A Two-Way Street: Reversing Brain Drain In Somalia
So the crisis continues. And the brain drain intensifies.
But what if there was a way to reverse brain drain? This is the question that the International Organization of Migration (IOM) has been asking about Somalia.
'There has been a lot of brain drain in Somalia. How do we bring back those skills that they have been able to achieve in their country of residence to their country of origin?' said Yvonne Jepkoech Chelmio, an IOM official focused on labour and migration in Africa.
The IOM's Migration in Africa for Development Programme (MIDA) selects members of the Somali diaspora who are experts in their chosen fields and places them in local hospitals, schools and national ministries in order to build Somalia's self-sufficiency.
In the past 20 years, MIDA has sponsored the return of over 400 Somalis from 17 different countries. These returnees have worked in many fields — including education and health, as well as climate action, urban planning and the rule of law — all with the hope of advancing sustainable development in Somalia.
'Drivers of change'
The Somali Civil War which began in 1991 provoked mass displacement, both internally and externally. More than 30 years later, the situation has improved but security continues to be an issue, which in turn is imperilling sustainable development.
'What happens in countries like Somalia is someone becomes skilled in a field, educated, they don't want to stay here. So you lose talent, you lose skill,' said pedagogy expert, Shire Salad, a diaspora participant in the MIDA program who was placed in the Ministry of Education to work alongside their evaluation development team.
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With two million Somalis living abroad, the Somali diaspora has long played an integral role in the country's economy. The money they send back as remittances sometimes outpaces direct foreign aid, totalling over $2 billion annually and contributing at least one-third of the national GDP.
But MIDA deviates from a solely economic understanding of the diaspora's contributions, instead creating avenues for their return which emphasise their technical skills, expertise and international networks.
'[The diaspora] serve as bridges, as ambassadors, as drivers of change and development actors,' said Nasra Sheikh Ahmed, one of the IOM officials in charge of the programme.
And according to Ms. Ahmed, who is a member of the Somali diaspora herself, one of the most remarkable things about the MIDA programme is that it seizes upon something which already exists — the Somali diaspora wants to return.
'[The diaspora] still see it as their home. They're not immigrants in another country. They still see themselves as Somalis. They see themselves as an extension, basically just living somewhere else.'
Education at the core
While the MIDA programme has operated across many sectors one of the main sectors on which the MIDA programme has focused is education.
Mohamed Gure, a professor at Somali National University, participated in the MIDA programme as a local professional who worked alongside members of the diaspora to improve the curriculum for aspiring teachers.
When Dr. Gure began his studies years ago, he said that there were no programmes in Somalia which offered a doctoral degree in education. So he, like many others, went abroad.
Today, he sees a new sort of problem — not enough Somalis want to become teachers, and those that do believe that they do not need a formal training.
'Teachers in the classroom do not have training in being a teacher. This will affect the quality of education in Somalia in the long-term,' Dr. Gure said.
Over the course of a few years, Dr. Gure worked alongside diaspora professionals to develop a new curriculum and create a lasting partnership with the University of Helsinki in Finland.
For him, the benefits of this new curriculum are already clear — students are learning more, and the online collaborations with students in Helsinki are creating an international network of expertise.
'All this [training] is a resource for the country. All the curricula that were developed for the country will remain. It will be used by lecturers who can train other lecturers,' Dr. Gure said.
A two-way street
Partnerships, like that which Dr. Gure experienced, are an essential part of the MIDA programme's long-term impact, ensuring that even after the diaspora professional leave, their contributions remain.
'We have not just provided skills transfer to two people, but these two people can now transfer to four people. So there's more sustainability in terms of process,' Ms. Chelmio said.
But this skills transfer is not without challenges. Many of the diaspora who are returning to Somalia have been gone for years, sometimes decades. The Somalia to which they return is quite different from the one they left.
'Although you may speak the language and you may understand that culture, they still see you as a foreigner,' said Dr. Salad, who left Somalia when he was quite young and 'returned with grey hairs.'
Adapting expertise to the Somali context is essential for sustainable development, and this is something that the local professionals are uniquely equipped to do, creating a two-way street with both parties acting as experts in their own right.
'[The diaspora] don't understand the context, the dynamic of the country itself. The local expert is able to give the diaspora expert the perspective,' Ms. Chelmio said.
