamado gaar ah oo ay isku garan jireen ahaato.

Wuxuu abbaarey aqalkoodii, wuxuuna hal-haleel isugu tuurey sariirtiisii, maqane jooge ayuu isku beddeley, waxkasta wuu ka soomey, dhan laga hayo, iyo cid sheegta wax haya markii la garan waayeyna, isagaa is canaantay oo meesha ka kacay, wuxuu is-weyddiiyaa oo xagee xaajadu ka kharibantay waa adiga haya furaheedii khaaska ahaa (Password), mindhaa waa mid ay isku dal joogaan bey jawaab-celintiisu dhaafi weydey.

 Jaamac iminka waxaa uu kasoo bogsadey xanuunkii jacayl ee uu dunida kale u galay, waxa uuna ku dadaalaa waxbarashadiisa, waxa uuna go'aan ka qaatey aaminaada dumarka casrigan iyo haasaawaha cusub. Waa maan guracan iyo garasho jaan, Khiyaanada lammaanuhu waxay gaar iyo gooni u tahay oo lagu gartaa dumarka casrigan meelkasta oo ay joogaan, noloshuna waa dugsi laga barto casharo badan oo u baahan in lagu cibro qaato.

   W/Q: Anas A. Bidhaan.

President Hassan Sheikh Losing US and UK Confidence

Not long ago I read a personal letter wrote by a Somali who works for U.S. security and intelligence apparatus who claimed that the internal discussions about President Hassan’s government hasn’t been a positive one. This adds weight to what the Director of National Intelligence of U.S., James Clapper, report, recently said about President Hassan’s government:

“In Somalia al-shabaab is conducting asymmetric attacks against government facilities and western targets in and around Mogadishu. The credibility and effectiveness of the young Somali government will be further threatened by persistent political infighting, weak leadership from President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Il-equipped government institution, and pervasive technical, political, and administrative shortfalls.”

As we all know, perception is more powerful than the reality that’s not obvious. What I am saying is that if the perception among some of the U.S. Think-tanks, Intelligence groups, and the UK parliament is becoming negatively critical in very diplomatic way about President Hassan, he should be worried and start shaking things.

The Council on Foreign Relations, one of the most read and influential foreign affairs Think-tanks in the U.S., has this to say about the appointment of the new prime minister in Somalia while giving a background opinion on why the president made his PM choice:

“Why did the president appoint another expatriate technocrat seemingly destined to repeat the same mistakes of his predecessor? Perhaps by this appointment the president is trying to consolidate his power in the parliament, honor his clan commitments, appease international spectators, and maintain Hawiye clan dominance in government. Such an agenda would be credible for a president with little control over his country’s territory and with little ability to control political and clan bickering.”

The UK parliament’s Briefing note that is shared with the members of the parliament to give them a general understanding of how things are moving around the world, which shapes their perception, has this to say about the progress President Hassan has made since he came to office:

“International donors, including the UK, continue to give President Mohamud strong public support. He has a virtually impossible job to do. However, during his administration has barely begun to address many of the crucial tasks it inherited from its discredited predecessor, the Transitional Federal Government, such as completing a final Constitution or securing agreement on how a federal Somalia would operate. Nor does it seem to have made a great deal of progress in combating official corruption. A July 2013 UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea report argued that not much has changed, alleging that: a large percentage of withdrawals from the Central Bank had been for private purposes: a significant proportion of Mogadishu port revenues was going missing every month; and that the immigration service was heavily implicated in fraud in connection with the issuing of passports and visas. The Somali Federal Government has repudiated the report, with the Governor of the Central Bank, Abdusalam Omer, accusing it of being “completely unfounded, unsubstantiated, defamatory and reckless.” International support to AMISOM also continues.”

As anyone who understands deeply about world politics and how diplomatically negative notes are written, these three different opinions coming from three very influential groups from policy makers to opinion shapers, should not be taken very lightly–I am sure this is the tip of the iceberg. Remember, this is almost equivalent if not worse, in blunt speaking, of saying the president has not being a president and he’s acting like his predecessors, which we know how their legacy will be remembered: ineffective, unintelligent, and corrupt leaders who promoted their own personal interests before the nation.

Unfortunately, it’s known that the president of Somalia has surrounded himself people (advisers) who only tell him what he wants to hear or see, and not the reality and the facts he should be getting as a public leader whose job is to lead and make very tough decisions. Unless this changes, probably the president will not know fully or get the full picture of what’s happening outside the walls of Villa-Somalia, and his legacy will be like those who came before him.

SOURCE: www.puntlandi.com