The Next Generation of Storytellers
Supporting a literacy campaign across Somalia
“Sheeko Sheeko” says the storyteller. The students respond: “Sheeko Xariir.”
And so the teacher began the story and students listened, reminiscent of the way Somali children have gathered around storytellers for centuries, ready to learn.
The call and response — “Sheeko” means “story” and “Xariir” means “tell us” — started this year’s Mogadishu Book Fair (MBF) with a nod to past cultural traditions and a reach to a promising future.
This was the fourth year of the Somali-driven campaign for literacy and learning supported by USAID. As many as 2,000 people each day participated in the three-day event in the Waberi district of Mogadishu.
A Nation of Poets
Somalia has long been known as a nation of poets. With no official written language until the 1970s, Somalis used an oral tradition of poetry and storytelling in the Somali language that has been around since at least the 12th century and passed down through generations.
In day-to-day interactions among family members or with a council of clan elders, they often still lace their messages with poetry, proverbs, and words of wisdom.
Through storytelling, Somalis reflect the values they cherish: loyalty, courage, fairness, intelligence, and generosity. This rich oral culture is the social glue that binds Somalis together despite adversity, conflict, and famine faced over the last few decades.
“What is striking about the MBF is that its audience is young and part of a generation that has never known anything but conflict,” says U.S. Embassy Mogadishu Deputy Chief of Mission Brian Neubert. “The United States Government supports Somali-led initiatives, like the MBF, launched by and for this generation to define themselves beyond conflict — to debate, collaborate and sustain Somalia’s new narrative and identity.”
A Literacy Campaign Across Somalia
The MBF was more than a three-day event. Leading up to the fair, 50 Somali women and men attended Youth Writers’ workshops led by Somali writers. The top students received the first-ever Somali Youth Writers competition award. Book forums were held in Baidoa in partnership with the University of Southern Somalia, South West State, to inspire writers and readers across the country with the MBF ethos.
Somali officials and U.S. diplomats renewed their commitment to eradicating illiteracy in Somalia through arts, culture, and literacy events.
Only one of every three Somali children ages 6 to 13 are enrolled in primary school, drastically below the 74 percent average of low-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Schooling opportunities tend to be available in more secure, urban areas, thus disadvantaging rural, poor students from accessing an education. Literacy is critical for building skills to obtain jobs, but also to build a sense of a Somali shared identity and purpose, vital for Somalia’s stability.
“With three million school-aged kids out of school, we need a collective effort and commitment to reach all of Somalia’s children,” says Brian Frantz, USAID deputy mission director in Somalia.
Storytelling As A Communal Bond
In the storytelling tent at the MBF, the storytellers paint the picture of Somalia’s storied past, treasured loves, and cunning animals.
Somali children sit cross-legged, their faces full of amazement, as the Somali folktale “Dawaco Iyo Yaxaas” (The Fox and the Crocodile) comes to life with the beating of the drums and the clapping of hands. The children hear about a crocodile that lends her large tongue to a fox that refuses to return it because she wants to forever taste delicious foods. The crocodile learns that good deeds are not always rewarded. This folktale was printed under a USAID previously-funded education project for dissemination in classrooms across Somalia.
British-Somali children’s book writer Zainab Dahir, author of “Ma Dhergaa Dhurwaa,” (The Insatiable Hyena) entertains her audience with a tale of a greedy hyena that never gets enough meat.
Zainab emphasizes the importance of parents’ involvement in their child’s education.
“My mother narrated Somali tales to me because she knew Somali was the foundation for learning other languages as I progressed in school. Even an illiterate parent can be involved. Vivid images in books and oral stories enable parents with low literacy skills to be a part of their children’s education. No child deserves to be left behind.”
About the Authors
Rina Dhalla is an Education Officer at USAID’s Mission in Somalia.
Karla Christensen is the Development Outreach and Communications Specialist in the same Mission.
About this Story
On June 17, the United States reopened a permanent USAID Mission in Somalia, more than 28 years after its closing due to instability and security reasons. Administrator Mark Green was in Mogadishu to open the Mission and emphasize the importance of USAID’s commitment to supporting the people and Government of Somalia on their Journey to Self-Reliance. For students who have persistently been left behind academically over nearly three decades, the news was momentous. USAID is committed to ensuring quality learning for all children, including those who are marginalized — rural, girls, linguistic and ethnic minorities — and those displaced due to drought, violence, and insecurity. And, the Agency supports Somali-driven initiatives like the Mogadishu Book Fair that promote student engagement through arts and culture. The Agency continues to invest significantly in education with a $10 million project implemented by UNICEF, a $5 million contribution to the Girls’ Education Challenge program, and a $50 million new education program to reach students persistently left behind.