A future in which Somalis stay
MIDA has, in small ways, reversed the brain drain of the past decades. It has brought back hundreds of diaspora members. And even if they have not stayed, their skills and expertise have.
But, Somalis are still leaving the country, risking their lives on boats to the Gulf and to Europe out of pure hopelessness And many of them die.
Dr. Salad hopes that one day for Somalia, there will be no brain drain to reverse.
'If they had hope in this country, they would have stayed. If they believed this country was going to be a better country, they would have stayed. My hope is that younger generations will have that hope, that they will stay.'
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Scoop
4 days ago
- Scoop
A Two-Way Street: Reversing Brain Drain In Somalia
15 August 2025 So the crisis continues. And the brain drain intensifies. But what if there was a way to reverse brain drain? This is the question that the International Organization of Migration (IOM) has been asking about Somalia. 'There has been a lot of brain drain in Somalia. How do we bring back those skills that they have been able to achieve in their country of residence to their country of origin?' said Yvonne Jepkoech Chelmio, an IOM official focused on labour and migration in Africa. The IOM's Migration in Africa for Development Programme (MIDA) selects members of the Somali diaspora who are experts in their chosen fields and places them in local hospitals, schools and national ministries in order to build Somalia's self-sufficiency. In the past 20 years, MIDA has sponsored the return of over 400 Somalis from 17 different countries. These returnees have worked in many fields — including education and health, as well as climate action, urban planning and the rule of law — all with the hope of advancing sustainable development in Somalia. 'Drivers of change' The Somali Civil War which began in 1991 provoked mass displacement, both internally and externally. More than 30 years later, the situation has improved but security continues to be an issue, which in turn is imperilling sustainable development. 'What happens in countries like Somalia is someone becomes skilled in a field, educated, they don't want to stay here. So you lose talent, you lose skill,' said pedagogy expert, Shire Salad, a diaspora participant in the MIDA program who was placed in the Ministry of Education to work alongside their evaluation development team. Advertisement - scroll to continue reading With two million Somalis living abroad, the Somali diaspora has long played an integral role in the country's economy. The money they send back as remittances sometimes outpaces direct foreign aid, totalling over $2 billion annually and contributing at least one-third of the national GDP. But MIDA deviates from a solely economic understanding of the diaspora's contributions, instead creating avenues for their return which emphasise their technical skills, expertise and international networks. '[The diaspora] serve as bridges, as ambassadors, as drivers of change and development actors,' said Nasra Sheikh Ahmed, one of the IOM officials in charge of the programme. And according to Ms. Ahmed, who is a member of the Somali diaspora herself, one of the most remarkable things about the MIDA programme is that it seizes upon something which already exists — the Somali diaspora wants to return. '[The diaspora] still see it as their home. They're not immigrants in another country. They still see themselves as Somalis. They see themselves as an extension, basically just living somewhere else.' Education at the core While the MIDA programme has operated across many sectors one of the main sectors on which the MIDA programme has focused is education. Mohamed Gure, a professor at Somali National University, participated in the MIDA programme as a local professional who worked alongside members of the diaspora to improve the curriculum for aspiring teachers. When Dr. Gure began his studies years ago, he said that there were no programmes in Somalia which offered a doctoral degree in education. So he, like many others, went abroad. Today, he sees a new sort of problem — not enough Somalis want to become teachers, and those that do believe that they do not need a formal training. 'Teachers in the classroom do not have training in being a teacher. This will affect the quality of education in Somalia in the long-term,' Dr. Gure said. Over the course of a few years, Dr. Gure worked alongside diaspora professionals to develop a new curriculum and create a lasting partnership with the University of Helsinki in Finland. For him, the benefits of this new curriculum are already clear — students are learning more, and the online collaborations with students in Helsinki are creating an international network of expertise. 'All this [training] is a resource for the country. All the curricula that were developed for the country will remain. It will be used by lecturers who can train other lecturers,' Dr. Gure said. A two-way street Partnerships, like that which Dr. Gure experienced, are an essential part of the MIDA programme's long-term impact, ensuring that even after the diaspora professional leave, their contributions remain. 'We have not just provided skills transfer to two people, but these two people can now transfer to four people. So there's more sustainability in terms of process,' Ms. Chelmio said. But this skills transfer is not without challenges. Many of the diaspora who are returning to Somalia have been gone for years, sometimes decades. The Somalia to which they return is quite different from the one they left. 'Although you may speak the language and you may understand that culture, they still see you as a foreigner,' said Dr. Salad, who left Somalia when he was quite young and 'returned with grey hairs.' Adapting expertise to the Somali context is essential for sustainable development, and this is something that the local professionals are uniquely equipped to do, creating a two-way street with both parties acting as experts in their own right. '[The diaspora] don't understand the context, the dynamic of the country itself. The local expert is able to give the diaspora expert the perspective,' Ms. Chelmio said. A future in which Somalis stay MIDA has, in small ways, reversed the brain drain of the past decades. It has brought back hundreds of diaspora members. And even if they have not stayed, their skills and expertise have. But, Somalis are still leaving the country, risking their lives on boats to the Gulf and to Europe out of pure hopelessness And many of them die. Dr. Salad hopes that one day for Somalia, there will be no brain drain to reverse. 'If they had hope in this country, they would have stayed. If they believed this country was going to be a better country, they would have stayed. My hope is that younger generations will have that hope, that they will stay.'
