Children living in Madhawa which is part of an island in Badhaadhe district in the lower Jubba region, The Jubbaland Regional State of Somalia are said to be without basic education.
The school going age children who are estimated to be round 398 comprising of 294 boys and 104 girls are out of school, according to Madhawa Island Chairman Mohamed Jaylani.
The island is home to 780 family households which mainly depend on fisheries. The nearest education institutions to the Madhawa Island are the town of kismayu.
The chairman of the Madhawa Island Mohamed Jaylani said the education ministry and World concern International organization built a school in the island but it has since closed down due to lack of school equipments and furniture.
Siciid Khalif yussuf, is a father of 9 children of which 7 of his children are of age going school but he was forced to send some of his children to Kismayu town for education which is proving a challenge in Madhawa Island. Siciid’s family largely rely on the sale of Fisheries products which in turn is used to pay for the children’s school fees.
The Chairman of the Lower Jubba region education Salah Qalaf Hassan who spoke to Radio Kismayo on phone said the education in Madhawa Island is not fully functioning currently but plans are underway to equip. the Madhawa Island School and streamline the education system in the Island to cater for the children.
BY OSMAN HUSSEIN ALI
