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Nadia
McGill
ADRA International
SILVER SPRING, Md., October 3, 2009 – With one of the lowest primary
school enrollment rates in the world, millions of Somali children are
likely to remain poor, a concern that affects not only the children and
their families, but the future development of the nation as a whole,
reported the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).
To address this problem, ADRA and a consortium of partners, have been
implementing SIBES, or Support to Integrated Basic Education Services,
in an effort to increase enrollment rates and improve access to quality
education for more than 10,500 children between the ages of six and 14,
and 5,200 youth and adults within the regions of Puntland, and
Somaliland.
ADRA Somalia, for its part of the implementation, is targeting 2,600
children and 2,200 adults in 26 schools and adult centers in the Nugal
and Mudug regions of Puntland.
"There is a danger of an increase in 'capability poverty' if large
numbers of children do not gain the benefits that they need to develop
successfully from the basic education system," said Samuel Muthamia,
programs assistant for ADRA Somalia.
Capability poverty is a term that reflects a lack of basic, or minimally
essential human capabilities, that are needed to lift one from income
poverty and to sustain strong human development, such as nourishment,
reproductive health, and literacy.
Since its inception, this two-year project has been providing training
and support for teachers, Community Education Committee members,
Ministry of Education (MOE) staff, and other educational authorities. To
provide students with an environment that is conducive to learning, the
project utilizes many methods, including constructing, renovating, and
furnishing local schools, establishing a mobile school for the pastoral
community, and creating adult literacy centers.
SIBES also supports the construction of hygiene and sanitation
facilities, and distributes educational supplies for both teachers and
students, including textbooks, pens, pencils and relevant instructional
materials.
Many of the children targeted in the project, come from groups that face
distinct disadvantages, including children from farming families,
minority groups, children with disabilities, and girls. To improve their
rates of enrollment, and create equal opportunities within the
communities, awareness activities are integral to the implementation of
the project. Topics that are addressed through these activities include
girls' education, HIV/AIDS, harmful traditional practices, gender, and
peace and reconciliation.
Parents and other community members are also benefitting by acquiring
valuable skills in numeracy and literacy, interpersonal communication,
and other life skills.
"Achieving a good education is a fundamental right of every child," said
Muthamia. "Through this project, the children learn strategies that
directly contribute to poverty alleviation, and teach them how to
improve their quality of life."
The SIBES project is funded by the European Commission, and has been
implemented in partnership by Save the Children United Kingdom, Save the
Children Denmark, and ADRA Somalia.
In Somalia, a child of primary school age has a one in five chance of
attending school. The situation is even more dire in rural areas, as
shown in the 2006/2007 UNICEF Primary Schools Survey, which reported
that of the 1,855 schools functioning in the country, the majority of
them were located in and around urban areas.
ADRA has been operating in Somalia since 1992, implementing emergency
relief and development interventions in various sectors, including
water, primary health, education, food security, infrastructure,
institutional capacity building and economic development.
ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries
providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without
regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race or
ethnicity.
For more information about ADRA, visit www.adra.org.
Source: Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International, 28
Sep 2009
Website: http://www.adra.org
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