NZ Herald
5 days ago
- NZ Herald
What will private schools be spending extra Budget money on? David Seymour says he's ‘open' to giving more funding
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But Seymour says his decision hasn't been influenced by private schools in his electorate, one of the country's wealthiest, and the PPTA is 'just flinging mud'. In comparison, figures given to the Herald by Seymour's office reveal the amount for Years 1-6 at state schools is $7648 per student annually, while the funding for secondary schools in the state system is $9853 per student. Funding cuts to public schools At a small Porirua school nestled in native bush on the edge of Cannons Creek, principal Lynda Knight says she has been facing a list of government funding reductions during the last six months. The school's funding has been cut for its Reading Recovery programme, Pasifika Early Literacy Project and the Pacific Education Innovation Fund. Funding has also been cut to Regionally Allocated Professional Learning and Development and te reo Māori training for teachers, so the school can no longer acquire these supports. 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The school's whānau community is not typically in a position to fully fund school trips, he says. 'We provide seven meals a day for our students and inflation has hit hard in this area.' Meanwhile, Avery says the subsidy will support a range of ongoing projects at St Cuthbert's College. These include enhancing its suite of facilities, improving flood resistance in the school's buildings and paying teachers and staff members' salaries. It will also contribute to improving its outdoor campus – Kahunui – in the Bay of Plenty, a place where Year 10 students travel to attend a month-long school camp that embraces off-the-grid learning. At Knight's school in Porirua, Year 6 students used to travel to El Rancho in Waikanae – 45 minutes up the road – for a two-night camp. However, now that community funding is unavailable, the future of camps for their senior students is uncertain. In a community where family holidays are a rarity, Knight says pupils leaving often comment that school camp is their favourite memory from school. Growing waitlists for private schools As Auckland grows, St Cuthbert's College has been experiencing higher demand for places on its school roll and has waiting lists for prospective students. Scots College has also been facing similar pressure, with headmaster Yule noticing parents are being propelled to private schools by their feeling of unease in the current state system. 'The issues with literacy and numeracy, open-plan classes and the dissatisfaction with NCEA and so forth, I think, have driven a number of people towards considering independent schooling.' At Dilworth, Reddiex says demand for places has also increased significantly within the past two years, with scholarship places being highly competitive. Avery says the subsidy is a recognition of the role independent schools play in educating a percentage of the Kiwi population, which takes the financial pressure off the rest of the education system. Similarly, Seymour says private school students suddenly flooding into the state sector would create an enormous cost for the Government. 'This whole debate to me says something about where we are and where we could be as a country. What you've got is a small group – about 4% of children and their parents and grandparents – often making big sacrifices to pay independent school fees because in their view, that's a better future for them,' he says. 'Rather kind of sneering, resentful tone, we should say, 'okay, that's a choice people make', I may or may not make it for myself, but we should be happy for other people. 'Those people are actually saving the taxpayer a lot of money.' In Porirua, Knight believes the $160,000 increase St Cuthbert's College is receiving could make 'a world of difference' at her small school. She says the money would go towards funding two more teachers or more teacher aide support. Eva de Jong is a New Zealand Herald reporter covering general news for the daily newspaper, Weekend Herald and Herald on Sunday. She was previously a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle, covering health stories and general news. Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Spinoff
6 days ago
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Pulling a learn-to-read book with six kupu Māori is another educational assault
