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This project which was funded by Comic Relief aims to improve levels of adult literacy and numeracy in Somalia, especially for women.
These literacy and numeracy classes targeted mainly women to improve gender inequality in Somalia and in recognition of their instrumental role as mothers and development agents.
IFED Initially planned to reach 1,500 nomadic adults and children in Central Somalia, the project was attended by 7,874 adults and children with 57.7% of them being female.
The high attendance of these classes can be attributed to IFED’s awareness campaigns and long term presence in the region, which created trust and a strong relationship with the participants.
IFED’s Country Director is hopeful of the big implications of teaching nomadic communities in Somalia,
“Our nomads have a strong oral tradition, where stories, poems and proverbs are handed down generation to generation. We have families attending these classes together, and we aim to set a new tradition of reading and writing.”
Approximately 85% of adults in Galgaduud and Mudug regions cannot read or write, one of the highest illiteracy rates in Somalia. Many of these people were in their 20s and 30s when basic education was disrupted by the civil war in Somalia.
The literacy and numeracy drive takes place every year during the summer school breaks, and are carried out by IFED trained teachers.
