Somalia has one of the lowest enrollment rates (20%) for school children and among the lowest public financing for primary education in the world. Through the Somalia Interactive Radio Instruction Program, USAID responded to the educational needs of Somalia by providing access and improved quality of education through the rapid expansion of non-formal and alternative education systems. These systems relied mainly on distance learning through radio-based programs for those most at risk, primarily women and girls, youth, internally displaced persons, and illiterate urban youth.  Messages of peace and tolerance, along with other life skill messages, were key components of the program.

The Somalia Interactive Radio Instruction Program (SIRIP) improved access and quality of education for Somali children by providing a support package of high quality education programs to improve teaching and learning. The central features were interactive radio instruction programs that provided Somali school children with instructional programs in reading, math and life skills. The IRI programs were used as instructional tools and also served as an in-service teacher training program to model teacher effective teaching practices.  In addition to the IRI broadcasts and in-service teacher training, the program provided supplemental learning materials and a limited number of incentive grants to learning centers in impoverished areas that utilize the IRI programs.

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