By Maslah Mumin | BORESHA Project
8th June 2020
“I am glad that we have the option of continuing with our education via ZOOM despite the interruptions caused by COVID-19 throughout the whole world and certainly in the education sector,” says Sharmarke, a student living in Gedo, Somalia, “I have learned many new things, concepts and acquired skills in the past few days. I wish I could go to our normal school again, but I know that because of the pandemic we shouldn’t go out and should stay at home unless it is absolutely necessary,” he quipped.
Meet Shamarke Ahmed
Sharmarke Ahmed is the first born of a family of 7 children. He successfully completed his high school education back in 2016, where he performed quite well in his final exams considering the prevailing circumstances in the country. Upon finishing high school, he volunteered with Garbaharey Youth Group in order to get some work experience and at the same time to give back to his community which had sacrificed so much for him. The group focused on advocating for the rights of the youth in the community especially on equal employment opportunities considering the high levels of unemployment in the area. Considering his good performance in high school, Sharmarke went on to become a teacher at Al-Qalam Primary and Secondary School in 2017 where he is providing his services pro bono more or less. It is a sacrifice he is willing to make if only to provide a learning opportunity to other young learners that are yearning for education.
BORESHA Support
“Considering I am a teacher and also a student at the same time, I have a unique perspective on the important role played by education in Somalia, every day I spend my time consumed in the world of education and looking for opportunities to better myself and to nourish my brain’’ says Sharmarke. As the BORESHA project, we understood the importance of having scholarships as one of our major undertakings since it provides an opportunity for many young people to earn an education. Without assistance from an outside source, well to do family members, donors or friends, students may have trouble paying for the degree or certificate they need in order to enter the workforce and become a contributing member of society and the economy at large. Sharmarke was fortunate to get one of our scholarship slots for Somalia and was enrolled in to The Siyad Moahamed Technical Education College (SaMTECH) in October 2019, he took up a Diploma in Community Development/Social Work course that will take one year to complete.
Online Learning
With schools closing down, the school activities in Somalia similar to the other countries, transferred to television, radio and online platforms, even though it is difficult to measure how impactful some of these tools are. If you work from home, you have probably heard about Zoom, one of the leading video conferencing software apps on the market. It allows you to virtually interact with co-workers or employers when in-person meetings aren’t possible. This makes telecommuting seem much more human, as it helps you feel connected. Zoom has made it possible for Sharmarke and his classmates to continue with their learning through this platform, many would not associate such ingenuity with Somalia, a country that has been ravaged by civil war and its narrative distorted. It is stores like this that help to change the narrative of Somalia.
“The e-learning takes place through online and the fact that we have stable connection is a big plus for us since the classes run smoothly. We use ZOOM via the Zoom mobile app on Android and iOS, where you can start or join a meeting, in this case the lecturer initiates the meetings and has organized his sessions very well. A timetable has been developed whereby students know in advance the time each class will take place as well as the topics of discussion. The Online class is conducted either through a video or audio depending on the connection” Says Sharmarke.
When asked if the quality of education is the same as compared to regular classes Sharmarke said “no, regular classes are much more fun, interactive and informative. The classroom environment offers students the opportunity to have face-to-face interactions with their peers and lecturers. This is an added social benefit as well as an educational aid. Because as students we see the same peers in class every session, we get a chance to form friendships and bonds.” It is his hope that normalcy will return soon in order to get back to his learning in the right environment, which is the classroom.