Sha'ab School
HIMILO International Civic Development Agency (HICDA) began construction of a community school in Galkayo in June 2007. This is a joint project of the Somali Diaspora especially Canada, USA, Great Britain, Denmark, Finland and local business people. In addition to educating young people, the school is used for community seminars, prayer, meetings and public education. This project is managed by two boards - one in Canada and the other one in Somalia.
The building of the school helped stimulate the local economy, employing upwards of 100 people who helped build the school. Today, nearly 20 teachers, guards and caretakers work at the school.
The school can accommodate up to 1000 students. In the 2011/2012 school year, more than 600 students attend the school, broken up in two shifts a day. Most students are unable to pay their school fees. To ensure every child has access to education, scholarships have been set up by HICDA and Human Concern International. The coalition pays for the fees of children. These scholarships would not be possible without the generous donations of the coalition’s supporters. If you would like to donate to a child’s education fund, please contact Mohamed Ali Aden at 416-885-5997.
The school is comprised of 12 classes, cafeteria, library, auditorium, an office, and a teacher’s room. In 2010, construction on the second floor expansion of the Sha’ab school was completed, thanks to the support of Human Concern International. The expansion houses an auditorium and a computer lab.
A space for a library has been built, but has not been stocked with books yet. Donations of old text books, fiction and non-fiction reading material is always greatly appreciated. For more information on how you can donate used books, please contact Mohamed Ali Aden.
The computer lab has 11 functioning computers, which is used to ensure all students are computer literate. The computer science class teaches them how to type, research and use various computer programs. The computers were donated from Canadian businesses. Further donations would be appreciated. Please contact Mohamed Ali Aden for more information on how you can help.
It is also critically important that the young people in the Mudug region are taught agricultural skills. The school has gardening classes, where students learn how to work with the dry climate and fields of the area, planting fruits and vegetables. Recently, each student has been challenged to plant one tree in their front yards, to help green their city.
HCI has also supported the creation and stocking of a science lab, equipped with microscopes, chemistry equipment and tools.
We are very proud of how far we have come. Last year, every graduate of the Sha’ab school was admitted to university. This proves that the desire for education is, and always has been, incredibly great. All they needed was a chance to prove themselves. Though the university students face their own set of funding challenges, the future is bright for these young people.
For more information, or to find out how you can help with this special project, please contact Mohamed Aden at mohamedaaden@hotmail.com, or call 416-885-5997. To make a donation, please follow the PayPal link below.
For more information and pictures click here (please note this website is in Somali)
