Valuing and respecting children as individuals means not just providing the bare minimum of education, but tapping into their natural resources and talents, encouraging them to achieve the very best they can. We are delighted to be working with the British and Foreign School Society (BFSS) who are focussed on enabling children to achieve just this, and are partnering with us to scale up our current education programme in Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.
BFSS was formed in 1808 to carry on the work of Joseph Lancaster, a pioneer of school and teacher education. Today they give grants for educational projects both in the UK and internationally and they are focused on widening educational access and opportunity and raising achievement. Dominic O’Reily, Director at BFSS says "BFSS currently has a focus on supporting education for children affected by armed conflict or natural disaster. This Children on the Edge project is just the sort of work we want to fund and we are delighted that so much progress has been made. I hope that we can grow our working relationship with Children on the Edge so that together we can provide educational support to children who are so desperately in need of it." Opportunities for Syrian refugee children to be educated at all are severely scarce, let alone a focus of raising achievement. This is why the contribution of BFSS to our current project in Lebanon is so vital. Widening educational access and opportunity Whilst integration into Lebanese public schools for Syrian refugee children is encouraged, there is not the capacity to adequately provide for everyone who needs it and many of the children we work with cannot travel safely to these schools. There have also been many reports of safety issues and children suffering from harassment, violence and discrimination which has led to poor retention rates. To fill these gaps, we work with our Lebanese partner to provide quality informal education to over 300 refugee children in Bekaa Valley and with the additional funding from BFSS, we are beginning to expand the programme by adding two new non-formal schools. With Syrian teachers trained up from within the camps the children will be learning in their own language, in a safe place where they can begin to recover from the trauma they have been through. Raising achievement Despite these ‘classrooms’ being tented structures in the middle of refugee camps, the standards of education are beginning to soar. In a volatile situation we have new children arriving all the time so they take part in initial assessments and prep classes before they officially enrol in a school. Once enrolled we monitor the academic progress of every child from the moment they join the programme. We have periodical exams to monitor progress and end of year exams which enable the children to move on to a higher level. The older children enrolled in the schools are able to attend our accelerated learning programmes which prepares them to pass the ALP exam, enabling them to attend a Lebanese public school or other educational provision if the opportunity arises. The curriculum that we work with is based on the Lebanese curriculum ensuring that the children are able to integrate both into the public school system and society as a whole. It incorporates elements of the Syrian curriculum to ensure that they will be able to reintegrate into Syrian life if the opportunity arises. The innovative mix of the two curriculums will help the Syrian children to retain a sense of national identity whist at the same time, preparing them to integrate into Lebanese or other international societies. Each school has a set of learning targets and levels that they work towards throughout the year in Literacy (Arabic), Maths (including numbers, shapes, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, graphs, decimal numbers geometry, probabilities, fraction problems and equations) and English (both reading and writing). The results Raising standards has already encouraged children to take extra pride in their work. One parent describing how “My kids are so happy here, they’ve made good friends and they feel settled. I also feel like they have grown in confidence and character. There have been a few times when the weather was bad and I told my son that he didn’t need to go to school. Instead of Ahmed being happy about it, he insisted that he go to school and that he didn’t want to miss out on anything. That’s really amazing.” Abd Al Karim, age 11 was talking to his teacher when he said “Miss, yesterday a group of foreigners came by and I spoke to them in English the whole time and we understood each other! It is this kind of pride and joy in learning that we are aiming to garner for these amazing children who are surviving in some of the most adverse conditions in the world. We are grateful to BFSS for enabling this to be a reality. Find out more about the schools in Lebanon The 5th Chichester Half Marathon is open for sign ups and with two new races on offer, it promises to be the best one yet. In conjunction with Chichester District Council, Children on the Edge have launched the 2016 Chi Half. This stunning ‘multi-terrain’ half marathon, has been described as “an iconic South Coast race, a must for any serious runner” and this year introduces some great new features making it accessible to an even wider group of runners. For this year’s event, planned for 9th October 2016, the Chi Half team are expecting a huge response from those returning and new runners alike. The 2015 event hosted nearly 1,000 runners but this year they have been able to increase the entry limit to 1500 runners. The main event will be the standard Half Marathon, a beautiful route which takes in the major City Centre sights and landmarks as well as spectacular rural scenery in the surrounding Lavant and Goodwood countryside. The terrain is a good mixture of road, paths, cycle tracks and cross country. In addition to this, the team are introducing two new features, the Ten Mile Race and a Team Relay Race: The Team Relay Race is a great way to involve anyone new to running as the Race comprises three legs of varying distances (3.6 miles – 5.9 miles). It's also great for bringing club mates, friends and families into the event who feel much more comfortable with shorter distance but will still experience the enjoyment of the half marathon event. If you can do a 5K, you can be part of a relay team! The Ten Mile Race is a fantastic warm-up for anyone in training for longer races or who isn’t quite ready for challenge