Nura Kemis 
Developed in response to these challenges, Daariz offers virtual reading, writing, comprehension lessons and a digital library, ensuring everyone can access a consistent and high-quality education.
- Developed by Sahamiye Foundation, Daariz is a free language app helping people in the Horn of Africa to learn essential reading, writing and comprehension skills
- The app has reached 350,000 users and reduced the time it takes to become literate in mother tongue from 450 to 50 hours
Over 350,000 children and adults across the Horn of Africa (Somaliland, Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya) are learning to read and write in Somali with a free language app, Daariz. Launched in 2021,Daariz aims to address the region’s low literacy rates by making language skills more accessible and inclusive for learners of all ages.
Daariz was developed by the Sahamiye Foundation, a charity working to improve education in the Horn of Africa and empower all people with lifelong literacy skills.
The Horn of Africa currently faces a multitude of challenges, from an absence of rural schools to recurring droughts and ongoing conflict, coupled with a highly mobile population which all contribute to low school enrolment and limited access to quality education.As a result, over 70% of late primary school students in the region cannot read and understand a simple story in Somali. The region’s average school enrolment, at around 30%, also continues to be one of the lowest in the world.
Developed in response to these challenges, Daariz offers virtual reading, writing, comprehension lessons and a digital library, ensuring everyone can access a consistent and high-quality education.
Daariz is designed to help in-school and out-of-school children and adults achieve functional literacy in Somali language within a short period of time. It combines fun, interactive games, and personalised feedback with a reward system, making learning enjoyable and engaging.
The app’s offline access has critically enabled more women and girls, who face significant educational barriers, to acquire literacy skills remotely. About 48% of Daariz learners are women and girls which is significantly higher than female school enrolment in the region.
