Education on Hold: Hundreds of Pastoralist Children in Galmudug Left Without Schooling as Funding Runs Dry

Education on Hold: Hundreds of Pastoralist Children in Galmudug Left Without Schooling as Funding Runs Dry

In the rural corners of Adado district, Galmudug State, the laughter and lessons that once filled makeshift classrooms have fallen silent. This academic year, free schools supported by the Galmudug education authority failed to open, leaving nearly 450 pastoralist children without access to education.

The shutdown came after humanitarian organizations that had funded teacher salaries withdrew their support. With no alternative funding available, the local education authority could not keep the schools running.

For families like that of Abdi Mahmoud Hassan, a father of seven in Qurdubanle, the closure has been devastating. “There’s no education at all. Everything has fallen apart,” he told Radio Ergo. His six school-aged children now spend their days at home, their dreams of learning fading fast.

The schools, which had been running under trees or in simple shelters, offered a lifeline for rural communities where formal education was once a distant hope. Parents tried to pool money to pay teachers, but their efforts were quickly overwhelmed by the harsh realities of severe drought and economic hardship. Livestock, the main source of income for these families, have grown weak and unproductive, leaving many with nothing to sell or eat.

Abdi’s story is echoed by Fadumo Elmi Abdi, a mother of three whose children also lost their place in school. “The children who dropped out have started engaging in bad habits because they have nothing to occupy them,” she said, expressing deep concern for her children’s future. Her family, like many others, survives on one meal a day and relies on help from neighbors.

With water prices soaring — up to $60 per truckload — and shops refusing further credit, the situation in villages like Qurdubanle and Far-janno has grown desperate. Families owe hundreds or even thousands of dollars in unpaid food and water debts, leaving them trapped in a cycle of poverty and dependence.

According to Hussein Ali Sahal, Adado’s district education coordinator, efforts are ongoing to reopen the schools, but funding remains the biggest obstacle. “If we could recruit new teachers, we could restart classes. We’ll keep working on it, no matter how long it takes,” he said.

The schools were originally established three years ago to give pastoralist children a fair chance at education — a goal now at risk. Without urgent intervention from government and international partners, an entire generation of Somali children in Galmudug may lose their opportunity to learn, thrive, and build a better future for their communities.