While the civil war rages, education in Syria fails to be a priority. Unfortunately, those forced to flee suffer a similar fate. The U.N. reports that only 50% of refugees, from Syria or elsewhere, are enrolled in primary education. Education for refugee children is invaluable; it provides safety, stability, psychological support and social support.
Refugee services in various countries have set up different types of education for refugee children. UNICEF calls this initiative the “No Lost Generation.” Below are three different forms of education various countries and organizations have made available for refugee children.
Integration into Local Schools
In some places, refugee children are integrated into the local school system. This is one of the fastest ways to assimilate children into their new environment as well as help normalize their lives.
Unfortunately, many places are not able to handle the extreme increase in the school system. Because of their small populations and large numbers of refugees, 56% of refugee children in Jordan and 80% in Lebanon are not in school. Those who do attend face many challenges and often drop out.
At best, schools are overcrowded and well-intentioned teachers lack the training and resources to assist students who have suffered so much psychological distress.
At worst, refugee children are blamed for the crowding and abused by their teachers and fellow students. UNICEF has set up teaching training to improve education in Syria and nearby countries.
Additional Programing
Some refugee programs provide additional assistance to help ease the transition for incoming students. Refugees are often out of school for months or even years. Returning to school often involves overcoming these gaps as well as language or cultural barriers.
Lexington Refugee Ministries in Kentucky provides after school and summer programming to help children adjust to their new schools. Volunteers assist with tutoring, social adjustment and college readiness workshops. Similar programs are popping up in various countries.
Drop-in Centers
UNICEF and Save the Children International have partnered to set up drop-in centers in refugee camps globally. While this does not have the same advantages as traditional schooling, it provides flexibility necessary for many refugees.
Because of a lack of food security, many refugees prioritize work over education. Although they are not a permanent solution, drop-in centers allow children to keep up their education while they work or move around. The children receive training in a trade, basic education and an opportunity to play with other kids.
Education for refugee children is extremely valuable, but traditional schooling is not always an option. While it can be frustrating to have schools bursting at the seams, it is important to remember that the children are victims, not perpetrators, of the situation.
UNICEF tells the story of a young boy named Ahmed who has been able to receive some schooling by attending a drop-in center. He says, “I feel happy here. At this place, I can have fun, and every day I learn so much. The math I learn here also helps me with my work.” For kids like Ahmed, education is the best hope for a better future.
– Jeanette I. Burke
Photo: Flickr
5 Facts About Education in Palestine
U.S. foreign aid to Palestine is an incredibly contentious topic in current politics. However, putting past political disagreements for the sake of education is crucial for Palestinian children. Educating younger generations of children can provide hope for less poverty, radicalization and violence within the community.
– Saroja Koneru
Photo: Flickr
The Dangote Foundation Donates Food in Abuja, Nigeria
During a visit to the IDP camps of Abuja, Dangote Foundation chairman Alhaji Aliko Dangote was saddened by what he saw and pledged to alleviate the suffering of thousands of IDPs. The Dangote Foundation is a branch of the Dangote Group. The foundation provides charitable funds to a variety of causes in Nigeria and other African states.
Abuja currently has 13,481 internally displaced persons according to the latest assessment by the International Organization for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix. The Dangote Foundation donated food items to the IDPs during Ramadan as a philanthropic action geared toward alleviating poverty in Nigeria.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Malam Muhammad Musa Bello directly received the donation and ensured that the IDPs would expressly benefit from the donations. These items included Dangote sugar, Dangote salt, Dangote Spaghetti, rice, Danvita and wheat meal.
The FCT Minister stated that the donation Abuja received was extremely generous and the country is grateful to the foundation. Moreover, the FCT Administration is committed to alleviating poverty and respects non-governmental organizations with a similar mission.
This donation has been one of many recent philanthropic actions by the Dangote Foundation in Nigeria. Within a span of five years, the foundation has donated N6.3 billion to various IDP camps in Nigeria. Currently, one US dollar equals 315.25 Nigerian Naira.
Previously, the Foundation made donations to Nigerian universities and women’s causes. They have also provided donations during ethnoreligious crises. In addition, the Dangote Foundation donated to the World Food Program to help Pakistan during massive flooding in 2010 and raised over N11billion for flood relief in Nigeria.
In coordination with the Gates Foundation; the Dangote Foundation, USAID and Nigerian governors joined together to secure political and financial resources to enhance immunization programs within Nigeria in order to keep the country polio-free.
The Dangote Foundation focuses on health, education, economic development and disaster relief through their commitment to decreasing the amount of people suffering or dying from poverty-related issues. The Dangote Foundation’s donations work to rectify the lack of education for children, to create quality healthcare and support underprivileged adults by improving access to education and healthcare.
– Kimber Kraus
Photo: Flickr
10 Interesting Facts About Somali Refugees
According to the U.N., there are more displaced persons now than there were after World War II. Somalia is one country suffering from a refugee crisis. It is a country of 10.8 million people, but as the country continues to experience political and economic instability, its people are fleeing to find life outside of Somalia.
