Catholic Irish Entity, Partners Celebrate Courage of School-Going Children in Somalia amid Displacements and Conflicts

Mogadishu, 11 September, 2025 / 2:17 AM

Children in Somalia are beating all odds to go to school in a country that is reeling from decades of education collapse,  Trócaire has said, lauding more than 600 Grade 8 students who sat for examinations in June this year, and are awaiting their results.

The overseas development agency of the Catholic Bishops of Ireland says that with the support of the Crisis and Support Center of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (CDCS) and Secours Catholique – Caritas France (SCCF), the students, mainly from Somalia’s Gedo region, have an opportunity to stay on the path to higher education.

Trócaire officials say that on the day of examinations, the students drawn from the districts of Dollow, Belet Hawa, and Luuq, many of whom had grown up amidst conflict and displacement, “arrived with sharpened pencils, sturdy desks, and most importantly, confidence.”

“For many, this moment represents more than a test of knowledge. It is the culmination of years of community resilience, partnership, and belief in the power of education to shape brighter futures,” the officials say in a report dated September 4.

They add, “As we await the results of the final examinations, we celebrate more than academic goals. We honour the courage of every child who dared to learn against the odds, the commitment of parents who walked miles to send their daughters to school, and the teachers who never gave up believing that change is possible.”

“Success in these exams opens the door to secondary school, the main pathway to continued learning and opportunity,” the officials of the Irish Catholic entity say, and lament that “poverty, distance, and limited places mean only a few can progress immediately.”

The officials of the development agencies say that children in Somalia who will not proceed with secondary education will pursue Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to gain practical, marketable skills. “Despite constraints, these pathways keep the promise of this exam season within reach,” they say.

In the report, the officials reflect on the challenges of the education system in Somalia following the collapse of the Somali government in 1991.

“The education system was destroyed and since then, the successive governments have struggled to acquire the resources and requisite capacity to restore it, leaving Somali children with an uncertain future,” they say.

They add, “Humanitarian organizations and local community education committees have had to step in to improve what was left of a broken-down system where teachers had migrated away, and infrastructure was destroyed.”

They further state that deeply entrenched barriers, such as conflict, inadequate facilities, distance, expensive school necessities, and a lack of teachers and scholastic materials, continue to prevent young people from receiving an education.

Early marriage and domestic workloads specifically impact girls’ attendance, they say, adding that “fewer than half of girls attend primary school”.

The officials of the Catholic entity say that the humanitarian crisis has forced many households to move to internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, where access to education for school-aged children is significantly challenged.

“These children often assist their caregivers or parents in searching for food, causing them to miss several days of school. If this continues for several weeks, many begin to consider dropping out, mainly because they cannot concentrate or stay in school on empty stomachs,” they say.

Trócaire, in partnership with SCCF and CDCS, has worked alongside Somalia’s Ministry of Education, district education officers, and community committees to ensure that children in the country receive learning materials, and the teachers are empowered to teach.

Since CDCS support began, the officials say, “total enrolment across all the seven supported schools has jumped by 27 percent, from 4,847 to 6,168 learners, with girls’ enrolment rate increasing by 26 percent.”

Trócaire officials say that with community outreach and mentorship initiatives in place, 

 girls are no longer sidelined. “They lead study groups, ask bold questions in class, and envision careers once thought beyond reach,” the officials say.

“Education of girls brings ripple effects across families and communities – from improved health to stronger local economies,” the officials of the Irish Catholic entity say, and explain, “To drive home this message, the project has trained Female Community Influencers who work with parent-teacher committees to host awareness sessions in villages and camps.”