Maakhir University was first proposed by Maakhir Development Group, a Minnesota based organization. The university aims to provide much needed training for the local and wider members of the community who may be interested in developing their skills, hence, increasing employability and the overall economic atmosphere of the region.
Founders and supporters are enthusiastic about the first university of “Maakhir Region,” an area which makes up roughly a seventh of Somalia’s land mass. Intellectuals from the region in Minnesota had devised a plan for the university nearly 3 years ago, and the institution officially opened last fall.
As vastly documented in academic journals, sociopolitical and economic development of a nation is in many ways, determined by the quality and level of educational attainment of the population. Attendees of this meeting were warned that continued neglect of this segment would lead to social paralysis. The youth should be given the appropriate quality academic training in order to enable them to reach their full potential.
Preventing Brain Drain
The university currently hosts two faculties; Education and I.T, reflecting the most basic needs of the region. The I.T faculty intends to improve communication skills and the use of computers and information technologies in order to yield productivity, and in the long run translate into lasting, strong and participatory democracy. We are confident that the institution will positively transform the society, especially the educational sector, which in turn will impact the region as a whole.
Elsewhere in Maakhir region, the university enjoys a strong support. “This institution will produce the leadership that the community lacks, both in government and private business,” says Ibrahim Adan Jamac, the Principal of Mubarak High School in Haylaan region’s capital, Dhahar.
One of the universities objectives is to prevent brain drain in Maakhir region, where high school graduates are forced to seek education in other regions and outside the country. Hundreds of students leave the region every year in seek of higher education, and at times return home with shattered dreams due to financial hardships.
Engaging the Diaspora, an opportunity to re-bond with home
The Maakhiri Diaspora has a visible role as a motor of change in a very fragile market economy through remittance and development efforts. Notable examples include the establishments of a high school and a modern library in the town of Xingalool. “The success of these projects, have not only planted confidence on the Diaspora, but more importantly it gave us an opportunity to re-bond with home,” says Abdirahman Shiine Dubad, Somali Public Radio Coordinator and a contributor to the mentioned developments.
SPR, the first FM radio established in Maakhir region was also a Diaspora undertaking. The positive contribution of the FM radio station is another example of the Diaspora acting as change agents. The radio outlet opened up a political space for the public through programs, interviews and talk show. “Our goal to bridge the gap between Somalia and its Diaspora who have assimilated into their country of residence,” says Ibraahim Shire Faarax (Weyne), Somali Public Radio director of public relations.
In various Somali regions, the collaboration between actors inside and outside the country achieved remarkable success in building both peace and developmental institutions. Maakhiri immigrants living abroad, maintain economic, political, social and emotional ties with their region, thus this institution will provide an avenue for the Diaspora to contribute both financially and intellectually.
Combating piracy by keeping the young occupied
Faduma Jibrill, founder of Horn-Relief, an international relief agency argues that the university will contribute to the security of the horn of Africa by keeping the young occupied. The region has a volatile population of young men, a preferred target market for pirate recruiters and other criminal organizations. The state of anarchy in Somalia leads to considerable social disorganization such as crime, juvenile delinquency and other breaches of the peace.
Solutions have been sought in high seas piracy, a booming venture in northeastern Somalia. Studies pointed to poverty, unemployment, and the absence of basic services in the education and health sectors as key factors in the growth of this criminal industry.
As the visibility of adequate transport, communication and infrastructures remain to be out of sight in Maakhir region, we look to this university as a catalyst of hope and change. May this new institution inspire innovation by allowing the young to experiment with creativity.
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