Jarriban and Garacad districts, Mudug Region- SFS in partnership with project targeted schools CECs organized and conducted a series of meetings on community consultation and dialogue meetings across 15 locations (Jarriban town, Ballibusle town, llfoochshee, Gaal-xagar, Seemade, Salax, Lepi-lammane, Mayle,Kurile and Buubi as well as Garacad, Kulub Dhinowda-dhigdhigley, Dhinowda-Qoryo Weyn, Ceel-daganane) in Jarriban and Garacad districts under the auspices of EAC project funded by UNICEF. The dialogue meeting had brought together 499 people (M: 291, F: 208) of all walks of life including schools CECs members, children, teachers, parents, community elders, women groups, religious leaders, youth groups and members of district governing council of respective locations where these meetings were held.

The aim of these dialogue meetings was to educate the pastoralists and coastal communities in project targeted locations on their roles in enrolment drive, share project information and also educational themes-showing the importance of education while demystify cultural and myths surrounding on providing access basic education to out-of school children. The need to provide equal opportunities on basic education to girls and boys, especially from the pastoralists and coastal community was one of the key issues addressed during community consultative and dialogue meetings.

SFS facilitators also discussed pertinent issues on how to give accessible education to out of school children through massive enrolment and their retention in school children. They had put spotlight or emphasis on children who are currently out of school and these discussion had ensued a lot of debate between participants and SFS facilitators thus the participants had raised some of the challenges that hinder parents to enroll their children in school such as school fee, uniforms and distance to school

EAC project aims at giving access and quality education to out-of school boys and girls in the 15 locations thus the dialogue meeting is meant to sensitize and advocate the parents and other members of the community who attended these dialogue meetings to send these children to school.

The invited meetings participants pledged to enroll their out of school children from their villages to school. Also they promised to work with SFS and participate fully in any educational project such as EAC project.

The dialogue meetings participants were given the opportunity to discuss the challenges that hinders pastoralists and coastal community’s children to enroll and stay in school; here is what they had to say: ‘‘Limited awareness raising on girl-child education, Somali culture and taboos are some of the obstacles to children enrolment in school and girls defined family chores. They pledged to send their children to school now that they are enlightened on importance of education“.

In conclusion, the meeting participants acknowledged that it is the right of every child in Puntland to have access to quality and affordable basic education. They also shared that they more sensitized on importance and they can make an informed decision to send their children who currently looking after herds, staying at home and helping in fish franchises.

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For more information, please contact Mohamed Hassan at mohamed.hassan@ussfs.org or visit www.ussfs.org