By M.A Egge
Hargeisa-(THT): The President H.E. Ahmed Mohammed Mohamud Silanyo yesterday inaugurated the first phase of ultra-modern technical school complex for basic education meant for orphaned male pupils funded by the Kuwaiti Foundation.
The Head of State at the same time laid the foundation stone of a similar second phase centre for girls at the opposite side of the compound across the main road.
The President who was accompanied by the First Lady, Amina Haji Mohammed Jirde thanked the Kuwaiti Foundation for making real the international standard complex.
He said “I hail the Kuwaiti government for establishing such international class facility in the country”.
The President likewise thanked and welcomed the Kuwaiti and Djibouti delegations who graced the occasion.
The President who was impressed by the state of the art buildings and its facilities toured all sectors of the complex which has all inclusive range of educational, health, sporting and associated recreational facilities and amenities.
He said that the orphans’ community who were a special part of the society have now got the best opportunity to be moulded into the leaders of tomorrow.
The project was implemented by the African Relief. The range of dignitaries and ministers who spoke on the occasion noted in concurrence that the establihement got heralded during the incumbency of the sitting president.
Education minister Hon. Zamzam Abdi Aden said that so far the complex housed 320 pupils. She explained that several technical and vocational course were to run side by side by and in juxtaposition with the main basic educational programs.
The complex offers, apart from normal mainstream educational curricula, practical technical courses like metal and aluminum works, furniture making, electrical wielding apperenticeship and also agricultural production.
It caters for both day and boarding students with fully fledged primary, secondary and polytechnical sections. The institution also has state of art mosque and hostels backed by bakery department apart from the administration sector.
She said that apart from catering for local complex consumption, the school had also market oriented production.
This, indeed a pioneering project in the country, veers from basic welfare based ones to that of developmental achievement aspects of economy.
The finance minister Hon. Abdiaziz Samale said at the function that the monumental 7 million dollars project got a respite of upto 1.5m tax relief from the state.
Hon. Ali Mohammed Waran’adde of the Inerior Miistry noted that the achievement was not possible had it been not for the prevalent peace stability in the country hence adviced the populace to uphold and preserve it.
The notable guests from Djibouti Hon. Hassan Aden Hersi (Baleelo) who specifically jetted for this auspicious inaugural occasion of the complex pointed out that the Kuwaiti Foundation extended the project to Somaliland following a successful pilot project in Djibouti.
Hon. Hassan who is in charge of the Religious Affairs and Cultural ministry for his country expounded on the enormous support his President, Omar Gelle, and the alms coordination system in his country which boosted the Djiboutian Kuwaiti founded pilot orphanage project.
The Minister said that his country was eager to extend its support to either train Somalilanders or advice on ways of mobilizing, coordinating and soliciting hence collecting of alms within the country.
The grand project is quite gigantic and magnificently immaculate.
The complex agricultural farms get water from boreholes drilled within its environs.