Education Programmes

Education interventions in this sector include construction and rehabilitation of schools, training of teaches, vocational skills training, literacy numeracy formal education and pastoral education. Candlelight has vocational training centers in Hargeisa, Burao and Erigavo, over the past 19 years thousands of youth have graduated from these centers run by the organization with well-equipped.

Major areas of focus include:

–       Running and supporting youth vocational training centres in Burao, Erivago and Hargeisa

–       Running and supporting formal education

–       Promotion of girl-child education through provision of scholarships for displaced, poor and orphaned girls;

–       Conducting motivational speeches in the schools

–       Advocacy on gender awareness and education;

–       Provision of primary education for pastoralist children through mobile schools, camel library and audio radio teaching program.

–       Increasing employment opportunity through creation of small business for students

Secondary Education:

Candlelight secondary school which has been in operation since 1995 is one of the most popular schools in Togdheer region which provides secondary education. Due to the quality of education and teachers’ teaching experience and qualifications, the school used to attract the attention of the public as well as the young learners and their parents. It accepts students who complete their primary education in both public and private schools for enrollment. A selection criteria was devised which favored students from poor families since some of the students are offered free tuition. Moreover, the overall tuition fee is 35% lower than the other private schools in Burao. The students are taught all subjects that enable them to acquire knowledge of the general certificate of the secondary education. Its duration is four scholastic years which is the same as that of the public schools in Somaliland. The Ministry of Education has a supervising role and the students have equal access to government examinations and accreditation. At the final year the students of the center sit for centralized Examination of Somaliland Secondary schools and are awarded GCE certificate. The school building is composed of 13 classrooms, a library, a computer lab, a meeting hall, 3 offices and all teaching/learning facilities as well as sanitation and water facilities which creates am environment conducive for proper learning. During the last 6 years an average of 90 students have been  graduating from the school each year – most of them continuing their higher education at the Somaliland universities in Burao, Hargeisa and Borama as well as joining outside universities in the neighboring countries, namely Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda, while many others have joined the employment market. Of the total annual graduates, nearly 40% are female students who show the same commitments as those of their male classmates.

The school is registered with the Ministry of Education whereby the teachers receive TOR trainings while the students have access to the government examinations and accreditation.

In 2010, Candlelight introduced primary education section which is exclusive for girls into the school. By end of December, the number of students studying in the primary section consist of 55 girls (of grade 5 and 7) however, despite of the difficult start of such exclusive education for girls, the number is now increasing as the school management is  receiving  more  incoming student transfer requests from  other schools. The aim was to establish an exclusive girls schools delivering high quality education by local standards.  Another school along the same line is already established by Candlelight in Hargeisa. The school uses the same curriculum as that of the public schools. This initiative is intended to pave the way for more classes to be enrolled and thus contributing to the Candlelight’s goal of enhancing girl-child education.