The project “School of Peace – School for All”, financed by the Department of International Cooperation of Principality of Monaco, has started. It is an integrated three-year inclusive education intervention for the most disadvantaged children and youth. It intends to address needs related to access and quality of basic education in Burundi – whose government has prioritised education, but which faces recurrent humanitarian and socio-economic crisis. The intervention aims to provide assistance to 500 vulnerable minors (street children, displaced and returnees children, children with disabilities and Batwa children) in Bujumbura, Kayanza, Bururi, Kiremba, Ngozi, Nyanza Lac, Gitegam by providing them with education and material support.
In particular,
- activities in support of children include the opening, refurbishment and equipment of 20 School of Peace structures the delivery of inclusive non-formal education activities (literacy, after school programme and peace education) to 500 vulnerable children and support in school reintegration/retention; the distribution of material and nutritional support to 500 vulnerable children and their families. Those activities in support of vulnerable children are aimed at supporting the Government’s effort in contrasting school dropout rates, by addressing socio-economic factors hindering access to education and school retention.
Moreover, the intervention will target two types of actors of the education community who can encourage school integration and retention.
- The first type of actors is the youth, targeted by training and capacity building activities. More specifically, training activities are structured to first strengthen coordination and organisation capacities of 50 senior volunteers and, afterwards, to provide them with the opportunity to practice these skills also by organising meetings for potential new volunteers to present solidarity initiatives (including those with minors) and engage them in delivering them. The engagement of the youth is a key aspect of project implementation, as they are the local actors carrying out initiatives in support of vulnerable minors. The group of around 220 local volunteers will be integrated by others with the idea of creating a heterogeneous group (with a common preparation and understanding, thanks to workshop trainings) taking initiative in addressing social and educational issues in their communities with direct action and advocating with other actors of the education community (teachers and school directors). All volunteers (senior and junior) are provided with training on education and introduction to child protection to ensure their ability to carry out activities with children. These trainings to the youth are provided in intensive and residential, as well as complemented by blended/remote trainings. The methodologies include interactive discussion and exchange activities. Residential seminars enable participants to build relationships among themselves, encourage mutual exchange and learning, help build support networks among volunteers which can be useful in solidarity initiatives.
- The second type of actors are teachers and school directors of public schools, targeted by conferences and workshops on school integration of more vulnerable children