Kumara Adan Abdulle

Pioneer of girls' education in Somalia through nomadic schools

Kumara Adan Abdulle (1935-2012) revolutionized education in Somalia by creating mobile schools for nomadic communities. Born in the Ogaden region, she witnessed how nomadic lifestyles excluded girls from education. In 1961, she established the Caravan Classroom Project, using camel caravans to deliver education across 1500km of desert. Her innovative curriculum integrated traditional knowledge with modern subjects, teaching 3000+ girls literacy and health practices. Despite political turmoil, her schools operated continuously from 1960s through civil war. The UN later adopted her model in 18 countries. Her memoir 《Sand and Scholarship》 remains a key text in nomadic education studies.