In the heart of Kenya’s Dadaab Refugee Camp— one of the world’s largest refugee settlements—15-year-old Ifrah Ahmed Garad is rewriting the story of what it means to be a girl born into displacement.
‘I want to be a doctor,’ says Ifrah, her voice calm but unwavering. ‘So that I can help others the way I’ve been helped.’
Dressed in a flowing dress and a neatly wrapped matching hijab, she speaks with determination—a young girl with a dream far bigger than the refugee camp she calls home.
Unlike her mother, Falhado, who arrived in Dadaab over 20 years ago with no access to formal education, Ifrah is charting a different path. With funding from the European Union, Accelerated Education Centres run by Save the Children and its partners, are giving girls like Ifrah a second chance at education and hope for a brighter future.
Breaking barriers through education
Ifrah’s journey began in 2019 at the age of 10 when she joined the Badbado Accelerated Education Centre in Dadaab, after spending her formative years focused on religious studies.
‘I was excited to study, read books, and complete the assignments,’ she recalls, her attire reflecting a sense of self-dignity and cultural pride.
The school’s supportive approach, which included providing books and snacks, made learning fun.
Learning against all odds
Dadaab is not an ordinary refugee camp. Nestled in the semi-arid northeastern Kenya, it is home to nearly 400,000 refugees and asylum seekers, many of whom have fled decades of conflict in Somalia and other countries in the region.
Life in the camp is far from easy—poor infrastructure, inadequate drainage and makeshift shelters leave the camp prone to heavy rains. During the rainy season, dirt roads become impassable making movement within the villages covered by tarpaulin and temporary iron shelters a daunting experience.
Schools are often overcrowded and under-resourced. For girls especially, the challenges are steep. Cultural expectations, early marriage, exploitation and the lack of safe, girl-friendly learning spaces put education out of reach for many. Teenage mothers, with no one to care for their children, often have to make heartbreaking choices just to survive.
But amid all this, Ifrah is part of a quiet revolution.
The power of accelerated education
Save the Children’s Accelerated Education Centres are a lifeline for many over-age, out-of-school girls who might otherwise miss out on formal education. The centres offer catch-up programmes tailored for these girls with an aim of bridging the education gap and give them a chance to re-enter the formal education system.
Community involvement is also key.
‘We actively engage with the community to raise awareness on the importance of girls' education,’ says Bashir Ahmed, the headteacher at Badbado Accelerated Education Centre. ‘At school, we strive to create a supportive atmosphere with sufficient toilets and water facilities. We also provide dignity kits for the girls.’
‘We also involve religious leaders in discussions with parents about issues like early marriage thus addressing the barriers that often prevent girls from continuing their education,’ adds Bashir. ‘We also offer counselling sessions to ensure affected girls remain in school.’
It’s this holistic support—from teachers, community leaders, and humanitarian organisations—that made all the difference for Ifrah.
‘When I had personal challenges, my teachers were there for me,’ said Ifrah. ‘They didn’t just teach—they listened.’
This nurturing environment allowed Ifrah to thrive academically, and she completed her catch-up studies at Badbado in 2021 before transitioning to Central School in 2022—a notable achievement given the camp's gender education disparity, where girls represent only 44% of students compared to boys' 56%, primarily due to socio-cultural barriers.
A ripple effect of change
Ifrahs’s success has inspired others in her family. We find her at Badbado Accelerated Education Centre, attending a significant milestone of her younger brother, 10-year-old Mohamed Ahmed Garad. Mohamed is enrolling in the catch-up classes. Like Ifrah, he started in religious education classes and is now taking his first step into formal education. This whole experience is an emotional one, a stark reminder of how Ifrah’s education journey started five years ago.
The ripple effects of this educational support are undeniable. This year, nearly 14,500 children have accessed quality learning through the non-formal education programme, funded by the European Union through a consortium led by Save the Children, Norwegian Refugee Council and local partners. In partnership with the Ministry of Education and UNHCR, the programme not only builds literacy and numeracy skills but equips learners with life skills they need to thrive.
