Fartun in her school office as she preps for class/Hoodo Ahmed/Ergo
Fed up with futile job searches, university graduate Fartun Abdirahman Adan, 25, decided to launch Al-Najah pre-school in Garowe a year ago with 40 kids under six.
“The kiddos study the Koran, Islamic subjects, Arabic, Somali, English, math, science, and social studies. These classes get them ready for school,” she explained.
Graduating with a degree in Islamic jurisprudence in 2019, Fartun couldn’t land a job despite applying consistently for two years. As a woman, she felt discriminated against compared to male applicants.
“I applied everywhere but never got hired. Once, I even got selected, only to find a man took my spot at the last minute. It stung. But I trust in God and keep pushing forward,” she shared.
Determined to support her family, Fartun decided to open her own establishment. She hired three women as teachers, each earning $60 a month.
“Educated folks dream of office jobs, which is fair enough. They shouldn’t give up on their search, but can’t rely solely on rare opportunities. Start local, build businesses from home,” she advised.
She encourages new graduates to explore self-employment rather than just applying for jobs. Since her nursery school opened, she has covered $70 a month in school fees for her two younger siblings.
“My family’s happier now with my progress, and I get to support them. I’m the sole breadwinner and help my younger sibs. I used to stress about my career, but not anymore,” she said.
During her four-year university stint, Fartun’s mother sold bread to fund her education. Fartun would assist her mom after classes.
“Sometimes, we couldn’t afford books, so I borrowed from classmates and studied at night. I did well in exams without many materials. They asked how I aced it!” she recollected.
Fartun also offers home schooling, netting $1,000 a month from her pre-school in the mornings and home tutoring in the afternoons.
The school started last May when she and her colleagues secured $3,000 from Northeastern State Development and Research Centre. She already had online lessons for kids and adults in place.
