Djibouti
USAID's Strategy in Djibouti
Although relatively stable, Djibouti’s extreme poverty,
high unemployment, chronic food deficits, and humanitarian and
social needs make it susceptible to instability. Djibouti’s
arid climate and rocky soil are inhospitable to agricultural
and large-scale livestock production. The only natural resources
of note are salt and the deep water port. Djibouti’s population
is estimated to be 700,000 of which 85 percent live in urban
areas. Djibouti also harbors 9,600 refugees from Somalia and
Ethiopia. Though social indicators are showing modest improvements
due to increased donor and government investments, Djibouti
is still ranked 150 among 174 countries in the UNDP’s
Human Development Index. Among the most important challenges
are Djibouti’s low health and low skills levels, a high
population growth rate, and sluggish economic growth. Djibouti
suffers from bloated civil service rolls, poor governance and
weak institutions that lack transparency. Djibouti is a potential
terrorist target because of its porous borders with Somalia,
Ethiopia, and Middle Eastern neighbors, as well as the presence
of the only U.S. military base in Africa. United States interest
in Djibouti focuses on creating an environment that would discourage
the development of radical ideology. The United States provides
60 percent of Djibouti’s humanitarian food assistance.
USAID programs in Djibouti work in education, health, and food
security.
IMPROVE BASIC EDUCATION
Djibouti made primary school free and mandatory in 1999 and
gross enrollment at primary school increased by 16 percent between
then and 2004, although this has only brought the rate up to
54 percent. There are only four middle schools in the rural
areas. USAID’s education program focuses on increasing
access, equity, and quality in basic education and on nonformal
training for out-of-school girls and women. In FY 2005, 10 primary
schools and one middle school were rehabilitated, with water
and sanitation provided to each. One of the schools in the capital
city was an aging primary school that was closed and, through
USAID assistance, converted into a new middle school to serve
a disadvantaged urban area where no middle school existed. USAID
provided new textbooks for all subjects, and the Ministry of
Education supplied 600 new student desks and chairs. This initial
enrollment of 593 increased to 823 by the start of the school
year in September 2005, a 72 percent increase.
USAID supported the distribution of a school bag filled with
basic supplies to every primary school child in Djibouti as
a way to help parents offset costs. In all, 95,000 school kits,
775 sets of equipment for teachers, and approximately 150,000
textbooks have been provided to date. USAID has constructed
five new teacher resource centers, which serve as decentralized
focal points for teacher and school directors’ training.
President Bush’s Africa Education Initiative funded 1,000
scholarships to girls through the Ambassadors’ Girls Scholarship
Program. USAID assisted in the development of English language
audio programs and students’ books and facilitators’
guides. In addition, 71 percent of teachers in Djibouti are
using the USAID supported teachers’ curriculum guides
and new teaching strategies.
FOSTER A HEALTHIER SOCIETY
Life expectancy remains low at approximately 46 years and 70
percent of first-grade-aged children are malnourished. The vaccination
rate is less than 11 percent for children under five years old
in the rural areas. Since May 2004, USAID has sought to increase
the supply of essential health services, improve the quality
of services and enhance local capacity to sustain health services,
benefiting over 150,000 Djiboutian women and children living
in rural areas. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health
(MOH), USAID rehabilitated and equipped three health posts,
and maternity services and in-patient beds were added to the
four district hospitals.
To improve rural health care, USAID developed a training guide
for all rural health post workers. These workers have now nearly
completed the training. District medical teams have been established
and are receiving training to improve services and supervision.
In addition, USAID supported the use of hundreds of radio broadcasts
with key health messages in the three local languages (Afar,
Somali, and Arabic) that were delivered in January, July, and
August, 2005.
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