STORY:SOMALINATIONALUNIVERSITYREOPENS

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CREDITREQUIRED:AU/UNIST
LANGUAGE:SOMALI/ENGLISH/NATURAL
SOUND
DATELINE:OCTOBER23,2014/
MOGADISHU,SOMALIA


SHOTLIST:

OCTOBER23,2014
1.Wideshot,SomaliaNationalUniversity
2.Closeupshot,SomaliaNationalUniversitysignpost
3.Mediumshot,studentswalkingattheuniversitycompound
4.Wideshot,studentswalkingattheuniversitycompound
5.Mediumshot,AbdulahiMohamoudAligivingalecture
6.Closeupshot,femalestudentsattendingthelecture
7.Mediumshot,malestudentslisteningtoAbdulahiMohamoudAli
8.Mediumshot,Aligivingthelecture
9.Wideshot,studentsattendinganEnglishlanguagelecture
10.(SOUNDBITE)(English)AbdulahiMohamoudAli,EnglishLecturer,Somalia
NationalUniversity:
IrecommendallSomalistudentsgirlsandtheboystogether,themomentthey
graduateforexamplefromthehighschoolstojoinus,tosharethishappiness
withus,tojointhischeerfulnesswithusandtosharethehappylifethatweare
leadingattheSomaliaNationalUniversity.
11.Mediumshot,studentsinthelecturehall
12.Wideshot,economicslectureinprogress
13.Mediumshot,femalestudentsintheeconomicsclass
14.Closeupshot,femalestudentattendingtheeconomicslecture
15.Mediumshot,economicslecturer
16.Closeupshot,malestudent
17.Closeupshot,malestudenttakingnotes
18.(SOUNDBITE)(Somali)BishalAwilAliAbdi,Student,SomaliaNational
University:
This university collapsed before I was born. It was shut down in 1991 and I was
born in 1993, thats two years after my birthday. Ive been told this was a national
university with 15,000 students who studied for free. The university was shut
down before I was born so for me to be part of it now, makes me so happy that I
cannot even measure my happiness. I wish to share that happiness with Somalis
allovertheworld.
19. Wide shot, Chancellor, Somalia National University, Dr. Mohamed Jimale in
hisoffice
20.Mediumshot,Dr.Jimalesigningadocument
21.Closeupshot,signeddocuments
22.Closeupshot,Dr.Jimalereadingdocuments
23.(SOUNDBITE)(English)Dr.MohamedJimale,Chancellor,SomaliaNational
University:
Thegovernmentcreateswhatiscalledtheequalopportunitybecausewhen
thereisonlyprivateeducation,alotoftheyoungpeoplecannotaccessit
becauseoftheeconomicsituationbuttheSomaligovernmentrealisedthatitis
thedutyofthegovernmentthatithastogivetheSomaliyoungpeopleequal
opportunityandthatiswhytheforceofthegovernmentwasputbehindthe
realisationandreinstatementofthisUniversity.
24.Mediumshot,Economicsclassinprogress
25.Mediumshot,AbdulahiMohamoudAligivingalecture
26.(SOUNDBITE)(Somali)AyanAbdiweliMohamud,Student,SomaliaNational
University:
IdliketosaytoallSomaliwomenthatwillwatchthis,getupandgetan
educationsothatyourequalifiedtohelpyourcountry.Themenaregoing
forwardandwemustbelikethem.Iurgeallmotherstolettheirgirlsgotoschool
sothattheyreabletohelpthemselvesinthefuture.
27.Mediumshot,studentswalkingaroundincampus
28.Wideshot,SomaliNationalUniversitybuilding

STORY

Tuckedamidsttherubblethatservesasastarkreminderofthefiercebattles
thatwerefoughtinthestreetsofSomaliascapital,arefivenewlyrefurbished
buildings.TheyhouseSomaliasNationalUniversity,whichrecentlywelcomeda
freshbatchofstudentsforthefirsttimein23years.

