PROJECT BACKGROUND

Somalia has no effective government since 1991 and suffers from lack of stability which hinders the overall development of the country. Social services like basic education and basic health suffered a setback during the civil war. There are four primary schools in Beledwyne and are accessible to any child provided that the student pays fee since the schools are run by fee system. The existing schools are run by local NGOs and charge children school fees to cover the running expenses and teachers' salaries. 85% of the families in main cities can't afford school fees and the chances to get their children access to school are very slim. The situation is even worse in South and central Somalia because lack of instability hampers developing basic social services. IDRF's partner, HIRDA has chosen the school to be built in Beledwyne where the most vulnerable IDPs are living currently.

The conflict in Somalia displaced thousands of families from their homes but most of the IDPs fled Mogadishu (the capital of Somalia). The civil war in Somalia has been displacing people from their habitual residence for the last 19 years but the height of the displacement occurred in 2006 onwards when the war of terror was at its peak in Mogadishu and the subsequent invasion of Ethiopian troops in the country.

The IDPs fled to areas of relative peace like Beledweyne in central Somalia. Central Somalia is relatively poor in respect to other regions and suffered a series of recent natural disasters such as droughts, floods and man made calamities such as conflicts and ruthless business communities that hike the prices to their own benefit regardless of the purchasing power of the local community.

The host communities welcomed the IDPs and shared their meagre resources with them but can't help them beyond that despite their willingness to help them. The IDPs has been living in camps in Beledwyne and in Abud-wak for the last four years. When the Islamiste government of Sheik Sharif came to power, there were hope that the IDPs return to their homes but fighting among Islamiste groups and Sheik Sharif government dashed IDP's hope to return to their homes.

The education opportunity for IDP's children is even less than that of the poorest family of non IDP groups who also can't send their children to school. At the same time one of the biggest challenges of the IDPs is the future of their children. There are at least 600 children of school age in Doomey IDP camp in Beledweyne and these children have no basic education which deprives of them their universal right for education in line with second Millennium development Goals that addresses achieving universal primary education for every child.

The IDP families are more concerned with child soldier recruitments from various factions (see curriculum chapter) fighting in Somalia. These factions recruit young people offering relatively high salaries and when disabled by the war they return to their families who couldn't maintain the disabled member of their family. The constant recruitment of the young people by the opposing factions fighting in Somalia prolongs also the civil war in Somalia. Therefore rehabilitation of the young people through education programmes such primary education and vocational training will offer an alternative opportunity to them.

OBJECTIVES

The overall objective of this project was to reduce extreme poverty through education. The project also:

• Identified 160 IDP students (50 percent of which were girls) to enrol in primary school.
• Identified and countered the specific challenges faced by young girls in gaining education
• Built classrooms that accommodated 160 students
• Recruited teachers with necessary qualification
• Created a better future for the children which will improve the IDP resettlement in the long run
• Reduced the enrolment and recruitment of young people to factions fighting in Somalia
• Relieved parents' mental pressure regarding their children's future.
• Reduced illiteracy among the IDP Community
• Registered parents of the selected students for adult classes where the project specific activitie took place

Project Partner: HIRDA(Himilo Relief & Development Association)

To view images from this project, please click the image below: