Understanding provision of education in emergency contexts: a case of Somalia

Author: Derick Ngaira, Communications Assistant, Africa's Voices Foundation (AVF), March 17 2021 - Access to education is essential, but it remains a big challenge in a protracted crisis environment like Somalia due to prolonged conflict, climatic shocks and weak governance systems.

Education in Somali by the numbers
According to the Somalia Education Sector COVID-19 Response Plan, there are approximately 4.9 million school-aged children in Somalia, of whom an estimated 3 million are out of school. The majority of them live in southern and central Somalia. Those living in rural and refugee setups are found to be affected the most. The United Nations projects that a paltry 17% of them are enrolled in pre-secondary education - mostly in temporary learning institutions managed by non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

COVID-19 context
The fragile education system was worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, which found the sector already on its knees. COVID-19 disrupted learning across Somalia, forcing the closure of schools from March 18th 2020 to September 2020. According to the reports, approximately 814,000 schoolchildren were affected by the pandemic, with many feared to have dropped out of school.

Response to the crisis
Africa's Voices Foundation (AVF) partnered with the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) to support the implementation of the Education in Emergencies in Protracted Crisis 2019-2023 programme. AVF implemented its Common Social Accountability Platform, which combines radio dialogues and SMS (short messaging service) feedback as a mechanism for an Education in Emergency (EiE) response that is accountable, inclusive and responsive to citizens' voices.

AVF and its partner Katikati deployed in tandem two unique approaches:

• The Common Social Accountability Platform for radio dialogues and SMS feedback
• Katikati for 1-1 SMS engagement

The aim was to ensure that citizens are meaningfully consulted and that their voice, agency and influence are used to inform education service delivery. AVF's interactive radio platform is a large, inclusive and valued space that can be used for consulting citizens to gain a community-level understanding of the barriers to education service provision. Particular attention was paid to the impact of COVID-19 on the quality and accessibility of education services in Banadir, which is a region in southeastern Somalia that covers the same area as the city of Mogadishu, which serves as the capital.

Interactive radio
AVF in collaboration with MediaInk deployed radio talk shows across a network of 7 radio stations in 4 weeks. Different topics related to the education sector in Somalia were covered. Audiences were asked one open-ended question each week, to which they responded in their own terms and language via toll-free SMS. Participants were asked for consent to use their answer in the analysis and to be asked further questions such as about their gender, age or location.

1-1 conversations
In parallel to the large-scale radio dialogue and SMS feedback, AVF deployed a one-to-one SMS platform called Katikati (meaning 'in-between' in Swahili), aimed at opening up private two-way conversations that helped to delve deeper into personal stories from specific groups such as caregivers, teachers, students and school dropouts.

Engagement

• Total messages received - 28,121
• Total participants - 6,585
• Participants who consented to be included in analysis - 5,848
• Participants who participated in the 1-1 conversations - 35
• Of participants who reported their gender (n=4,075) - 68% men; 32% women
• Of participants who reported their displacement status (n=3,809) - 65.9% non-displaced; 34.1% displaced

Voices from Somalia
"Asc magacayga oo jooga magalada mugdisho gaar ahaan degmada dharkeenlay hadaan u soo laabto so aashi aniga hadaan tayda caruurta inta badan mahelaan waxbarasho ku filin dadka qaanra caruurtooda duruuf dhaqaale awgee guriya ayaa iskaga joogan barakacayaasha magadoodaba hasoo qaadin cid ugurmanayso way yartahay"
- "My opinion on the topic is that most of the children don't get enough education that covers their needs and some of the children are staying home and not going to school due to financial challenges, IDPs [internally displaced persons] are worst affected because nobody supports them." Man, age 22, Dharkenley

"Asc waan idin salaamay asxaapta hage run ahaantii halkaan wax waxbarasho kama jirto walal hal school oo kaliya ayaa kajiray kadib dagaalkii qawaa ilada waa laxiray halka school hadda waa"
- "Greetings, in reality there is no education here. We only had one school, after the civil war the only school was closed. Now we have zero schools." Man, Lower Shabelle, recently displaced

"Waxaa Loo Baahanyahay In La Dardar Galiyo Tayenta Waxbarashada Dalka Iyo Muujinta Maamul Wanaag Ku Saleysan Xaga Shaqo Ku Helista Waxa Uu Qofku Soo Bartay! Mahadsanidiin"
- "There is a need to enhance the quality of education in the country and to show good governance as well to prioritize educational-based hiring (what one has learned)! Thank you." Man, age 21, Dayniile

Key findings

• Education is valued and described as 'light' for society. Many participants reported satisfaction with schools, but many also reported issues related to the poor quality of education, affordability and access.
• There are clear demands, especially from displaced populations but not exclusively, for free education and support for those most vulnerable.
• Teachers raised the importance of being supported through training, adequate salaries, and recognition to help cope with classroom needs and to enhance their well-being.
• There is a demand for teaching to be done in the vernacular Somali language.
• Participants asked for awareness and advocacy, especially on girls' education.
• Participants in Banadir asked for support and encouragement from authorities, which are called to adequately inspect and monitor schools and to provide adequate resources and training for teachers.
• Learning institutions are not well prepared to continue with learning in the context of COVID-19.
• Both formal schooling vs. Quranic schools are seen as important for many, but some participants explained how Quranic education is prioritised in some cases or intertwined with formal education, causing drop-outs and delays.

Conclusion
The provision of affordable, suitable and accessible education in Somalia remains important to communities in Banadir. Efforts to support education in the emergency crisis - to ensure access to and quality education - call for collaboration among all stakeholders, including the communities.

The deployment of the interactive radio methodology alongside the use of Katikati for more in-depth 1-1 conversations has helped to shed light on important issues and areas of prioritisation for supporting education in Banadir. Affordability and lack of accountability and monitoring are key. In addition, the many barriers and obstacles appear even more insurmountable for displaced communities and girls.

The findings demonstrated the long-term impacts of conflict and instability on access to education in Mogadishu, but also show pathways for change. Future actions and policies suggested by participants can harness these pathways to improve access and quality of education in Banadir.

Image caption/credit: Parents and teachers outside a school in Somalia. Photo by Global Partnership for Education.

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