Raiymandhoo School down to 7 students, population under 100: Calls to relocate renew

With fewer than 100 residents currently living on Raiymandhoo in Meemu atoll, the island faces severe limitations in access to basic services, prompting many locals to call for relocation.

Although the island’s registered population stands at 240, only 80 people reside there, according to Raiymandhoo Council Vice President Hussain Khaleel. He told Sun on Monday that the island’s shrinking population has led to a breakdown in essential services, including education and healthcare.

A grassroots campaign, Badhalakah Edhi Raiymandhoo (meaning Raiymandhoo wishes for a change), has highlighted the island’s challenges, stating that life on Raiymandhoo is no longer sustainable. The island’s school currently has just seven students enrolled, with no classes for grades eight, nine, or ten. The school operates under a satellite model for grades one to six, but lacks administrative staff and even a preschool teacher.

Khaleel said the vacancies remain unfilled not because job postings are not being announced, that it was due to there being no candidates on the island to apply. To address the loss of basic rights, the community submitted a petition to the government signed by 66 percent of residents.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu visited Raiymandhoo on September 22 and met with locals to hear their concerns. He pledged to find a permanent solution and said that if the majority of residents wished to relocate, a housing project would be launched this year. However, he requested that 80 percent of the population express consent before the relocation process begins.

This requirement has sparked criticism. Former Women’s Committee President Fathimath Nasra, who left the island due to lack of services, questioned the logic of requiring such a high threshold for basic rights. “It is not acceptable to me to require 80 percent assent to provide basic services for an island with a small population like ours,” she said.

Raiymandhoo is not alone. Other small islands have also requested relocation. The council of Hirimaradhoo in Haa Dhaalu atoll recently held talks with the Local Government Ministry to move residents to Thulusdhoo in Kaafu atoll.

President Muizzu has publicly stated his support for relocating small settlements to larger population centers to ensure access to essential services.