Before the mid-1970’s, Somalia had no written alphabet to speak of. In 1972, the Somali government introduced a standard written alphabet, and literacy rates climbed from a measly 5% to nearly 60%. Unfortunately, as an effect of the civil war, literacy rates dropped below 30% at the turn of the century.
Hargeisa, Somaliland—once known as the “cultural hub” of the Somali Republic—just wrapped up its annual Hargeisa Book Fair: an attempt to bring art and literacy back into the public sphere.
