A day in the life of Amran

Changing children’s stories in Somalia

Meet Amran, she has lived her whole life in Beletweyne where Save the Children Somalia has been piloting Early Childhood Education programs. 

“My name is Amran, I’m 25-years-old, and I’m an Early Childhood Education (ECE) Project Assistant. I am a mother of two children, two boys, who are three-years-old and two-years-old.

“My job is mainly to assist teachers and children in ECEs in Beletweyne.

I enjoy working, interacting, and moulding children’s future through an entertaining learning environment.” 
    
She is passionate about supporting children to a brighter future through education, but many families in the area are struggling to send their children to school due to the changing climate. 

“Beletweyne is suffering from the impact of climate change,” says Amran, “there are spells of prolonged dry seasons where pastoralists lose their livelihoods because they cannot feed their livestock and wells dry up - hence millions of people face the risk of starvation. During the rainy seasons, Beletweyne also faces flooding from the river, thus farmers lose their crop and many families are displaced from the town. 

“So children in these centres face this kind of experience. Their families have, one way [or] another, been impacted by the droughts and floods.” 

Follow Amran through a day in her life to learn about these challenges facing children in Somalia and how her work and Save the Children’s ECE centres are helping. 

A typical day for Amran

4:30am: “I take shower and pray morning prayer (Fajr). After that, I have my breakfast - usually I eat breakfast with my children, then prepare myself and dress for work.” 

7:20am: “I go to the office which is three kilometres away from my house. I usually walk.” 

Amran, an Early Childhood Education Project Assistant at the Save the Children offices in Somalia.
Photo: Said Isse/Save the Children

8:30: “I leave the office and head to the ECE centres [where] I interact with children inside and outside the class.

Amran, ECE Project Assistant, helps children play on a slide.
Photo: Said Isse/Save the Children
 

“Many parents who could not afford to pay the school fees of their children are now able to send their children to the ECE schools Save the Children supports. In these centres we have a school feeding program [which has] raised the nutritional level of many children in the ECE schools who were malnourished before.” 

1pm: “When I come back to the office, I normally have lunch and perform noon (Duhur) prayer. I then prepare my daily updates and share with my supervisor.”

Amran recalls one update that has stuck with her. 

“One story that stands out is about a six-years-old boy called Aaden^* who had a disability. While he was still very young his mother noticed that Aaden couldn't speak and would prefer to stay by himself.

“The mother was so worried about his situation because she believed that her child might never speak…For four years, Aaden stayed at home with no interactions with other children and was not able to attend school.

Children play at the Early Education Centre in Somalia where Amran works.
Photo: Said Isse/Save the Children

3:30pm: “I finish and return to my house. The sheer look of joy my children have welcoming me back home freshens up my day. They are the reason that I wake up every morning.

“I start working on housework including preparing dinner for the family and giving a shower to the children. I serve dinner for my children at 7pm and I go with them to bed 8:30pm.” 

For Amran, seeing children happy and thriving motivates her to rise at 4.30am each day and do it all again. 

“Personally, my best experience is when I arrive [at the] ECE centres and I am greeted by many smiling children, also when I go back home and meet my children who are waiting [for] me.”

^*Names have been changed for privacy.