With 1.1 million Somali refugees, the country has become the largest refugee-producing country in Sub-Saharan Africa. Here are 10 facts about Somali refugees:
– Jacqueline Venuti
Photo: All Africa
Cormack Family Funds New Children International Center
In Colombia, 11% of the country is unemployed and 37% of the country lives below the poverty line.
Children International has been working with Colombia for over 25 years to help children break the cycle of poverty. It has 10 community centers in Colombia serving more than 40,000 children.
“After having the opportunity to visit other Children International community centers, my family and I recognized the importance of these safe spaces,” said Dave Cormack. “We knew we wanted to help fund a center so that more kids have the opportunity to utilize Children International’s services.”
The new community center will include the Brightree Youth Computer Center, where children can do research, homework and learn valuable skills such as English as a second language. It will also have medical and dental clinics, a library, pharmacy and other meeting spaces.
The new youth center will have an outdoor multi-sport court, an art studio and other multi-use spaces. The centers give families a place to escape the negative influences of their poor communities.
Children in the program have access to a team of doctors, dentists, tutors and sponsors. The Children International Cormack Family Community Center is a safe place in the community and a path out of poverty.
The organization provides health benefits, including annual medical exams and health care during illness, providing nutritional support, counseling for children and families, dental care, clothing, school supplies and fees and items for the home.
The programs are focused on health, education, empowerment and employment. Through early intervention, Children International addresses children’s critical needs through daily interaction in community centers. The centers are unique facilities that enable Children International to reach its goal of eliminating poverty from children’s lives.
– Jacqueline Venuti
Photo: Children International
10 Facts About Yemeni Refugees
Though it has not drawn as much international attention as the conflicts in Iraq and Syria, the ongoing civil war in Yemen has devastated an already struggling country.
One reason for the lack of attention is because the Yemen conflict has produced a smaller number of international refugees. Yet, almost 200,000 people have fled the country and more than 2 million have been internally displaced. Below are ten facts about Yemeni refugees and the volatile situation that has led to a protracted civil war.
Raising awareness of these facts about Yemeni refugees is important. Refugees all over the world flee from war and civil strife to seek refuge and find a better life, not just from Syria and Iraq. The facts here may not be an exhaustive list of the Yemeni refugee situation, but they provide insight into the issues this country faces on a daily basis.
– Jonathan Hall-Eastman
Photo: Flickr
How USAID is Improving Access to Education in Niger
Niger’s history as an independent republic is very brief and rather bleak. According to the BBC, after gaining independence from France in 1960, Niger faced political instability, drought and widespread poverty. Slavery was only just outlawed in 2003 but remains a problem to this day.
Fortunately, in a peaceful 2010 election, Mahamadou Issoufou became president of Niger and since then the nation has been relatively stable politically. However, the nation remains one of the “poorest peaceful [countries] in the world.”
Limited access to education in Niger is a significant contributor to widespread and ongoing poverty in the nation. According to the U.N., average expected years of schooling in Niger is 5.4, compared to 16.9 in the U.S.
Niger’s adult literacy rate is a staggering 15.5% and only 5.2% of the population have at least some secondary education. These figures, among others, cause Niger’s education system to rank 187/187 nations ranked in the 2013 U.N. Human Development Report.
2013 also marked the 10 year anniversary of the plan for education reform; in the same year, USAID became involved in the effort to increase access to education in Niger.
A 2007 evaluation of the PDDE (from the French “Programme Décennal pour le Développement de l’Éducation”), revealed that Niger’s education system had improved quantitatively, but not qualitatively. That is to say, access to education improved — access to primary education increased nationally from 51% to 65% – but quality remained sub-par.
USAID aims to increase access to quality education in Niger. Higher quality education in Niger would mean a safer and more welcoming environment for female students, which currently have a 44 percent enrollment rate after sixth grade, increased parental involvement, and strengthened community links to education.
According to their website, the objectives of USAID are “to increase access to quality education in schools through an improved physical and social environment; and to increase early grade reading achievement by promoting a culture of reading.”
USAID calls their program “Niger Education and Community Strengthening.” By addressing the low education rates through the lens of community, USAID will have a sense of the cultural aspects that contribute to Niger’s struggling education system.
Working with the community as well as the Millennium Challenge Corporation will fortify USAID efforts to decrease the 18% gender gap in education and increase the 5.2% education rate.
– Sabrina Yates
Photo: Flickr
Seven Facts About Poverty in the Bahamas
While many Americans flock to the Bahamas for relaxing beach vacations, these tourists may not think about the economic hardships faced by their island hosts. Here are seven facts about the condition of poverty in the Bahamas:
Although multiple leaders in the Bahamas are at odds about how to improve the economy, all agree that something must be done, soon. With increasing poverty and unemployment rates, the citizens and leaders of the Bahamas must find a way to come together to improve these conditions.
– Carrie Robinson
Photo: Flickr
Cell Phones in Africa Transform Banking
Cell Phones and Personal Finances
Cellular devices can easily be used to keep track of funds, to store funds in a safe location and to transfer funds. In 2007, Safaricom–Kenya’s largest mobile operator–and Vodafone developed a money transferring service called M-PESA. By 2012, M-PESA obtained 15 million Kenyan users–more than a third of the population. This newfound access to portable technology has also been extremely helpful in pulling people out of poverty-stricken situations.
