In July 2006, a delegation from Minnesota went to the Puntland State of Somalia to help solidify the budding sister relationship between Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC) and Puntland State University (PSU) in the capital city of Puntland Region.

Minnesota has been a major destination for Somali immigrants since the outbreak of civil war in the country in 1990 and Minneapolis Community and Technical College has more Somali students than any other college in Minnesota. MCTC's sister institution, Puntland State University, is the fastest growing institution of higher learning in the Puntland State of Somalia, a region that declared its autonomy in 1998 and developed a functioning government.

The Minnesota delegation, which included MCTC alumnus and Board Chairman of Somali Family Services Abdurashid Ali, MCTC political science instructor and SFS board member Lena Jones, and SFS Treasurer Jennie Kratzer, went to Puntland with several goals. Those goals included:

1. Presenting scholarship money to Puntland State University and participating in the scholarship recipient selection process.
2. Meeting with PSU administrators, faculty, and students to explore ways to further develop the sister relationship between PSU and MCTC.
3. Assessing and observing current situations of educational need, access to education for girls and boys, public health, and human development in Somalia.
4. Meeting with Puntland government officials and representatives from local non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and research institutions.

While in Puntland, the team participated in a celebration at PSU, during which the Memorandum of Understanding establishing a sister relationship between Puntland State University and Minneapolis Community and Technical College was signed and scholarship money was presented to PSU. The ceremony ended with the presentation of a camel to MCTC from PSU a token of appreciation.

Scholarship Recipients: In the months leading up to the trip, MCTC raised about $13,000 for scholarships for PSU Students through a grant from Moneygram International and donations from MCTC faculty and staff.

PSU officials and Abdurashid Ali, the Board Chair of SFS, reviewed the 211 applications for the scholarships. Thirty-four PSU students (18% of the applicants) received the awards, which will cover four years of tuition.
• 9 scholarships were awarded to female students and 25 to male students.
• 16 scholarships were reserved for low income students who had at least a B average in secondary school.
• 18 scholarships were merit based and awarded to students who had successfully completed secondary school with an A average and submitted two letters of recommendation from academic sources.

Future Plans: During the July 2006 trip, the Minnesota delegation and PSU officials came to the conclusion that this relationship is worth solidifying in the coming years and will greatly enrich the educational missions of both institutions. As a next step, Minneapolis Community and Technical College and Somali Family Services will host a delegation of officials from Puntland State University in September 2007.