On June 16^th, the Day of African Child (DAC) was colorfully commemorated in Garowe, Puntland. The event was organized by Ministry of Women and Family affairs (MOWAFA) and Ministry of Education MoE together with NGOs that support children’s education’s education and rights. It was held at Darwish Primary School where it was officiated by the Deputy President Eng. Abdihakim Omar Camey. In attendance were the Minister for Women Development and Family Affairs, the Ministry of Education, INGOs & LNGOs, parents and children.

SFS has been a strong supporter of the Day of the African Child (DAC). Together with Relief International, CARE International and Puntland’s Ministry of Education (MoE), SFS helped organizing this outstanding event, which promoted “a child-friendly, quality, free and compulsory education for all children in Africa,” in a variety of ways.

SFS’ Radio Sahan raised awareness of the DAC event throughout its broadcasting program. For example, in the week running up to the event, the radio station broadcasted one-minute announcements (PSA messages)before every news bulletin. These announcements included background information on DAC and reiterated MoE’s commitments to strengthening an inclusive, accessible and quality education for Puntland’s youth.

Secondly, Radio Sahan aired pre-event interviews with the MoE, MOWAFA, schoolchildren’s parents, religious leaders and children to convey their respective views on DAC and education in Puntland in general. Radio Sahan’sbroadcasting also discussed the challenges and opportunities of Puntland’s education sector, including expansion of access to primary education for especially vulnerable groups of children, quality of education at all levels, and gender parity in education.

Finally, SFS offered more than 750 books from its Puntland Library and Resource Center to the participating schools.

Thanks to the work of its Education and Skills Development Institute (ESDI), SFS has become an important contributor to education in Puntland over the last years. Examples include the creation of the Puntland Library and Resource Center, which is the first community library in Puntland offering books and Internet access to children from all education levels. Moreover, in partnership with CARE International and CISCO, SFS has established the CISCO Networking Academy that provides comprehensive ICT training. Finally, SFS’ public affairs radio station, Radio Sahan, promotes education for Puntland’s youth. For example, it has introduced English broadcasting to help listeners to learn a good command of the English language. Radio Sahan’s continuous educational advocacy efforts have contributed to an increased budget allocation for Puntland’s Ministry of Education from 3.5% to 7% in the fiscal year 2014.