DP World announces a partnership with Abaarso School in Somaliland

DUBAI, 18th December, 2019 (WAM) — DP World has announced a partnership with Abaarso School in Somaliland, to dynamically enhance educational opportunities for young individuals.

DP World Berbera currently manages and is also expanding the multi-purpose port of Berbera.

The partnership was officially launched with a visit by Suhail Albanna, CEO and Managing Director, DP World MEA Region, to Somaliland.

According to a company statement, “The name Abaarso has become associated with excellence, thanks to the Abaarso School of Science and Technology, the only American accredited school in Somaliland.”

DP World Berbera has just finalised two scholarship programmes. The first is a scholarship programme for high performing Somaliland students to attend the Abaarso School of Science and Technology. Through this scholarship, ten students will have their entire six years at Abaarso funded by DP World Berbera.

These students were selected from amongst the highest scores on Abaarso’s 7th grade enrolment exams. By providing this scholarship, DP World Berbera helps assure that Abaarso’s opportunities are open to all Somaliland students regardless of financial capability.

The second scholarship is for DP World Berbera to provide eight annual scholarships for promising young women from the Sahil Region to join Barwaaqo University’s School of Education. Barwaaqo University, founded by Abaarso in 2017, is the first all-female boarding university in Somaliland. Modeled on Abaarso’s education, Barwaaqo focuses on developing strong fundamentals and character, delivered in a 24-hour boarding environment.

The aim of this scholarship is for the young women who graduate to return to the Sahil Region and significantly improve the quality of education. To this end, DP World Berbera plans to partner with Abaarso and the city of Berbera to support the creation of a K-12 school in Berbera; DP World Berbera Kaabe School.

Suhail Albanna, CEO and Managing Director of DP World MEA Region, said, “The presence of a high quality American accredited K-12 school will have a positive impact on the education opportunities available to the people of Somaliland. In the long term, we also hope the young women from Barwaaqo University will help to establish an international standard education system in Berbera, which will enable expat management who will establish their business in the Economic Zone to bring their family and children with them. The Barwaaqo University will serve the entire Sahil region and will support women’s empowerment in the area.”

Albanna added, “Education is one of the key pillars in our sustainability strategy and we are looking to improve people’s lives to bring positive change to communities in which DP World employees live and work.”

Abaarso School currently serves students in grades 7-12, and the demand to enter its Grade 7 is over 35 times the available capacity. It has just opened its 1st Kaabe School in Hargeisa, which will ultimately enroll approximately 700 students, employing a student-centric Montessori-inspired learning environment.

The DP Berbera Kaabe School will follow this same model and aims to achieve American accreditation. The development of the school will give DP World’s Berbera employees access to high quality education for their children rather than having to send them to boarding schools or live in the capital, Hargeisa.