Tuning in to an Opportunity

With EDC radio programs, education can reach camps in Somalia.

It’s not easy to be a student in Somalia, a nation wracked by persistent violence. With 60 percent of residents fleeing Mogadishu, the capital, to live in camps, EDC and local teachers are working to ensure that learning continues. One key strategy is to reach into the camps with a regular schedule of educational radio programs.

“This program remains the only alternative for education for many children,” says EDC’s Feysal Osman, who was recently selected by the George Lucas Educational Foundation as one of its “Global Six” for his work in radio education. To date, EDC has trained teachers in 60 tent schools. Plans include more teacher trainings as well as the distribution of wind-up radios and other materials.

“We are not intending to go back to Mogadishu anytime soon,” says Halima Ibrahim, a mother of two. “This radio program is a golden opportunity for our children to continue their learning.” Somali Interactive Radio Instruction is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.