1. ECWMYRP FG Somalia: Solar lamps helped vulnerable girls to study at
night
1) CONTEXT OF SOMALI CHILDREN EDUCATION
MULTI-FACETED humanitarian need that arose as a result of climate change (droughts,
floods, etc.) compounded by a perilous security situation and surging COVID-19 pandemic
crisis increased worries in Somalia. In March 2021, Somalia has seen a 48% increase in
deaths from COVID-19 and a doubling of confirmed cases from 6687 to 13,812 cases in
April. Recent election tensions in Mogadishu has been hampering humanitarian service
delivery and will drive further need if the security situation deteriorates as more people
CONTENTS:
1) Context of Somali children education 2) Background information about ECWMYRP 3) Why provision of solar lamps?
4) Positive impacts of solar lamps on girls’ education 5) Sagal Case: good example of the positive impact of solar lamp
on vulnerable girls’ access to learning
2. become displaced. Somalia Emergency Response and Preparedness Plan 2021 - Conflict,
Floods, Drought issued in April 2021 indicates that “in the first quarter of 2021, more than 34
districts in Somalia were already facing devastating water shortages, over 95,000 Somalis
were displaced by drought like conditions since December 2020, and at least 3.4 million
people were projected to be affected by drought or drought-like conditions by year end, of
whom around 380,000 are expected to be displaced due to drought like conditions and dry
season”. Due to socioeconomic challenges caused by prolonged hazard of disasters,
likelihood of school opportunity is less than 30% particularly children from internally
displaced persons (IDPs) and those live in remote/rural areas in Somalia. Those suffering the
greatest educational inequities in Central South Somalia are IDPs, females,
nomadic/pastoralist and rural communities and those from the lower wealth quintiles. Low
levels of participation in education among these groups are key reasons for slow progress in
key education indicators related to increasing Enrolment and access to education. Literacy
rates are lowest among nomads/pastoralist (12%), rural communities (27.5%) and then IDPS
(32%) while in urban areas literacy rates are highest (64.2%)1.
Ongoing issues impacting children and the vulnerable population in Somalia include: 1)
Violence: Violence affecting children was found to be widespread and frequent. The types of
violence identified includes: assault within or outside the camps, violence committed by other
children, corporal punishment in schools or within families, and violence against minority
groups, Sexual Abuse/Violence. High levels of rape and frequent sexual abuse against both
boys and girls has been documented, both through case records and inter-agency assessments.
Children are notably at risk when they leave their shelters, especially at night. Violence and
abuse has also been reported in public places and homes, committed by family members and
other community members known to children ii) Psychosocial wellbeing: The Rapid
Assessment (PRA) conducted in 2021 identified a number of key issues affecting children,
women and adolescent psychosocial well-being. There are clear gender differences: boys’
biggest fear was being beaten, while girls being raped iii)Separation: The leading causes of
separation include fleeing conflict, fear of recruitment by armed groups, famine, divorce and
search for better access to services iv) Disabilities: Children with disabilities face additional
challenges in the camps, particularly access to basic services. They often face discrimination,
harassment, neglect and abuse in their homes and communities, and resources and services
available for them are inadequate iv) Child Labor: Child labor is a key risk facing both boys
and girls and has been raised as an issue by both humanitarian actors and community
members v) Child Headed Households: Children living within child-headed households have
multiple vulnerabilities, and, due to their being without care of adult, are at risk of a
multitude of protection concerns.
2) BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT ECWMYRP
In 2019 Education Cannot Wait (ECW) granted Somalia multi-year resilience program to
response those extreme needs of Somali children. ECWMYRP Somalia focused on 6
strategic outcomes: (1) equitable access to primary and ABE education for emergency-
1
Somalia Education Sector Strategic Plan 2018-2020.
3. affected children increased; (2) learning outcomes are improved for emergency-affected
children and youth; (3) gender equity and equality are increased; (4) protective learning
environments are established for emergency-affected children and youth; (5) Community
resilience is strengthened and sustainability of education enhanced; and (6) capacity of
Ministry of education to manage EiE is improved.
Formal Education Network for Private Schools (FENPS) is one of implementing partners for
ECW-MYRP Somalia. FENPS runs 22 schools at Beletweyne in Hiran region of Hirshabelle
State, Somalia.
