A bidirectional street: reverse brain leak in Somalia

The crisis continues therefore. And brain flight intensifies.

But what happens if there was a way to reverse brains leak? This is the question that the International Migration Organization (Iom) Asked questions about Somalia.

“There was a lot of brain flight in Somalia. How to bring these skills that they have been able to achieve in their country of residence in their country of origin? ” said Yvonne Jepkoech Chelmio, a Iom Official focused on work and migration in Africa.

The migration migration program in Africa for development (Mid) Selects members of the Somali diaspora who are experts in the selected fields and places them in local hospitals, schools and national ministries in order to build self -sufficiency of Somalia.

Over the past 20 years, Mida has sponsored the return of more than 400 Somalians from 17 different countries. These returnees have worked in many areas – including education and health, as well as climate action, town planning and the rule of law – all in the hope of advancing sustainable development in Somalia.

‘Change engines’

The Somali Civil War that started in 1991 caused a mass movement, both internally and externally. More than 30 years later, the situation has improved, but security continues to be a problem which, in turn, is in danger of sustainable development.

“What is happening in countries like Somalia is that someone becomes skilful in an educated field, he does not want to stay here. So you lose talent, you lose skills, “said the pedagogy expert, Shire Salad, participating in the diaspora in the Mida program, which was placed in the Ministry of Education to work alongside his evaluation development team.

With two million Somalians living abroad, the Somali diaspora has long played an essential role in the country’s economy. The money they refer as a funds sometimes exceeds direct foreign aid, totaling more than $ 2 billion per year and contributing at least a third of national GDP.

But the MIDA deviates from an only economic understanding of the contributions of the diaspora, creating rather ways for their return which underline their technical skills, their expertise and their international networks.

“” [The diaspora] Serving bridges, as ambassadors, as engines of the actors of change and development, “said Nasra Sheikh Ahmed, one of the OIM officials in charge of the program.

And according to Ms. Ahmed, who is a member of the Somali diaspora herself, one of the most remarkable things in the MIDA program is that she has something that already exists-the Somali diaspora wants to come back.

“” [The diaspora] Always see him like their house. They are not immigrants in another country. They always see themselves as Somalians. They consider themselves an extension, living mainly elsewhere. »»

Heart education

While the MIDA program has worked in many sectors, one of the main sectors on which the MIDA program has concentrated is education.

Mohamed Gure, professor at Somali University National, participated in the Mida program as a local professional who worked alongside the members of the diaspora to improve the program of studies for budding teachers.

When Dr. Gure started his studies years ago, he said that there were no programs in Somalia which offered a doctorate in education. So, like many others, he went abroad.

Today, he sees a new problem – not enough that Somalians want to become teachers, and those who believe that they do not need formal training.

“Class teachers have no training to be a teacher. This will affect the quality of long -term Somalia education, “said Dr. Gure.

Over a few years, Dr. Gure worked alongside the diaspora professionals to develop a new study program and create a sustainable partnership with the University of Helsinki in Finland.

For him, the advantages of this new program are already clear – students learn more, and online collaborations with students in Helsinki create an international expertise network.

“All this [training] is a resource for the country. All programs that have been developed for the country will remain. It will be used by teachers who can train other teachers, “said Dr. Gure.

A double -meaning street

Partnerships, like that which Dr. Gure, has known, is an essential part of the long -term impact of the MIDA program, ensuring that even after the professional leave of the diaspora, their contributions remain.

“We have not only provided transfer skills to two people, but these two people can now transfer to four people. There is therefore more sustainability in terms of process, “said Chelmio.

But this transfer of skills is not without challenges. Many diaspora returning to Somalia have left for years, sometimes decades. The Somalia to which they return is very different from that they have left.

“Although you can speak the language and you can understand this culture, they always see you as a stranger,” said Dr. Salad, who left Somalia when he was quite young and “came back with gray hair”.

The adaptation of expertise to the Somali context is essential to sustainable development, and it is something that local professionals are only equipped, creating a bidirectional street with the two parties acting as full -fledged experts.

“” [The diaspora] I do not understand the context, the dynamics of the country itself. The local expert is able to give the diaspora expert the perspective, ”said Chelmio.

A future in which Somalians remain

Mida has, in small ways, reversed the brain flight of recent decades. He brought hundreds of members of the diaspora. And even if they did not stay, their skills and their expertise did it.

But, the Somalians always leave the country, risking their lives on boats towards the Gulf and in Europe by pure despair and many of them die.

Dr. Salad hopes that one day for Somalia, there will be no brain flight to reverse.

“If they had hope in this country, they would have stayed. If they thought this country was going to be a better country, they would have stayed. I hope that the younger generations would have this hope, that they will stay. ”