UNdaunted: Educating Girls with Disabilities in Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Somalia

This project aims to address the education needs arising from COVID-19 in Somalia by providing support to education stakeholders with COVID-19 response plans and gender-responsive remote education programming for girls particularly girls with disabilities. The project works to ensure that safe spaces for girls are being adapted to remain safely accessible in the context of COVID-19. Project activities include: (1) organizing gender-responsive messaging on COVID-19 sexual and gender-based violence and girls with disabilities; (2) piloting digital learning solutions for girls with disabilities; (3) providing cash transfers to families to support girls’ return to school; (4) ensuring schools are disability-friendly; and (5) providing gender-responsive teacher training on distance learning disabilities COVID-19 and psychosocial support. This project expects to benefit 22 500 girls including 7 500 girls with disabilities 1 248 teachers 1 092 members of community education committees and 70 government officials. The project also expects to indirectly benefit 200 000 community members.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased awareness of the community and education stakeholders on culturally-appropriate and gender-responsive hygiene and safe practices specific to COVID-19 prevention; (2) increased access for girls with disabilities for distance learning solutions during school closures due to COVID-19 including messaging on preventing sexual and gender-based violence; and (3) strengthened capacity of education stakeholders on inclusive safe and child-friendly re-opening of schools for girls with disabilities.