Somalia: USAID announces $6.8 million to boost rural education in Somalia
The U.S. Embassy, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is proud to announce the Stabilization Through Education Program (STEP) to increase access to education in conflict-affected communities.
STEP is a $6.8 million initiative that will be implemented through the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Over the next 18 months, IOM will work with communities to rehabilitate over 200 damaged classrooms and related school infrastructure, including boundary walls, latrines and water supply systems. These efforts will support Somalia’s new Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) for 2022-2026.
This latest announcement brings USAID’s ongoing investments in education in Somalia to nearly $71 million. USAID also supports the Bar ama Baro (“Teach or Learn”) accelerated basic education program and contributes to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s Somalia Adolescent Girls Education Program. USAID education initiatives will reach more than 160,000 children over the next three years.
US Ambassador to Somalia Larry E. André, Jr. said, “Investing in education is essential for Somalia’s renewal. Education is a powerful engine of economic development and one of the most powerful instruments for reducing poverty and improving health outcomes, gender equality and long-term stability.”
STEP will target communities with limited access to education in hard-to-reach and remote areas, bring communities together to develop community education plans, and rehabilitate or build classrooms and school infrastructure.
Minister of Education, Culture and Higher Education, Abdullahi Abukar Haji said, “As Somalia embarks on the path of state building and reviving its institutions, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education is at the heart of promoting peace and prosperity. The ESSP reflects the priorities of the Somali government, which seeks to provide education services across the country. »
IOM Somalia Chief of Mission, Frantz Celestin, added: “After several years of working closely with local authorities to build stability, it is with great enthusiasm that IOM is supporting the Ministry of Education and USAID’s Bar ama Baro program to expand access to primary education. This collaboration is made possible by the fact that communities and authorities work together in confidence to build a better future for the next generation. IOM is honored to be part of this effort.
Consistent with the ESSP, the United States will continue to work with the Department of Education, Culture, and Higher Education and federal member state departments of education to provide educational opportunities for children not in school; those who are marginalized; and populations displaced by drought, conflict and insecurity to build a strong and equitable education system.
Somalia: USAID announces $6.8 million to boost rural education in Somalia
Source link Somalia: USAID announces $6.8 million to boost rural education in Somalia
