Helping children in Somalia to realise their dreams

First and foremost, my country has one of the lowest primary-school enrollment聽rates in Africa, with less than 25% of the children聽participating, of which one-third are聽female students.

However, the number of out芒of芒school and at-risk children and聽youth aged six to 19 has been estimated at 4.5 million, out of a total population of聽9.4 million, and I have no doubt that the聽struggle to educate children in Somalia has聽brought International NGOs like ours to give our children that opportunity 国产视频� to help the聽nation ultimately achieve prosperity and peace as well.

A UNICEF report noted: 国产视频淎n entire generation of children has grown up knowing only聽conflict and fighting [and] possibly thousands of children have been trained in聽combat. We need to make sure that this generation receives quality basic education. This will stop them being sucked into the continuing violence and they will then be聽able to make a positive and lasting contribution to聽the future of Somalia.国产视频�

Above all,聽I have to inform you that UNICEF is currently working with partners across聽Somalia to deliver an integrated package of school-based and non-formal activities聽to address the educational needs in Somalia.

Guess what? Two generations of Somali children have聽missed the opportunity to聽attend school 国产视频� that is absolutely absurd, right? Well, I visited Mogadishu and other聽cities across the country last year and, in addition聽to that, my personal advocacy for聽the last two years now, I have also come across children living in remote areas and聽have heard their big dreams.

In fact, many of them聽want to be teachers, others want聽to be doctors or lawyers. But the reality is that they face a lot of challenges and their聽status in life never stopped them from dreaming and聽dreaming really BIG.

Honestly, I felt so sad that children and adults living with disabilities face social聽stigma and enormous challenges when it comes to accessing education and training聽but we managed to give them tools and resources that they need so that they can聽play a key role in helping the community as a whole.

Did you know that according to the World Report on聽Disability, approximately one聽billion people in the world are living with a disability, with at least one in 10 being聽children and 80% living in developing countries?

Let us be very clear 国产视频� it would be聽terrific if societies adapt their structures to ensure that all children, irrespective of聽age, gender and disability, can really enjoy their聽basic human rights without聽discrimination of any kind.

For instance, since the collapse of the education system, communities have already聽taken different approaches to establishing locally-run education services. And by the聽way, let us remember that people whose struggle for聽education has always been聽difficult 国产视频� girls and women, disabled people and displaced people 国产视频� fare worst in聽times of uncertainty and extreme poverty as well.

And most importantly, I am so proud of the work that we are doing in Somalia right聽now. With their help and contributions, a good聽number of young girls and boys聽will go to school right after the summer season for聽the first time in their life because聽my priority has been to encourage girls国产视频� attendance聽in both primary and secondary聽schools and to promote women国产视频檚 and girls国产视频� education聽through girl-friendly spaces
and sensitisation of schools, teachers and communities as well.

Finally, I would suggest that if our generation of聽Somali children is to find hope for聽the future, there needs to be an emphasis on education. Sustainable economic聽development will definitely need to follow for Somalia to participate in the global聽economy because without education the achievements聽for success will not happen.

With every educated student comes the potential for聽a leader of tomorrow. If we聽really want to make a lasting difference in Somalia, an investment in education is a聽good place to start!