Learning through lockdown - Creating a sustainable start for 5,000 Congolese refugee children in Uganda.

Creating a sustainable start for 5,000 Congolese refugee children in Uganda.

21/8/2020

From carbon saving bricks to locally crafted learning materials, Children on the Edge and Haileybury Youth Trust are working in Kyaka II refugee settlement to create sustainable and climate-friendly early years education.

Having previously worked together to create model Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in Ugandan slum communities, Children on the Edge and Haileybury Youth Trust (HYT) have joined forces again, delivering a large scale refugee programme that aims at sustainability from every angle.

Uganda is currently hosting 1.4 million refugees, the largest number in sub Saharan Africa. Kyaka II refugee camp receives 7% of these arrivals from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and two thirds are children.

Whilst a number of NGOs are providing primary education in Kyaka II, early years learning provision is limited for thousands of the youngest refugees, many of whom are traumatised after fleeing the bitter fighting in their own country.

Early years education is vital here as, not only does 90% of brain development happen in the first five years of a child’s life, but responsive care at this age protects and buffers refugee children from the negative effects of what they have been through.

Those children that have been able to access ECD provision in Kyaka II have been learning in unsafe, derelict buildings with untrained teachers, at a crucial time in their development.

Children on the Edge are working on a three-year plan to develop strong, community-based Early Childhood Development (ECD) opportunities for children in 30 zones of the Kyaka II refugee settlement. This involves training 90 teachers, constructing or refurbishing classrooms and transforming inside spaces into colourful, fun environments.

Protecting the environment

HYT transforms communities by constructing low-cost school buildings and installing rainwater storage tanks and sanitation facilities. Starting this month, the award-winning NGO has begun to rebuild or renovate each crumbling structure.

Whilst many development projects overlook environmental concerns, HYT’s use of Interlocking Stabilised Soil Blocks (ISSB) preserves rather than damages the beautiful Ugandan landscape. This compressed earth technology offers an economical, climate-friendly alternative to the environmentally damaging fired brick (which have caused extensive forest degradation around Bidi Bidi refugee camp).

Children on the Edge will also ensure that the colourful learning equipment used within the centres is handmade by the teachers from locally sourced or recycled materials.

Skills for the future

There is an urgent need for skills training and employment opportunities in Uganda, which has one of the world’s fastest growing populations but most significantly in refugee communities. With dramatic reductions in support for refugees as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic , this need has only increased.

HYT trains young Ugandans in its innovative, carbon-saving building technology and, over the next two years, as the centres are built and renovated, refugees in 30 Kyaka II zones will gain construction skills that will improve future opportunities and livelihoods.

Children on the Edge are training 90 refugee and local teachers, many of whom will gain Makerere University certification. Teachers are also provided with microloans, creating additional income, ensuring that teaching is financially independent and sustainable.

“It’s brilliant to be working alongside HYT again as we replicate a model that is already tried and tested in Uganda. Both organisations are committed to sustainability in all aspects of this project, from protecting the environment to ensuring the independence and success of the work in the longer term”.

Rachel Bentley - CEO, Children on the Edge