 |
|
Building peace in the Somali capital Mogadishu, new UN-Habitat schools serviced by UNICEF provide pupils like Ms. Abyaan Abdi Muudey and her classmates a new start in life. © UN-Habitat | Five UN-Habitat schools completed a year ago in the Somali capital Mogadishu are today serving some 2,000 internally displaced children in five neighbourhoods thanks to Swedish funding and UNICEF backing.
The project is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and implemented together with the local NGO, SAACID in collaboration with local district authorities and community representatives.
UN-Habitat and SAACID completed the planning and construction through local construction firms within four months, demonstrating that the key to appropriate local projects lies with the direct involvement of local communities and district authorities – a planning approach practiced in UN-Habitat's ongoing Participatory District Rehabilitation in Mogadishu Project.
At present, all schools are fully staffed and operational in all five districts, and there are 1,981 students formally enrolled, from Year 1 to Year 4. Working as One United Nations, UNICEF is involved providing long-term support through school materials and teachers' stipends, to ensure that tuition is free.
On 4 February, a delegation consisting of Somali President Sharif Ahmed, the Mayor of Mogadishu Mohamed Nur, the District Commissioner of Shingani, and other officials visited the rehabilitated primary school in Shingani District.
UN-Habitat's quick implementation of new quality infrastructure was perceived as a showcase for the planned wide-scale reconstruction projects in Mogadishu, many of which are being organized by the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and the Government of Turkey. |