ThecampusislocatedintheHamarweynedistrictofMogadishualsoknownas
OldMogadishu.TheSomaliaNationalUniversity(SNU)hasreopeneditsdoors
withtheintentionofproducingthecalibreofleadersthatwilldriveSomalias
returntotheglobalstage.

ManySomalissaytheresumptionofclasseshereishistoryinthemaking,and
studentshavetravelledfromfarflungpartsoftheHornofAfricanationtojoinone
ofthesixfaculties(medicine,education,veterinary,agriculture,law,economics)
onoffer.PreuniversitycoursesinMathematics,Physics,BiologyandEnglish
beganonOctober6.

IrecommendallSomalistudentsgirlsandtheboystogether,themomentthey
graduateforexamplefromthehighschoolstojoinus,tosharethishappiness
withus,tojointhischeerfulnesswithusandtosharethehappylifethatweare
leadingattheSomaliNationalUniversity,saidAbdulahiMohamoudAli,an
EnglishlectureratSNU.

ThecampuswasbuiltbyItaliancolonialistsin1956originallyasaninstitutefor
Somalistolearnmanagement,lawandeconomics.In1969nineyearsafter
independenceitwasrenamedtheSomaliaNationalUniversity.

Theschoolgrewovertheyearsintoa14facultyinstitutionthatproducedmostof
thecountrystopcivilservants.

In1990,thegovernmentofPresidentMohamedSiadBarrefell,andlikeallother
governmentstructures,theuniversitywasabandoned.

ThisuniversitycollapsedbeforeIwasborn.Itwasshutdownin1991andIwas
bornin1993,thatstwoyearsaftermybirthday.Ivebeentoldthiswasanational
universitywith15,000studentswhostudiedforfree.Theuniversitywasshut
downbeforeIwasbornsoformetobepartofitnowmakesmesohappyandI
cannotmeasuremyhappiness.IwishtosharethathappinesswithSomalisall
overtheworld,saidBishalAwilAli,oneofthe374studentscurrentlyenrolledin
SNU.

Aftergraduatingin1976withaBachelorinLinguisticsandamajorinItalian
Language,Dr.MohamedJimalehasreturnedtohisAlmamatertoserveasits
chancellor.Hesaystherevivaloftheuniversityisanexampleoftherestorative
powerofpublicprivatesectorpartnerships.

TerroristgroupAlShabaabwhichforbadeeducationandstifleddevelopment
wasdrivenoutofMogadishuin2011bytheSomaliNationalArmybackedby
AfricanUnionpeacekeepers.

Afterthedepartureoftheextremistmilitants,theFederalGovernmentofSomalia
(FGOS)hadthesecurityandsupportitneededtomobilisefinancialand
technicalassistancefromlocalbusinessestorehabilitatethecampus.

Thegovernmentcreateswhatiscalledtheequalopportunitybecausewhen
thereisonlyprivateeducation,alotoftheyoungpeoplecannotaccessit
becauseoftheeconomicsituation,buttheSomaligovernmentrealisedthatitis
thedutyofthegovernmentthatithastogivetheSomaliyoungpeopleequal
opportunityandthatiswhytheforceofthegovernmentwasputbehindthe
realisationandreinstatementofthisUniversity,saidDr.Jimale.

MarginalisedbyAlShabaab,womenarenowbeingencouragedtotakean
activeandleadingroleinthecountryssocial,economicandpolitical
renaissance.

IdliketosaytoallSomaliwomenthatwillwatchthis,getupandgetan
educationsothatyourequalifiedtohelpyourcountry.Themenaregoing
forwardandwemustbelikethem.Iurgeallmotherstolettheirgirlsgotoschool
sothattheyreabletohelpthemselvesinthefuture,saidAyanAbdiweli
Mohamud,anotherstudentatSNU.

Somaliasgovernmenthasmanychallengestoovercomeasitworkstorebuild
institutionslikethese.Soonitwillhavethesupportofthegraduatingclassesof
SNU,toassistintheircountryslongroadtorecovery.