Who we are - The Somali Hope Foundation (SHF) is a charitable non-profit organization founded in 2008 and based in Ottawa, Canada. Where we work - Together with our local partner, the Community Education Committee (CEC), we fund and operate an elementary/middle and high school in Bursalah, Puntland, Somalia. What we do - Known as the Somali Hope Academy, the schools provide free, high quality and
equitable education to girls and boys in this rural part of Somalia. The CEC raises the remainder from local sources. Both partners share the goal of moving from aid to sustainability in the medium term and are actively engaged in projects to help achieve this goal. Why we're needed - The need for our work arises from the state of the education system in Somalia, which has few public schools and limited funding for education. When combined with the extreme poverty in the country, prevailing cultural norms about education for girls and the pastoral nature of life for families in rural areas, opportunities for education are limited. What makes us unique - Sustainable education is at the heart of our approach. We have adopted Goal 4 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, "Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and life long learning opportunities for all", as the core mission of our school. We have focused on community partnerships, so that financial sustainability can be a realistic goal for our school. The expected results of this approach are clear to us: on the horizon we see a community in rural Somalia where children are educated, able to achieve their full potential and contribute positively to a sustainable world.
