Project Details

Project Title: INCLUSIVE AND INNOVATIVE DIGITAL EDUCATION FOR MIGRANT COMMUNITY IN KENYA AND SOMALIA
Acronym: IIDEMIC
Project Number: 101128908
Programme: ERASMUS-EDU-2023-CBHE STRAND 2 – Capacity Building in Higher Education
Funding Institution: European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)
Project Duration: 1st January 2024 to 31st December 2026
Website: https://iidemic.org/
Project Coordinator/Principal Investigator: Dr. Adelheid Marie Bwire

About IIDEMIC

The IIDEMIC Project addresses a critical gap in employability among Somali refugees in Kenya and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Somalia by strengthening soft skills and digital competencies. Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the initiative promotes inclusive, skills-based, and digitally supported learning environments.

At its core, IIDEMIC focuses on empowering Somali refugee and migrant community teachers by enhancing their digital literacy, entrepreneurial potential, and teaching practices. A key component is the integration of soft skills training into both in-service teacher education and university-level programs.

Training is delivered via a digital platform, ensuring accessibility for teachers from refugee, displaced, and host communities. The project is a collaborative effort involving six universities across four countries, co-developing context-sensitive, high-quality education solutions tailored to the needs of displaced and marginalized educators.

Project Goal

Empowering refugees, internally displaced people, the general migrant community and refugee host community to access quality continuing teacher education and training opportunities in refugee camps and in communities in Kenya and Somalia.

Project Mission

To enhance employability, improve digital access, and promote inclusive teaching practices among refugee and host populations by developing and integrating soft skill competency courses in higher education curricula. This mission is carried out by a diverse consortium of institutions from Africa and Europe, using digital tools and inclusive pedagogy.

Project Aim

Capacity building by developing 21^st Century soft skill competency courses, enhancing interaction with digital tools and promoting inclusive teacher practices integrated into classroom instruction.

Thematic Areas

Innovative learning, teaching, and assessment using digital technologies
Curriculum design and development for inclusion
Inclusive Education, pedagogical innovations/developments,
Teacher training and capacity building
Digital platforms and virtual learning environments
Special needs education and inclusive pedagogy

Target Groups

Refugees and migrant communities, especially Somali refugees in Kenya and IDPs in Somalia
In-service teachers and educators engaged in digital and inclusive education
Host community members involved in teaching and education
University students enrolled in teacher education programmes
Higher education institutions offering inclusive education

IIDEMIC courses

Contemporary Instructional Methods for Teaching Adult Learners
Adaptive Instructional Resources
Teaching English in a Multilingual Setting
Entrepreneurship
Digital and Assistive Technology Learning Tools
Inclusive Education for Migrants and Refugees
Basic Health Education
Maternal and Child Health and Promotion
Guidance and Counselling for Reintegration
Promoting Inclusivity and Democratic Practices in Culturally Diverse Learning Environments

Expected Project Impacts

Soft skill competency courses developed and integrated into university programmes
Teachers trained in inclusive, digital, and soft-skill-oriented pedagogies
Refugee and migrant teachers and learners access and supported with access to digital education tools
Enhanced employability and innovation skills among Somali refugees in Kenya, IDPs in Somalia and other migrant groups enhanced
Sustained East Africa–Europe collaboration for inclusive digital education