Outcome 3 for ECWMYRP emphasizes on increased gender equity and equality in education.
There are multiple outputs to achieve this outcome. Output 3 is to provide solar lamps to
girls in EiE to improve their accessibility to education. Under output 3 activities in year 2,
ECW partners targeted at providing 1,500 vulnerable girls with solar lamps to help them
study at night. In that number, FENPS targeted at 300 girls in Hirshabelle State, especially in
Beletweyne district.
3) WHY PROVISION OF SOLAR LAMPS?
There are many but varied reasons that made it necessary for provision of solar lamps to
vulnerable girls. Providers of electricity in Somalia are private companies that make high
charges for electricity (i.e. some charge $1per KW+$7 fixed even if you do not use or
consume less than 1KW). Low income people/families particularly those who live in IDP
camps and remote/rural areas have no access to electricity. Students and vulnerable children
extremely need clear electricity and/or solar lamps to learn at night. Solar lamps can be used
as an alternative source of light that is affordable and responsive to girls immediate needs for
clear light so that to improve their learning. Provision of clear light to vulnerable girls
contributes to increasing gender equity and equality in education
4) POSITIVE IMPACTS OF SOLAR LAMPS ON GIRLS’ EDUCATION
Through precise criteria set for selection of vulnerable girls and consultations with head
teachers, parents and CECs, FENPS provided 300 girls with solar panels in 10 schools (30
girls in each school) located at IDP camps and rural areas in Beletweyne, Somalia. The girls’
residential areas were well lit at night so that the safety and security of the intended girls
improved. Girls got a chance of making better night time reading that was impossible for
them before the installation of the solar panels. The solar panels were also used by the girls’
families for charging up their mobile phones which previously cost them money, while
younger children of girls’ families got more time to spend, interact and play with one another,
whereas they used to be blinded by darkness, thereby not having a feeling of togetherness
during night hours prior to the arrival of the solar panels. Overall, solar panels made girls
happy and motivated them to keep up their studies and learn more.
4. 5) SAGAL CASE: GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF SOLAR
LAMP ON VULNERABLE GIRLS’ ACCESS TO LEARNING
Sagal Mahamed Aden is 12 years old girl. Sagal and
her family fled from a small village in the vicinity of
Mustahil town near the border of Ethiopia to
Beletweyne town of Hiran Due to drought effects in
2017. Now, Sagal lives with her family in a narrow
makeshift hut at Rabbi Suge IDP camp in
Beletweyne, Somalia. Sagal’s family consists of 5
children, mother and father. The father has no job so
Sagal and her mother used to do house cleaning and
washing of clothes for neighboring residents in the
town to earn a living for their family. One day in
November 2020, a roving CEC member from Safa
primary school supported by ECW program met with
Sagal’s mother. The CEC member noted from the
mother that Sagal and other children had not been
sent to school because the family could not afford to
pay school fees. Then, the CEC member informed the
Sagal’s mother that there was Safa Primary School
that provided free education for children in their
village, and encouraged her to stop children laboring,
and requested from the mother to send them that
school. Sagal’s mother thanked to and accepted CEC
member’s suggestion. Thereafter, Sagal was enrolled
at Safa Primary School in December last year. Now
Sagal and her younger brother are learning ABE level
one (combined Grade 1 & Grade 2 primary
education). Sagal is one of 300 girls benefiting from
solar lamp package for girls in the ECW Year II
Grant. She told that solar lamp was badly needed by
her. “I am grateful to all the generous people for
providing me this wonderful solar lamp. Before I
got this solar lamp I and my family used to beg our
neighbors for light in order to be able to read my
lessons and/or to charge up my mother’s mobile
phone, but now I and my family have clear light and
really excited about this” Sagal said.
Photo taken by: Ms.
Ridwan, FENPS
5. Solar panels together with teaching and learning materials provided to children including Ms. Sagal and schools
improved participation and attendance of girls in education. ECW program provided children with teaching and
learning kits (i.e. package/school bag contained books, pens, pencils, etc.) that resulted in improved opportunity
for girls access to education. Not only solar panels, but we are also given pens, books and other education
materials Sagal added
Photo taken by: Mr.
Mustaf, FENPS
