GSA knows that the right to education is a human right. The continued conflict in Somalia has kept a considerable number of children out of schools. Most rural villages lack schools to send their children to. Some of the old government school buildings are completely dilapidated as a result of the many years of neglect.

Although school is supposed to be free, it is common for schools to require payment for teachers, books, uniforms, and other fees from the parents of pupils. Since money is usually scarce for host communities and internally displaced families, especially those headed by women, school is usually not possible for displaced children even when an opening exists. The result of all these roadblocks is an education system that is at best discouraging to all. Inside IDP camps it is rare to find displaced children attending school, but it’s common to find school-aged children working at home or in the street.

We believe that proper learning environment is critical for ensuring that leaning takes place. GSA has implemented several education programs focusing on school infrastructure support especially in the construction of new and rehabilitation of classrooms for the learners.

In 2013 GSA with our partner were opened technical vocational school (Professor Adow Vocational Training School) in Galkacyo funded by MFA of Norway, to improve access to quality vocational technical skill education to the community; provide students with an education that enables them have a career full of quality skilled manpower; hence give an economic empowerment base.

The school offers the following courses:

Bricklaying
Plastering and tiling
Electricity
Plumbing
Each course consists of an intensive 6 months training with emphasis on the practical and each unit has a training workshop for practical and a classroom for theory lessons. Our training workshops are equipped with standard training hand tools and machineries. Each course takes 15 students and any course has an instructor, supervised by training coordinator.

The project will improve access to training for the disadvantaged and under employed young men, will also provide them with skill in entrepreneurship and guide them in starting their own business. The beneficiates are mainly jobless, desperate individuals within the community.

The largest and target group comprises of young men and women between age of 15-30, who are either unemployed or underemployed due to lack of skill. The groups in the mainstream population represent the largest potential for future economic growth and societal well-being, failure to develop the job skills relative to the expectation of current world business and industry will render our efforts irrelevant. On the other hand strengthening the job readiness of this age group will be an advantage to the economic and social prospects of these individuals, their families and community at large. The major economic activity of this group population is livestock grazing, which is deteriorating due to persistence droughts.