ReliefWeb

This month Islamic Relief completed the construction of five schools in IFO 2 refugee camp in Dadaab, northeast Kenya.

The camps hosts Somali refugees fleeing instability and violence across the border.

We constructed five schools, benefitting 1,000 children in the camp. Each school has five toilets and has access for people with disabilities- including an easy-access toilet in each school.

We are currently covering the day-to-day costs of the schools, which each have a playground, five water points for cleanliness and ablution, as well as chairs and desks for each student.

During the construction of the schools, we provided training for imams and sheikhs in the local community on the integration of Islamic and academic education.

In this community, most people cannot afford to send their children to school, but highly value informal religious education. By educating religious teachers on academic subjects and the rights of children to education, we were able to join the two streams of teaching into a combined and rounded curriculum that is relevant to the local community.

Following the success of this project, we are now running primary education in 22 schools across the two camps, IFO 1 and IFO 2. We are also managing education for people with special needs across three camps- IFO1, IFO2 and Dagahaley.

In addition to managing education, Islamic Relief will also be managing the health, sanitation and shelter sectors for all of IFO 1, which hosts 500,000 Somali refugees.

Islamic Relief has been working with Somali refugees in Kenya since 2006.