Child Sponsorship Report 2009, from Somaliland

It is a pleasure to send you our warmest greetings and share information with you this festive season.

Current Situation

The failure of the rains in many parts of Somaliland has led to massive loss of livestock, particularly for the rural population, many of whom are pastoralists. Yet despite this drought Sheikh has been the most peaceful zone in the horn of Africa. However, the security situation in the southern region, known as Somalia, is totally different: it has witnessed a lot of violence and intensified fighting between the government forces and the opposing Islamists factions.

SOS Sheikh Secondary School

The school has a total of 218 students, including the 60 new students admitted in form one, and there are 180 boys and 38 girls. All new students wrote entry exams in order to qualify for the school. New uniforms and bedding were issued to these students so as to make them feel part of the school community. Continuing students went ahead with their classes as usual. Special coaching for the weaker students was organised and regular afternoon classes were also introduced in the school.

Examination

The form four students (age 18) sat for their advanced computer external examination (from India).  Similarly, the form two students are preparing to sit for their International General Certificate for the Secondary Education (I.G.C.S.E.) in the near future. All the SOS Sheikh School students take the I.G.C.S.E syllabus and the Somaliland National Examination respectively.

Staff

At the moment there are 16 teaching personnel for the school,  four administration staff, one library attendant, nine maintenance staff and nine cooks respectively, while three people take care of the school’s security.

Donations

A scholarship for the whole year was offered to a few students by the Somali Union in United Kingdom. At the same time a parent donated a bread oven and 85 books to the school.

Co-curricular activities

The students have a number of association and clubs, like the new Environment Conservation Club (ECO) which is concerned with the conservation of the environment. After conducting a quiz, a question and answer book was released by the club. In addition to this, it has also endeavoured to plant trees in the school and to clean the compound.
[ad#Google Adsense (200×90)]
Furthermore, this year the debating club is sharing its achievements with the rest of the school fraternity. For example, the club debated the rights of the girl child in the Somali region.

The school’s football club also excelled after beating the community school in the four games it played.

Visitors

This year has seen a number of friends coming to the school. Among them were personnel from the Edna Maternity Hospital, who gave a talk on personal cleanliness and well being to the students. At the same time, girls from the school were given advice by the gynaecologists on current health problems affecting women in societies and ways of curbing them.

In addition, the head of the African Educational Trust, Mr Paul Mattison, advised the outgoing form four students who would like to undertake a career in education, on different teaching methodologies to be applied especially to the people of Somaliland.

We are glad to tell you about our successful endeavours and thank you for your concerned efforts throughout the year. We hope that you will continue with your generosity in subsequent years for our school.

Happy New Year to you all.

[nggallery id=17]

Rukia Abdirahman
Sponsorship Co-coordinator
National Office
Somalia/Somaliland

SOS Children’s Villages, 7 March 2010