26 April 2007

Somalia Radio Program Changing Lives in Mogadishu

Partnership for a Better Life

 

Radio programming is bringing school lessons to children in Somalia. (USAID)

Eight-year-old Najmo lives with her parents in the Hodan District in Mogadishu, Somalia. Najmo is among the fortunate few Somali students who have access to school, attending first grade at Al Imra School.

In Somalia, only 20 percent of all children are enrolled in school and public funding for primary education is among the lowest in the world. The new Transitional Federal Government is working to rebuild the education sector and restore stability to the country, but fighting still can erupt at a moment’s notice.

When fighting recently erupted in Mogadishu, Najmo was forced to stay home. All the schools were shut and children were not allowed to go out. Fortunately, Najmo’s family has a radio at home.

The Somalia Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI) program, sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing an alternative to regular classroom lessons. Through distance-learning radio classes operated by Education Development Center Inc., up to 400,000 Somali schoolchildren are receiving daily lessons in reading, math and life skills.

The lessons are developed for grades one through six and also give access to those who have missed out on educational opportunities, particularly women and girls, illiterate street children and people who have left their homes because of fighting. To reach the largest number of students throughout Somalia, IRI programs are supported and delivered through a network of public and private schools and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

"I learned many lessons without going to school. I am happy now, but I truly hate the fighting," Najmo said.

According to Najmo’s mother: "My daughter is all morning busy with the radio programs. She has great enthusiasm for these radio programs and made us also love the program."

The girl's father says: "She asks me questions about her lessons and she required us to listen to the radio programs with her every day and answer her questions. We all thank those who prepared these effective radio programs for our kids."

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)