GIVE IN FOR LUGLOW ADDED CLASSROOMS AND WATER BARKAD Through participatory community consultation sessions, the people of Luglow village developed a community-driven response to the need for three additional classrooms and a water barkad for Luglow Primary School. This need arose due to a significant increase in student enrollment following previous classroom construction under the STEP project, education consultations, and the ongoing need to address education gaps within the village and neighboring villages around Kismayo district. The demand for more classrooms also stems from gaps in student continuation to upper primary levels, and the need for water storage is driven by the lack of access to clean and safe water at the school. The Community-Based Education Planning (CBEP) process generated dialogue at both district and village levels in Kismayo, building momentum behind common goals for education, which were then focused at the community level. Luglow village is a settlement located 20 km north of Kismayo, established in 2017 by internally displaced persons (IDPs) fleeing severe drought and armed conflicts in Somalia. Many families from this settlement have also joined other IDP camps within Kismayo town or have become part of host communities, putting pressure on existing social services along the Kismayo corridor. Recently, a large number of IDPs have settled in Luglow village. The community has shown strong interest in participating in the community-based education project planning and matching grant sessions through the USAID-funded Stabilization Through Education Program (STEP), implemented by the International Organization for Migration in partnership with Creative Associates’ Bar ama Baro program. STEP aims to strengthen government-led, community-driven expansion of access to quality education for out-of-school children and youth while building local institutions. The CBEP supports communities, through Community Education Committees (CECs), in mobilizing resources for identified priorities. The community prioritized piloting the matching grants. Luglow settlement has no prior experience in initiating, co-financing, or directly financing projects, making this the first time the matching grant approach is piloted here. The community prioritized adding three classrooms and a water barkad to store clean water for student use, ensuring good hygiene practices through handwashing and access to safe drinking water. The matching grant ratio is 1:8, with the community contributing $5,000 and the project matching $40,000. The total estimated cost of the community project is $45,000. Much appreciation for contributing toward building the educational foundations of Luglow settlement schoolchildren through the addition of three classrooms and a water barkad. This project will enable IDPs and host communities to access education and clean, safe water despite the harsh conditions caused by drought and climate change.

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