Imagine say one whole generation grow up wey dem no sabi wetin e be to sidon for classroom, talk less of get access to education wey billions of pipo for di world dey take as normal tin.

Fifteen years. Na so long schools for Harardhere, one coastal town for central Somalia, dey close because of wahala wey gun bring.

When di sound of school pikin dem return to di empty classrooms for 2023, e show say Somalia wey war don scatter don dey try rise again through education, and Harardhere don free from di hand of di terrorist group Al-Shabab.

Somalia don suffer well well. For many years, civil war and terrorist wahala don scatter di education system wey once dey shine.

For di 1970s, Somalia dey use almost half of dia national budget for education, dem even start mobile schools for nomadic people and mix Islamic curriculum with modern syllabus. But by di year 2000, di system don scatter finish.

"Violence wey no dey finish go make dem close our schools, we no go even sabi when or if we go fit return," Abdi Samet, wey dey early 30s now, yarn give TRT Afrika.

Him words na di same reality wey millions of Somali pikin dem face. School playgrounds turn battlegrounds. Teachers run comot. Na Al-Shabab terrorist activities cause all dis wahala.

No unified curriculum dey, so schools dey patch syllabus from wetin dem dey teach for Egypt, Saudi Arabia, or India. Private schools wey cost well well na di only option for families wey fit afford am. Teaching materials no dey plenty, and teachers wey sabi di work no too dey.

Even with all di wahala, Somali people no gree leave education. Communities dey set up makeshift classrooms for borrowed spaces.

Private universities like SIMAD Institute (wey don turn SIMAD University) open for 1999 to dey offer higher education when di government no fit. Somali National University sef reopen for 2014.

"My papa na my biggest support," Abdi talk. "E do pass him power to create learning environment for house even with di wahala we face. Him dedication na wetin give me strength to push forward. E teach me di subjects wey I no sabi or e arrange private tutors to help me."

Turning point

Di past three years don bring big changes for Somalia education system. Under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud administration, education don move from back seat to di front for national policy.

Di numbers dey show di challenges and progress. "When we enter office less than three years ago, na only 900 teachers dey government payroll, less than 25% of children dey school, and over four out of five million children no dey go school," education minister Farah Sh. Abdulkadir Mohamed talk.

For just two years, di education ministry don recruit 6,000 trained teachers and send dem go different parts of di country. Di goal na to get 12,000 teachers by 2026. Di important tin be say di teachers' salary dey come from national money, no be foreign aid.

"Our teachers wey dey get paid from our own money show say we dey take ownership and we dey self-sufficient," Farah Abdulkadir talk.

President Hassan Mohamud talk say dis na recognition of di "important role wey teachers dey play to shape our human capital."

"For too long, Somali teachers' hard work no dey recognised. We don decide to recruit more teachers. Dem be di heartbeat of our nation, di people wey dey build di future, and my government dey value dem," e talk.

Di national education budget don increase from 3% to 9.4% for di past three years, and dem dey use di money build and repair schools for all federal member states.

"We no just dey invest for buildings; dem be symbol of recovery, inclusion and hope," Tata, one official wey dey involved for di initiative, talk.

Building systems

Di cabinet don approve di first National Higher Education Commission for di country, wey former presidential candidate Abdinur Sheikh Mohamud dey chair.

Di commission dey oversee 130 registered institutions under di National Higher Education Act, di first law wey dey regulate universities.

Technology don dey important for dis transformation. Di Education Management Information System (EMIS) wey dem start for 2016 dey track enrolment and performance data. Di higher education version, HEMIS, wey dem launch for 2023, don register 248,000 graduates and 200,000 students wey dey school now.

"HEMIS don dey for almost one year," di education minister talk. Di system dey help verify credentials, wey be important step for Somali students wey wan find opportunities for outside di country.

Dr Hussein Ahmed Salad, wey don teach for all education levels for Mogadishu, believe say di impact go big pass wetin pipo dey see now.

"We don waka far, and people dey believe for our education system. Di reforms don make our academic certificates get value because of systems like HEMIS wey dey help tertiary institutions verify documents, so our bright students fit access education anywhere," e yarn give TRT Afrika.

Di reintroduction of standardised Grade 12 exams for 2015 start with 7,000 students. By di 2024-2025 academic session, di number don reach 39,000, including students for Las'anood wey dey write exams for di first time in 30 years.

Education as liberation

Di government military offensive against Al-Shabab terrorist group since late 2022 don help increase resistance to terrorism, and dis don make more pip dey go school.

For Harardhere, di education ministry don share textbooks and digital tablets with di help of UNICEF and di AU Mission for Somalia as pikin dem return to classrooms after 15 years.

One pre-university foundation year wey cover Somali, Arabic, English and civic skills, including conflict resolution, dey prepare 10,000 students every year for higher education.

Di education ministry talk say dis na important preparation for academic success, no be extra year of study.

Gender equity don rise too. Female participation for Grade 12 exams don increase from 26% for 2015 to 42% dis year. For September 2024, di education ministry give scholarship to 3,000 girls to train for midwifery, nursing and teaching through vocational programmes.

Accelerated basic education programmes dey help children wey start for Islamic schools move enter di formal system.

Unified national curriculum and textbooks for primary and secondary schools, plus national certification for primary education, don bring order where confusion dey before.

The road ahead

"We need between 80,000 and 120,000 teachers; but now we get around 35,000 teachers," Dr Hussein talk.

Education minister Farah Abdulkadir talk say Somalia dey serious about education and dis go help di numbers grow.

"We no go ever go back to our past," e talk. "We need to believe for our education, our teachers and policies, because no nation fit progress without strong and stable higher education system."

Di journey from ruins to renewal through education still dey go on.