Reading and other basic literacy skills are essential building blocks that pave the path to further education and employment opportunities in the future. Much of the world has access to programs and schools that offer, at the very least, an introductory reading course. Unfortunately, there are places where people are too poor, lack time, or have too many extenuating factors that hinder their ability to learn. Somalia is a prime example of a nation where outside factors make it challenging to obtain a quality education. That is why apps like Daariz are essential for helping facilitate easily accessible education and improving literacy in Somalia. 

Education in Somalia

Access to education in Somalia is a significant issue, as is the length of time individuals stay in school. The average Somali child is estimated to remain in school for 1.72 years, which is much lower than the 7.7 years that the rest of individuals in Africa spend in school. In addition to this, according to the Somalian Ministry of Education in 2022, the gross enrollment rate is 24% in primary schools among students aged 6-13. Overall, the number of children in Somalia getting a good education and staying in school is low. This is an essential reason why Daariz has the potential to be a big help to anyone in Somalia who wants to get a start-back-up in education.

The Daariz App

Daariz is an app created by the Sahamiye Foundation, which supports literacy and education in Africa. The organization was founded in 2021 by Ismail Ahmed to provide more accessible education to African people whose lives have been tarnished by war and famine. The organization operates out of London and Hargeisa. The organization’s main goal is to use technology to increase access to education in Africa in what is known as the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia). Giving people essential skills like reading and writing will help them break the cycles of poverty so prevalent in Somalia and other parts of Africa. 

Access to education gives people better reading and literacy skills. People then use those skills to understand basic instructions on any job or task, like operating machinery or making contracts. Reading is a necessary skill to function in daily life. Without reading skills, opportunities to gain employment drastically decrease. Daariz’s work to increase Somalia’s literacy is crucial for these people. 

Daariz uses games and puzzles to make learning to read and write more enjoyable for those who use the app. Daariz also has awards and badges that users can achieve through repeated app use. The main goal of Daariz is to make learning accessible to as many people as possible. That is why they include several features that make the app more operable. Having an easy-to-operate app that is also fun is key to increasing literacy in Somalia through Daariz.

One such feature would be that Daariz does not need an internet connection. A user truly could learn anywhere and anytime. This is especially useful for a nation where, as of 2021, only 14.5 % of the population used the Internet. Lack of access to educational tools that require an internet connection is not an option for people struggling with literacy in Somalia. Another feature of Daariz that makes it easy to operate is its audio instruction feature. This ease of access is significant because it allows those who cannot read to follow the instructions for the games auditorily. Increased accessibility to learning is a game-changer when lifting people out of poverty and increasing literacy in Somalia.

Results of the App

According to the Sahamiye Foundation’s website, users can reduce the time it takes to achieve success in literacy in a fraction of the time it would take through conventional means. In addition, users can read an average of just under 90 words a minute with almost complete accuracy. The results speak for themselves. Daariz has a real impact on real people. People can now realize that literacy in Somalia is growing. 

Daariz is a creation that has impacted many people’s lives and driven up literacy in Somalia. People can now learn to read and write without an internet connection, without worrying about whether they can comprehend the instructions given to them, which is easy to operate. As awareness of this app grows, so will the lives that are changed positively through it. Many people are now better equipped to lift themselves out of poverty because they better understand how to read and write, thanks to Daariz.

– Calder Miller
Photo: Flickr