Feysal Osman

Regional Coordinator, South-Central Somalia

Somali Interactive Radio Instruction Program (SIRIP)

International Education Systems (IES)

Somalia has been plagued by civil unrest, violence, and an ineffective national government for nearly two decades. Survival comes first, and education is not always a priority in a place where conflict and hardship have become a way of life.

Still, educators and peace activists such as EDC’s Feysal Osman fight to bring learning to displaced families and children through the Somali Interactive Radio Instruction Program (SIRIP). The program, which is funded by USAID, uses wind-up shortwave radios to broadcast lessons in basic reading, math, and life skills such as health and conflict prevention.

“Sometimes the classroom is a group of students and their teacher gathered under a tree or in a tent,” says Osman, who coordinates SIRIP in South-Central Somalia. The program engages students with stories, songs, and role-playing activities, and has reached more than 248,000 learners and 12,400 teachers.

The George Lucas Educational Foundation named Osman one of its “Global Six” for his tireless, often “daring” work to promote radio education. To Osman—who grew up seeing other young boys recruited into armed militias—education is the key to giving Somalia’s youth a chance at peace and a better life.

How were you able to attain an education growing up amid conflict in Somalia?

I was born in Merka, southwest of the capital, Mogadishu, into a low-income family. I was not lucky enough to see a functional government in Somalia. What I saw was violence, chaos, and widespread lawlessness. Fighting factions recruited boys as young as 14 or 15 years of age as soldiers. The situation was extremely horrible; the sight of teenage boys my age carrying automatic weapons or sitting on the back of “technicals” (armed vehicles) was a disturbing reminder of the extent of their involvement in the civil war and of the work which must be undertaken to reverse this trend.

I learned English from the U.S. Marines stationed nearby and I got work as a translator. I had positive dreams about my future education—that one day I’d be able to stand up for my community and help us get out of the crisis. So many children my age lost so much in fighting that had nothing to do with them. No one in my family had been able to go to school, but I was able to get a Fulbright Scholarship to attend the Somali Institute of Management and Administration Development. Later, I went to work for the Forum for Peace and Governance in Mogadishu before I came to EDC and SIRIP.

In 2006, the vehicle you were traveling in came under attack. What happened?

While traveling between Baidoa and Mogadishu from a successful project mission of monitoring target schools, meeting with partner organizations, and distributing learning materials, the vehicle I was using came under attack by unknown gunmen. They fired at our vehicle deliberately until most of the windows of the car crashed down. The car overturned on a tree and seriously injured the poor driver on the right leg. I went into a state of shock. Not only did they fire on us with bullets but also they looted some of our personal property. Nobody knows where they disappeared to after the incident.

How do you keep the faith that education is a means to end the violence?

Adolescents are at greatest risk in situations of armed conflict. Exposed to forced recruitment, abuse, and exploitation, they are frequently isolated and denied access to education and health care, without opportunities to develop their potential. Yet in spite of overwhelming odds, these same young people demonstrate enormous resilience and capacity to survive. With adequate support, guidance, and skills, they can provide the foundation for building peace and rebuilding lives and communities. Many Somali youth are fast becoming leaders in their devastated society, using youth groups to give voice to the concerns of their generation.

SIRIP is one of the most influential and fruitful projects I have ever worked with in my life. I can see the huge difference this program is making within the lives of thousands of young Somali children who were deliberately victimized and lost so much by meaningless fighting. They do not have other opportunities to learn except these free radio program broadcasts. I’ll personally continue advocating for this voiceless and uncounted portion of my society, as I’m very hopeful that this program will gain the full support of the Somali society as a whole.

Related Links:

Somali Interactive Radio Instruction Program (SIRIP)

Amid Turmoil, SIRIP Provides Educational Continuity in Somalia

Feysal Osman: Making a Difference in Education

The Story of Najmo and Her Family