SOMALIA: Ayan Abdinasir, "I long for higher education"
GALKAYO, SOMALIA, 5 June 2007 (IRIN) - Ayan
Abdinasir, 16, was born into a poor family in Galkayo. Going to a regular school
was not an option since her family could not afford the fees, so she went to a
Koranic school. The family, four children and their mother, depend on whatever
the mother can make from selling tomatoes in the market.
Photo:
Abdi S. Hassan/IRIN 
Ayan
Abdinasir
"My mother
sells vegetables on a small table in the market and that was all we had and most
times it was not enough to feed us. So she could not afford to send me to
school."
Seeing other children in her Koranic school leaving early so
they could go to regular school made her envious.
"I wanted to go to
school so badly, when I heard about Mama Hawa's school [Galkayo Education Centre
for Peace and Development] taking in girls, I went without telling my mother."
She went to the centre and was told to bring her parents to enrol. "They
told me to bring my mother, but since I did not tell her that I had visited the
school, I could not bring her. I was disappointed but I did not give up.
"I came every morning and they told me the same thing. After a week I
was enrolled."
At first she had to hide from her mother the fact that
she was going to school. "Every morning I would go to Koranic school and then
tell the [Koranic] teacher that I had to leave because I was going to school.
"It went on like that for three months and then I had to tell my mother
that I was going to school. My mother is very supportive of my desire to educate
myself and help others.
"I have now finished my eighth year of school
and have graduated. I am now a volunteer at the centre and would like to get a
higher education, including university.
"One day I want to be able to
help other women the way I was helped. I also want to support my mother so she
can have a better life. I am very grateful to everyone in the group that helped
me get an education.
"I also pray for peace and good government for all
the people of my country."