SOS Schools in Somalia

In Somalia, it is estimated that only a quarter of young women between the ages of 15 and 24 years can read and write.

In Somalia, there are two SOS Nurseries and two SOS Schools. These facilities provide education to children from SOS Villages and from the wider community. Staff members are trained and the resources available to students are of the highest standard possible given the logistical difficulties inherent in the country during unsettled periods.  Below you can find an overview on the SOS Children education projects.

Jamad's Story

Jamad grew up in the SOS Children’s Village Mogadishu and learnt to listen and do “what we were taught”. With the opportunity to study at the SOS International College in Ghana and then to complete a degree in South Africa, Jamad is grateful she learnt discipline and respect as a youngster so she could make the most of her learning opportunities in other countries.

Mogadishu : SOS Schools

The SOS Nursery at Mogadishu has been temporarily closed until the security situation in the capital improves and young children move back to the area.

The SOS Primary & Secondary School in Mogadishu reopened in March 2009. The school currently has nearly 500 pupils, well above its designed capacity. But as one of the few functioning schools in the area, it was felt imperative to offer an education program to as many children as possible.

  • Situated within the site of the SOS Village, the school’s environs have not been overly affected by the fighting and a programme of education is being maintained. Teachers at the school follow the Kenyan syllabus wherever possible.
  • New teachers were recently recruited in computing, physics, Arabic and English. Use of the school library has also improved, with children in levels 6-8 starting to write summaries of the books they are reading.

Hargeisa, Somaliland : SOS Schools

The SOS Nursery at Hargeisa in Somaliland (an autonomous region of Somalia) has around 90 children.

  • The nursery has 3 classrooms with 30 children each, aged from 3 to 5 years. There is also a fourth room which is being used for preparatory classes for children over five, until a primary school can be established.
  • A third of community children are accepted into the nursery through a scholarship programme.

The SOS Secondary School at Hargeisa teaches the IGCSE curriculum and hopes to receive a licence to start teaching IGCSE A-levels for the oldest pupils.

  • Academic achievement at the school is high, with the school taking first place in the Somaliland National Examination results. Recently 10 scholarships were awarded to top students who went on to study medicine.
  • For the future, the school has a target to offer 30 per cent of pupils places under a scholarship programme. The school also hopes to improve results for English by employing new teachers and introducing the latest techniques.