Imagine your country's government collapses overnight. Who would make the rules? How would schools, hospitals, and grocery stores work? Write down 3 things that would change in your life immediately.

Education:
When the government fell, schools were closed for years. Many families could not afford private education, and public schools could not reopen because there was no system to run them. As a result, millions of Somali children never attended school or dropped out early. Today, Somalia has one of the lowest literacy rates in Africa. For many families, survival became more important than education.

In the box below, describe the effects of government instability on education:

Medicine and Healthcare:
Government instability also affected hospitals and access to healthcare. With no stable leadership, many hospitals closed, and doctors fled the country. Diseases like cholera and measles spread quickly because there were no vaccines or clean water. International aid organizations tried to help, but violence and poor roads made it hard to reach many people. Many Somalis died from illnesses that could have been prevented with basic medicine and clean water.

In the box below, describe the effects of government instability on medicine and healthcare:

Food and Famine:
Somalia also faced repeated famines. Farmers could not grow enough crops because war destroyed land and irrigation systems. Food shipments from other countries were often blocked by fighting or stolen by armed groups. Millions of people went hungry, and many children suffered from malnutrition. Today, food insecurity is still a major problem in Somalia because the country has not had a strong government to provide stability.

In the box below, describe the effects of government instability on food and famine:

If you were a citizen living in Somalia, what would be your biggest challenge? Why?

Scenario Challenge: You have 20 minutes to work with your group to come up with a plan to save Somalia. WORK TOGETHER. One person can type in the group's action plan on their computer, but make sure ALL GROUP NAMES are included. Here is your scenario:

You are part of a United Nations crisis team. You have $10 million to help Somalia. Make a plan:

1. How will you spend it to improve education, medicine, and food access?

2. Rank these areas from most urgent to least urgent. Explain your reasoning.