SAWA Defence Training Center

The SAWA military training center was established in Eritrea in 1994 and is located in the west of the country 18 mi away from the Sudanese border, in the middle of the Sub-Saharan desert with temperatures reaching 47 degrees Celsius during summer time. High school students from all over Eritrea must participate in the 12 month academic education and military training. Students also have to take the 'Matriculation Exam' which covers topics from ninth to twelfth grades. Depending on their results of this exam, students go to higher education or other skills training camps.

The military training lasts from three to five months. During this training students learn everything about being a soldier from marching to shooting guns and participating in a war. Students complain about the poor living conditions in Sawa. They complain that there isn't enough food and water. Every year the camp hosts up to 20,000 students. The government of Eritrea is working on making the camp a better place for students.