More than 120 teachers who were educating the children of displaced families in the southern Somali city of Baidoa are out of work and struggling to support their families after aid cuts forced the closure of eight schools.
The schools in internal displacement camps in Bookay area north of Baidoa were providing education to around 1,500 children. The jobless teachers can no longer afford food, water, rent, or education for their own children after losing their income.
Hassan Mohamed Ibrahim, a father of eight, said unemployment had devastated his family. Gobaadegsoy primary school, which was supported by SOS Children’s Villages Somalia, closed in February. He earned $100 a month as a mathematics teacher.
“The hardest thing facing us is unemployment. For four months I have been idle because the school is closed. Our living conditions are extremely difficult now. Before was much better than today. We survive only on debt and begging,” Hassan told Radio Ergo.
Local shops have refused to give him credit to buy food until he settles his debts. He owes $400 for food and water bills.
“We are facing serious problems with water. The pipes were cut off after we failed to pay for some time. We now ask neighbours for whatever they can spare. Sometimes they refuse and we stay thirsty,” he said.
The nearest private well sells 20 litres of water for 15 US cents that he often can’t afford. His electricity has been disconnected from the family home and the landlord is demanding $120 for three months of unpaid rent before the end of May.
Hassan said relatives helped settle earlier rent arrears after he escaped eviction in March, but now the threat has returned.
The impact has extended to his own children’s education. Three of them stopped attending primary school and Koranic schools in March when he couldn’t pay the $5 monthly fees per child.
“One of the worst things for us is the children’s education. Even the school where we taught is closed and the students remain at home without lessons. Teachers are suffering badly because they have nothing to support their families,” Hassan said.
Abdimajid Ali Salad, another teacher, said the closure of War-miraale primary and middle school left his family of seven without any reliable income. He earned $200 a month teaching science at the school under a project supported by Save the Children that ended in February.
“The biggest problem for me is feeding my children. Since becoming unemployed, my family has been living in severe hardship. Food, rent, education – everything stopped when the contract ended,” Abdimajid said.
His salary covered rent, food, and school expenses for his children. Without income now, a local fresh produce shop where he accumulated a debt of $150 for food purchases has closed his account and demanded payment before extending further credit.
Abdimajid and his family were forced to leave their single room home at the end of April after he failed to pay $60 in rent arrears for two months. The landlord had given him several warnings.
“We were evicted because the landlord knew I no longer had a salary. Right now we are staying with relatives after leaving the house. Our situation is extremely difficult,” he said.
Two of his children dropped out of school in March after he failed to pay their combined monthly fees of $20. Abdimajid worries they may not return to class anytime soon.
The education coordinator for displaced communities in Boonkay, Hassan Macalin Mohamed, said the eight schools had served some of the poorest families in Baidoa, who could not otherwise afford education for their children.
“At least 1,500 children were attending these schools and now they are all out of education sitting at home,” he said. “These are poor displaced families who can’t even afford half a dollar for school fees. We hope the schools can reopen because the children have no alternative.”
Hassan said the schools’ infrastructure had deteriorated during the months of closure. He appealed to Somalia’s education authorities and humanitarian agencies to urgently restore support for the schools.
