Education for every child
22 November 2024
Chance for Childhood, working with the local partner Children’s Voice led the project that is aiming to provide quality inclusive education to 1,200 out-of-school children including girls, children affected by conflict, and children with disabilities and special educational needs at schools and accelerated learning centers in North Kivu, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
During the first six months of the implementation 9 schools and 6 accelerated learning centers were selected to collaborate as Children’s Voice partner schools in this initiative to promote inclusive education. 15 learning support assistants (LSAs) were recruited and are part of the Children’s Voice inclusive education system. These LSAs participated in a 5-day training session covering different subjects related to pedagogical methodologies that will help them to provide personal assistance to children in need and their families. In July this year, 50 teachers and 30 head teachers (38 men; 42 women) also received a 5-day training session on subjects related to inclusive education and child safeguarding in the context of children having learning difficulties within school environments. The recruited LSAs are providing psychosocial support to the children with learning difficulties and their families who have faced painful traumatic experiences. Through home visits and daily personal assistance in the school activities, LSAs are playing a key role in enhancing children’s school performances by helping them in revising different subjects at their home, and by listening to and assisting children and families in need.
So far, 391 children (223 girls; 168 boys) were able to return to school thanks to the sensitization activities in the communities conducted by the LSAs, school teachers from the partner schools and the local leaders. 122 children were selected to receive additional support in order to ensure their retention in school. They were provided with a kit of school materials that included school uniforms, a school bag, a mathematic set, and 2 pens and books. Their parents were provided with financial assistance to cover the children’s school fees.
Children’s Voice organized 12 community awareness events with parents and other members of the community. The partner schools played a key role in raising awareness by inviting the parents and by providing a place for meetings on Saturdays. In June and September, radio announcements raised awareness on inclusive education, child safeguarding, good WASH practices and the prevention of infectious diseases such as M-pox. In total, 48 radio announcements were broadcast.
