Educate Displaced Children in Somalia for a Year

Introduction

This project aims to increase access to basic education for children affected by drought, conflict, forced evictions, and other emergencies in the Banadir region of Somalia. By supporting schools in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, the project will create safe and inclusive learning environments for vulnerable children. To encourage regular attendance and reduce hunger, students are provided with two nutritious meals each school day. The initiative also aims to supply essential teaching and learning materials. Furthermore, adolescent girls will benefit from menstrual hygiene management support, including the distribution of dignity kits, to help them remain in school with dignity and confidence.

Funding & Resources Raised

The total fundraising goal for this project is USD 329,945. To date, USD 666 has been raised, leaving a funding gap of approximately USD 329,763. Given the scale and scope of the planned interventions, the resources secured so far fall short of what is required to achieve the project’s objectives.

Current Challenges & Context

1. Low school attendance and enrollment: Current reports indicate that only about one-third of school-age children are enrolled in formal education, leaving the majority out of school. This low participation is driven by multiple factors, including poverty, displacement, and the lack of safe and accessible learning spaces. Girls and displaced children are disproportionately affected, as gender-related barriers, economic pressures, and instability in displacement settings further limit their chances of enrolling in and completing school. Without targeted support, these children face a heightened risk of long-term exclusion from education and reduced future opportunities.
2. Gender-related barriers: Without adequate menstrual hygiene support, many girls are forced to miss classes or drop out of school altogether, which increases their vulnerability to early marriage and child labor. Additional challenges such as safety concerns, long distances to schools, limited presence of female teachers, and economic pressures further compound the barriers girls face in accessing and completing their education.
3. Infrastructure damage, loss of learning materials: Extreme weather events frequently damage or destroy school buildings and essential learning materials. They also cause repeated displacement of students or create unsafe conditions that prevent children from attending school consistently.
4. Seasonality and term breaks: Schools open in terms, but due to displacement or environmental shocks, children may miss the start of term, or drop out mid-term. Also, support services (meals, supplies) are inconsistent because of resource constraints.
5. Scale of displacement: Large numbers of families have been internally displaced due to climate shocks (drought, floods), conflict, and evictions. For displaced children, this instability often means losing consistent access to education. Frequent movement, lack of schools within IDP camps, and the struggle to meet basic survival needs leave many of these children excluded from formal learning opportunities.

Term Reopening & Needs

As schools open for the final term of the year, many displaced children continue to face disruptions in their education. This period is especially critical, as children who are already enrolled but attend irregularly risk losing their learning progress, while many others remain out of school and require urgent enrollment to avoid being left behind.

The following support is needed now more than ever:

1. School feeding: Adequate funding to provide daily nutritious meals for all displaced learners, ensuring hunger does not prevent children from attending and remaining in school.
2. Learning and teaching materials: Provision of essential supplies, including textbooks, uniforms, stationery, and safe classroom environments, to support both students and teachers.
3. Menstrual hygiene support: Distribution of dignity kits and menstrual health education to reduce absenteeism and dropout rates among adolescent girls.
4. Emergency preparedness and infrastructure repair: Resources to strengthen school preparedness for climate shocks and to repair damaged infrastructure, ensuring that learning can continue safely and without disruption.

How More Donations Will Help

• USD 13 will provide two meals per learner per day for one month, helping feed 2,450 learners over nine school months.
• USD 14 will provide a dignity kits for an adolescent girl learner.
• USD 40 provides learning & teaching materials for 1,225 learners and their teachers for the full school year.

CALL TO ACTION

NAPAD urgently appeals to you to join our campaign today and donate to ensure that displaced children in Banadir can access the education they deserve during this critical school term. With your partnership, we can provide nutritious meals, essential learning materials, safe classrooms, and the necessary support systems to keep the most vulnerable children in school. Timely action will prevent them from losing yet another year of education and instead offer them the opportunity to learn, grow, and build a more hopeful future.