Deqo Adan

Pioneering Somali educator who founded schools for girls in conflict zones

Deqo Adan (b. 1972) is a visionary educator from Somalia who made extraordinary contributions to girls' education during the civil war. Despite the collapse of Somalia's government in 1991, she established the Somalia Educational Trust in 1995, creating mobile schools that traveled to displaced communities. Her initiative provided education to over 10,000 girls in Mogadishu and surrounding areas through makeshift classrooms in tents and abandoned buildings. Adan's work was featured in BBC's '100 Women' series, highlighting her innovative approach to education in conflict zones. She later co-founded the African Education Alliance in 2003, developing teacher training programs that now operate in 7 countries. Her 2018 TED Talk "Why I Build Schools in Warscapes" has over 2 million views, inspiring global education initiatives. Adan's legacy includes establishing the first girls' boarding school in Puntland (2006) and co-authoring Education in Armed Conflict Zones: Somali Case Studies (2010). Her work laid foundational frameworks for UNICEF's current education programs in conflict regions.