Raise Their Voice President Andrew Kooman spoke with Amanda Lindhout, the freelance Canadian journalist who was held in captivity in Somalia for 15 months, about her new Foundation and its first initiative: a Scholarship Program for Women in Somalia.
An excerpt from the interview:
AK: It’s been widely reported that your idea to create the Global Enrichment Foundation and the Somali Women’s Scholarship came to you during your captivity. Who is the scholarship for and what criteria do candidates need to meet?
AL: The Somali Women’s Scholarship Program was an idea I nurtured during a very dark time in captivity. Believing that I could do something to make Somalia a better country for those who live there gave me a goal to look forward to if I made it out alive.
I strongly believe that education has the potential to lead Somalia out of its current state of chaos and that educating the women, in particular, will make a significant difference. The SWSP is looking to educate, specifically, women who are interested in assuming leadership roles in their communities, ladies who will become roles models for the younger generations and create change in their country.
AK: There’s not much good news coming out of Somali. The picture we get of the nation through the news is of a war-torn, poverty stricken land of chaos. After experiencing the poverty and chaos first hand – and the sorts of oppression that can manifest from it – how do you see lasting stability being achieved in the country?
AL: When you hear about Somalia in the news it’s usually related to terrorism, which is a legitimate issue and one that is difficult to address. I spent a lot of time thinking about this while I was in captivity and watching the kidnappers. I have come to the conclusion that education is the most fundamental way to create sustainable change in Somalia. By broadening the horizons of the mind, these young people will develop ways to improve the economy of their country, and will create mindful tolerance with the rest of the world. The good news coming out of Somalia is that the people themselves have hope for their future.
These will be very brave women who are willing to take risks in order to improve their communities and the lives of women in their county.
AK: Given the fact that women experience great oppression in Somalia, how will the scholarship be administered and how readily available is education to the women who will qualify?
AL: Women in Southern Somalia who want an education face a great deal of obstacles. Poverty is one of the main issues but in addition to that the radical criminal groups who control the southern regions have prohibited women in many areas from attending school.
The SWSP is available to any woman in Somali who has a high school education and who has a positive vision of what her country has the potential to become. We are looking to identify the natural female leaders of Somalia and to support them through their education so that they can achieve their dreams. Through a series of essay questions we will select the recipients.
Read the full interview here.
You can follow the Somali Women’s Scholarship Program on Facebook and learn about and donate to the fund here.
