A transformative World Bank-funded initiative is enabling young women from vulnerable and displaced communities to pursue higher education through the Somalia Rajo Kaaba scholarship program. Highlighted in a feature story by the World Bank, teenager Aisha Nuur Hassan navigated severe displacement from drought in Marka to study education at Banaadir College in Mogadishu. Consequently, providing targeted financial and psychosocial support to young women helps close gender learning gaps while accelerating national economic recovery.
Transforming Displacement into Educational Leadership
Historically, prolonged conflict and environmental shocks forced thousands of Somali households into informal settlements like Ceelasha Biyaha, where access to secondary and tertiary schooling remains severely limited. However, targeted scholarship investments allow marginalized youth to break intergenerational poverty cycles.
“I never thought someone like me—displaced, from a poor family—would go to college. Now I study every day to become a teacher because I want to be the person I once needed,” stated Aisha Nuur Hassan.
Specifically, the initiative—implemented in partnership with Somalia’s Ministry of Education—operates across Benadir, Hirshabelle, Galmudug, South West, and Jubbaland states.
Inclusive Curricula and Long-Term Community Recovery
Furthermore, scholars like Aisha plan to return to displaced settlements to design flexible, practical learning programs tailored for children living in informal camps. Training future educators and health professionals ensures essential human capital stays within underserved rural and urban communities.
Therefore, investing in female education remains a key prerequisite for sustainable post-crisis recovery. Moving forward, expanding higher education access will continue building resilient community institutions across Somalia.
World Bank. (2025, July 17). Rising above displacement: A young girl’s vision to improve learning in Somalia’s marginalized communities. World Bank Feature Stories. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2025/07/17/rising-above-displacement-a-young-girls-vision-to-improve-learning-in-afe-somalia-marginalized-communities