The main focus of this project is to promote the right to inclusive education for Somali girls and boys who face barriers to access inclusive quality education services. The marginalised children include internally displaced, street children, urban poor, youth minority groups, refugee returnees, nomads in far-reachable areas, children with disabilities, disadvantage girls, and children subject to child labour.  

To achieve the project objectives, the National Education Coalition (NEC) of Somalia, Education for All Somalia Coalition (EFASOM) will work to engage civil society actors and local communities and enable them to hold the government accountable. Furthermore, EFASOM will promote the implementation of policy programmes that address the challenges of vulnerable children who face barriers to access education. 

In Somalia, more than 4.84 million displaced and non-displaced children in school-age lack access to safe and inclusive quality education. It is especially the direct and indirect costs of education that are the main drivers of high school dropout rates, further exacerbated by the impacts of recurring shocks such as droughts, evictions and conflicts that drive displacement and challenge livelihoods. 

Amid these challenges, children, and especially girls, are denied their right to access equitable and inclusive quality education.  

The EFASOM project seeks to address the barriers to achieving an inclusive and gender responsive education system in Somalia. This project is continuing the work of the previous phase, implemented between April 2022 – December 2023, which likewise worked to promote the right to inclusive education for children in Somalia living under difficult circumstances. 

The project will contribute to promote inclusive, gender responsive and equitable national education policies and systems through enhanced civil society capacities and participation in gender and inclusive education policy advocacy processes. The specific outcomes of the project are expected to be: 

• The EFASOM members and other CSOs are trained in policy influencing and monitoring. 

• The EFASOM coalition itself will become more inclusive by expanding the membership to represent women, indigenous people, and marginalised groups. 

• Enhanced participation of communities in inclusive and gender responsive policy programs and campaigns. 

• Communities and the general public are engaged in advocacy and campaign events to promote gender and inclusion in education. 

• At school level, CSOs and teacher unions collaborate to strengthen gender and inclusion practices in school. 

• Dialogues are to be conducted to advocate for adequate allocation of resources to the education sector in the national budget. 

By focussing on enhancing the capacities and knowledge of the NEC and CSOs in Somalia, they will be enabled to continue the support and promotion of a strong and sustainable education system, even beyond the project implementation.  

Lastly, the project builds on the assumption that once the importance of gender and inclusivity in education is achieved, it will become part of societal culture and eventually be sustained by becoming part of societal beliefs and practices. 

A previous phase of the project was carried out between April 2022 – December 2023. The current project is part of the EOL extension phase of 2024-2026. Read more about the previous phase of the project here.