Tuesday June 3, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — In a modest classroom on the edge of Baidoa, 13-year-old Ifrah Mohamed stands confidently before the chalkboard, solving math problems with ease. Her transformation from a struggling student to a budding mentor is one example of how tailored instruction is reshaping education for displaced children across Somalia.
Ifrah, who lives with her mother in the Al Camar camp for internally displaced people, joined Al Camaar School in early 2024 after years of disrupted learning. Shy and behind in both reading and math, she struggled to keep pace—until she was placed into a class using the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach.
The initiative, supported by UNICEF and implemented by the Bay Regional Education Committee (BREC), assesses students based on actual skill levels rather than age or grade. Learners are grouped accordingly, with lessons tailored to their specific needs.
“I love coming to school,” Ifrah said. “Math is my favorite subject. I’ve gotten really good at it, and I help my classmates when they need support.”
Since launching in Somalia during the 2023–2024 academic year, the TaRL program has reached 23,053 students, including 10,270 girls and 527 children with disabilities, across five regions. In Baidoa alone, 13 schools—including Al Camaar—have adopted the model, serving over 2,200 displaced children.
Teacher Abdi, who leads Ifrah’s class, said the change in her performance has been remarkable.
“She started out very quiet and unsure,” he said. “But once she was learning at her own level in small groups, she began to thrive. Now, she’s one of the strongest math students in class.”
The initiative is funded by the Government of Finland, the Government of Japan, and the German Federal Foreign Office, and is designed to address foundational learning gaps for children aged 8 to 17—especially those affected by conflict, displacement, or poverty.
At Al Camaar School, students use tools like counting sticks and group exercises to strengthen their understanding of core concepts. Teachers say the approach not only improves academic outcomes but also builds confidence and classroom engagement.
For Ifrah, school has become a space of possibility.
“I want to be a teacher when I grow up,” she said, “so I can help others the way my teachers helped me.”