At least 3.6 million children are out of school in Somalia, and nearly half of adults are illiterate (46%)

Poor families who want their children to be educated face many barriers. These include school fees, the cost of books and uniforms, long distances to school, safety concerns, and a shortage of teachers. Classrooms tend to be overcrowded, and water and sanitation facilities are often inadequate.

Educational access and attainment can be hampered by all these challenges, but education has the potential to lift people out of poverty. The rate of poverty is 56.4% among people who have had no education but half that (28.7%) among those who have received secondary education. Only one in ten university graduates are living in poverty (9.6%).

Zamzam’s education programme includes building and running new schools, providing high-quality teaching materials, training teachers, and delivering vocational training to help young people find employment.

We have established over 150 schools across Somalia since 1992, equipping and initially managing them before handing them over to local authorities and communities to operate. In 2024 we built eight new schools and expanded or renovated 13 existing ones.