Restoring Hope to Learn

CARE – with funding from the Education Above All Foundation – aims to contribute to sustainable and relevant primary education for all in Somalia. The goal is to enroll 30,100 poor and marginalized out-of-school children across three regions of Somalia. So far, CARE has constructed 155 classrooms and rehabilitated 27 classrooms in 58 schools, supported teachers with training, enrolled 13,099 children in school and provided teaching and learning materials. Due to high enrollment rates in the community schools in Mogadishu, a double shift system was introduced, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon, to ensure that all children have an equal learning opportunity.

Since the collapse of the government in 1991 and subsequent outbreak of civil war that has persisted for 25 years, Somalia has had no public schools, as all government-owned schools are privatized and some occupied by squatters. The fees for primary schools range from $10 to $15 a month per child, while the average family income is $1 a day. For most families, education remains a luxury.

In November 2014, through community outreach, Hamdi’s sister heard about the new CARE primary school constructed in their camp for internally displaced people. Excited at the prospect of re-enrolling her siblings, Istar immediately made Hamdi quit her job and sent her and three of her siblings back in school, despite the fact that they were helping support the family with daily income.

Hamdi is now in third grade. Undeterred by the sense of hopelessness experienced by the displaced communities in Mogadishu, Hamdi works very hard in school and is admired by her teachers. She has already learned to read and write Somali and basic English, and is excited about restarting her education.

“Before the opening of this school, children were roaming aimlessly in the camp,” says Istar, Hamdi’s older sister and protector. “You know the situation here in Mogadishu: Small children are easily persuaded to join militia and gang groups, especially if they are idle. Now, the children from this camp are occupied with schooling and are disciplined.”