Restricting the use of te reo Māori words in books for tamariki learning to read further alienates Māori in the education system – and that has enormous consequences, writes Tansy Oliver. Six words: m arae, karanga, wharenui, koro, hongi, karakia. These are the controversial words that Erica Stanford and the Ministry of Education believe are so confusing for our tamariki that the book in which they appear, At the Marae – a book from the Ready to Read series designed to teach five-year-olds using a structured literacy model, by decoding (sounding out) words – should not be reprinted. This is a decision that challenges not only literacy and language-learning principles but also how much we value and uphold our bicultural educational system in Aotearoa. It may seem like this is a decision based purely on educational theory and pedagogy. However, this is where opinions are divided. Education vs politics is a common battleground in New Zealand, but this issue goes straight to the heart of how we value and respect the culture and heritage of our tangata whenua. Māori are the indigenous people of this country and it is essential we revitalise and normalise the use and value of te reo Māori in all settings, especially in our schools. Te reo Māori should not be weaponised as a political tool to sow racism and division. In 1958, my mother was seven years old and about to emigrate from Britain to Aotearoa. My grandfather told the family that when they reached New Zealand, they would learn to speak Māori because that was the language of the indigenous people. Unfortunately, his excitement at this new language and culture awaiting them only lasted as long as their voyage here. But that story has always lived in my heart as I struggled over the last four decades to understand why reo Māori was not given the place it deserves in Aotearoa. For us to be fighting for the addition of six kupu Māori in a book for children, 67 years later, feels regressive at best, and like cultural violence at worst. To assume that our tamariki at five years old are incapable of learning six reo Māori words is insulting to our children, our teachers and our nation. Recently released documents showed Erica Stanford personally directed the Ministry of Education to stop producing texts in the Ready to Read series with Māori words in them. This decision was based on the premise that structured literacy and phonics now teach children to decode words, learning letters and blending sounds together. Māori words fall under the category of 'heart' words – words that must be learned by sight or memory, instead of being decoded. Structured literacy purists believe the amount of heart words must be kept to a minimum, because they increase cognitive load, or mental effort. This is where children need reading and spelling to become automatic processes in the brain, so the cognitive load is reduced. This opens up other pathways in the brain to be utilised for more sophisticated learning later on. However, there are also many benefits to be had from learning more than one language, especially at five years old. And new entrants are more than capable of learning and retaining other heart words, especially ones that are directly related to the language and culture of our indigenous people. The research is divided about how we add other languages into a pure structured literacy approach when children are learning to read. But one thing is certain – te reo Māori is not only the official language of New Zealand, it is also one of our greatest taonga. As such, it must be included and valued in our schools and society. The value of taking home a book that includes your culture and language to share with your whānau while you learn to read cannot be underestimated. This helps tamariki to feel their way of life and language is visible and normalised – that it has value and mana. If children do not feel their culture and language are reflected in their education, then they can feel alienated from school and learning. Many Māori students and their whānau have experienced the pain and frustration of feeling isolated and misunderstood in their schooling. Once that process of alienation starts, it is very difficult to reverse it. Sadly, the alienation of Māori from education has had enormous consequences in New biggest inequities between Pākehā and Māori start early, at school. Recent statistics show 28% of Māori students left school in 2024 with no qualifications, while only 14% of Pākehā did. The refusal to reprint At the Marae feeds into a pathway of systemic racism that exists in our education system and beyond. Words, language and literacy matters. But what matters more is the mana and pride tamariki feel when their language and culture is valued and respected. Te reo Māori is a taonga, a living and breathing treasure that is passed down through the generations. It must be protected, celebrated and, most of all, spoken. Our role as educators should never be to diminish or devalue any language or words, but to raise up and nurture all language and literacy. To restrict or eliminate the ability of our students to learn te reo Māori is to commit cultural violence against Māori. Now, those six words will be remembered as the start of yet another educational assault against indigenous people.