For example, many users transfer their funds to individuals who are still trapped in severely impoverished rural areas. M-PESA provides a safer way to send someone money, so it cannot be stolen easily. The individuals who use M-PESA to store their funds also benefit. Their funds can be easily managed, which has caused an increasing amount of families to adopt this technology.
“One study found that in rural Kenyan households that adopted M-PESA, incomes increased by 5-30 percent,” according to The Economist. This proves that mobile phones help people climb the financial ladder to live better lives. There are also many African startup companies who have used M-PESA as a platform to initially pave their way in the business world.
Cell Phones and Agriculture
As previously stated, mobile phones have changed Africans’ way of agriculture as well. Farmers, the largest employers in Africa, now rely on their mobile phones for critical informational tips. “By serving as platforms for sharing weather information, market prices, and micro-insurance schemes, mobile phones are allowing Africa’s farmers to make better decisions, translating into higher-earning potentials,” according to CNN.
Farmers can figure out distant crop prices faster than ever before and effectively track the gestation of their cows. Therefore, the use of cell phones in Africa has allowed farmers to drastically improve their agricultural methods, which makes it easier to sustain their livelihood. The Borgen Project advocates for the world’s poor and knows how essential it is for developing countries to be able to sustain themselves. The use of cell phones in Africa have only helped in that regard, and it looks as if the technology is here to stay.
Cell Phones and Technological Advancements
Due to the technologically advanced world surrounding Africa, most Africans can enjoy the today’s “tech” nuances and pass over the dying technology of the past (such as landlines). In the year 2002, around one-in-10 Africans owned a mobile phone. In 2006, “There were 50 million new mobile subscribers… and in 2007 the total number of mobile subscriptions reached an estimated 200 million.” On average, that adds up to 20-plus active mobile phones for every 100 people.
The decline in cost and simplistic nature of mobile technology are the reasons why so many Africans have chosen to use portable tech. A report by the UNCTAD stated, “A decline in the cost of information and communication technology (ICT) has extended its use by the poor, who capitalize especially on information obtained by telephone to support livelihoods in agriculture and various small businesses.”
It is incredible to see how the proliferation of cell phones in Africa have so positively impacted the continent in such a short amount of time.
– Terry J. Halloran
Photo: Flickr
6 Facts About Poverty in Indonesia
Indonesia is the world’s third most populous democracy, and its people are spread out among thousands of islands in the Indian ocean. The country’s unique geography and turbulent history have made poverty reduction a challenge. However, Indonesia has made strides in addressing poverty thanks to strong economic growth and concentrated poverty alleviation legislation.
6 Facts About Poverty in Indonesia
Despite the challenges that Indonesia faces, the last 15 years of economic growth and poverty reduction are encouraging for the future.
– John English
Photo: Pixabay
3 Types of Education for Refugee Children
Refugee services in various countries have set up different types of education for refugee children. UNICEF calls this initiative the “No Lost Generation.” Below are three different forms of education various countries and organizations have made available for refugee children.
Integration into Local Schools
In some places, refugee children are integrated into the local school system. This is one of the fastest ways to assimilate children into their new environment as well as help normalize their lives.
Unfortunately, many places are not able to handle the extreme increase in the school system. Because of their small populations and large numbers of refugees, 56% of refugee children in Jordan and 80% in Lebanon are not in school. Those who do attend face many challenges and often drop out.
At best, schools are overcrowded and well-intentioned teachers lack the training and resources to assist students who have suffered so much psychological distress.
At worst, refugee children are blamed for the crowding and abused by their teachers and fellow students. UNICEF has set up teaching training to improve education in Syria and nearby countries.
Additional Programing
Some refugee programs provide additional assistance to help ease the transition for incoming students. Refugees are often out of school for months or even years. Returning to school often involves overcoming these gaps as well as language or cultural barriers.
Lexington Refugee Ministries in Kentucky provides after school and summer programming to help children adjust to their new schools. Volunteers assist with tutoring, social adjustment and college readiness workshops. Similar programs are popping up in various countries.
Drop-in Centers
UNICEF and Save the Children International have partnered to set up drop-in centers in refugee camps globally. While this does not have the same advantages as traditional schooling, it provides flexibility necessary for many refugees.
Because of a lack of food security, many refugees prioritize work over education. Although they are not a permanent solution, drop-in centers allow children to keep up their education while they work or move around. The children receive training in a trade, basic education and an opportunity to play with other kids.
Education for refugee children is extremely valuable, but traditional schooling is not always an option. While it can be frustrating to have schools bursting at the seams, it is important to remember that the children are victims, not perpetrators, of the situation.
UNICEF tells the story of a young boy named Ahmed who has been able to receive some schooling by attending a drop-in center. He says, “I feel happy here. At this place, I can have fun, and every day I learn so much. The math I learn here also helps me with my work.” For kids like Ahmed, education is the best hope for a better future.
– Jeanette I. Burke
Photo: Flickr