Parts of the world, including many locations in the United States, desperately need high-quality institutions, be it in education, health, or other services. One of my goals in writing this book is to give readers a taste of the tenacity necessary to create such an institution. This work is not for everyone, but for the right person, it is a once-in-a-lifetime fulfilling experience.
The best way to describe the challenges we faced in building a school in Somaliland is to recount a few of the unexpected obstacles we confronted. While my situation in Somaliland is unique, the fact that we ran into trouble most likely is not. I expect tremendous difficulties will arise anytime someone seeks to create something meaningful where it doesn’t currently exist. No matter where you go, such an endeavor will create misunderstandings, and opportunists who seek to benefit from those misunderstandings.
There are some people in this story who would prefer not to be identified, or whom I would prefer not to name. Accordingly, I’ve changed some names and identifying details, including the names of connected organizations.
One beauty of books is that they allow you to describe a story in great detail. This however is still limited by the reader’s tolerance for just so many different characters and events. As such, It Takes a School focuses on a particular group of students I found most symbolic of the overall story. The group is predominantly from Abaarso’s first class and I knew them the best since most were my advisees. We’ve had many wonderful young male and female students, some of whom have done as much or more than those described here, so my focus on these particular individuals is in no way meant to take away from the larger group. Likewise, I was only able to focus on a small number of teachers, staff members, and Abaarso supporters in the United States and Somaliland, but that too is just a reality of writing a book. This would be thousands of pages if I included everyone’s contributions.
Finally, I am of course only human and my memory of the past eight years is imperfect. With that said, I’ve made this book as precise to the truth as I reasonably could. I’ve been through thousands of e-mails and documents, interviewed close to two dozen folks who shared the experience, and sent chapters as well as the whole manuscript to some of the major players for their comments. Fortunately, the vast majority of my experience occurred in either documentable form or with someone else present. I’m confident in saying that this book as a whole is very accurate in describing my experience in Somaliland.