of the Trundle! You’ll enjoy all the benefits of running through the City and climbing two thirds of the Trundle, with all the splendid views of the Solent, without the last gruelling leg of that hill to contend with! Whether you’re going for the full Half Marathon, a Relay team or Ten Miler, registration is open, so get in there an reserve your place at the start line. Sign up for a Chi Half Race Find out more Ian Birrell’s piece on Syrian refugee camps in last Monday’s Independent, stated that ‘Refugees may have escaped hell, but that does not mean we force them into purgatory’. The article shows how many huge refugee camps, far from being humane sanctuaries, are actually dismal outposts, rife with abuse and exploitation, penning in families for convenience and preventing them from finding work. In Lebanon the government has taken a different approach. Rather than creating vast refugee camps, Syrian refugees tend to be scattered into many smaller informal settlements. This is mainly as a result of the problems caused by large Palestinian refugee camps in the past. 500,000 Palestinian refugees have now lived in Lebanon for over 60 years in 12 official refugee camps across Lebanon where security is largely self-regulated and it is perceived as a location and source of militancy and instability.* To avoid this happening again the Lebanese Government made the decision not to allow official refugee camps within its borders. Despite the huge numbers Syrian refugees in Lebanon, very few live in camps. The refugee population is instead dispersed across 1,700 locations, including 1,400 informal tented settlements on relatively marginal pieces of land. Sadly though, there is still room here for exploitation and abuse. ‘The way things often work in the informal tented settlements’, explains project manager Nuna Matar, “is that a leader of a camp allows people to rent a space in his camp provided that he is the ultimate ruler. He tells people where to work, he takes children 9-10 years old to work so he can get a percentage on their day wage, he sometimes abuses young girls, (sometimes sexually) and also sends them to the field all day so he gets part of the profit of their labour. If a family does not have this work force and no girls to send to the field, the camp leader often evicts them from the camp”. Many Syrian refugees have become accustomed to living under this kind of dictatorship, however after the recent eviction imposed by the Lebanese army, more insecurity rose in these families as they had nowhere to go. As a response to this crisis, our partners rented a 11,000m2 piece of land and created a safe environment where people can settle. As a first step they put gravel half way throughout the camp and added electricity poles. Within weeks, 27 families had moved in and a new school was built so that the children could continue their studies. At the beginning of February gravel was spread through the remaining part of the camp to make room for more families. With careful planning (see diagram below) as each tent is pitched they are ensuring there is adequate space between them to prevent over crowding and unsanitary conditions. Nuna describes how “The atmosphere in the camp is amazing. People are enjoying a kind of freedom they have never known. We have set rules and regulations in the camp that ensure fair treatments for everyone”. Children are beginning to get back into their routine at school and a driver has been hired to bring in refugee children living outside the camp. “We are going to invest in the lives of these children and teach them values about their self-worth and really build the whole community” says Nuna. The need in this area is continually growing. Children on the Edge are supporting the running of a number of schools in refugee camps throughout the Bekaa Valley, and now beginning to contribute to the maintenance of this new camp, providing a vital safe environment for these vulnerable families. Find out more about the work here, and please consider donating to the project * INEE (2014) Lebanon Minimum Standards for Education in Emergencies, New York: Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) ![]() Easter is coming and we have a great family activity which can slot in with your plans as and when you like. In partnership with Montezuma’s Chocolates, we have arranged a special Easter Treasure Trail in the centre of Chichester that families can go on anytime that suits throughout the school Easter Holidays. Following 10 years of working with Montezuma's organising popular family Easter events in Priory Park, last year we launched the first city-centre Easter trail, attracting hundreds of entries. This year's trail has a brand new clue sheet made specifically with families in mind, featuring child friendly questions, parent tips and, of course, a Montezuma’s chocolate prize for every child at the end. The trail will be running from 25th March - 10th April. Just visit the Montezuma’s Chichester Store in East Street to pick up your treasure hunt clues and enter! Entry is £4 per child with all proceeds going our work. Children will have the chance to learn a little more about our projects as they go around the trail. For any further information just e-mail [email protected] or call us on 01243 538530. International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities. This year’s theme considers how to accelerate the 2030 Agenda, building momentum for the effective implementation of the new Sustainable Development Goals. The theme highlights the following key gender equality targets of the 2030 Agenda, so here they are, with some examples of how we are currently working towards them in our projects:
Every year some of our wonderful ambassadors organise the Maxse Walk to raise money for our international projects. Registrations for this year's walk are now open and there are spaces ready to be filled!
The walk consists of five stunning routes across East and West Sussex between the 6th -10th April, with spectacular views guaranteed! Some of the scenic Sussex locations include Beachy Head, Devils Dyke, Petworth Park, Rother Valley and the South Downs. To fully enjoy the views and refuel, there is the option to have a delicious pub or picnic lunch at some of the walks. The rough area and dates of each walk are as follows: Wednesday April 6th - Beachy Head Thursday April 7th - Devil's Dyke Friday April 8th - Rother Valley and Petworth Park Saturday April 9th - A trundle around Goodwood Sunday April 10th - The North Escarpment of the Downs form above and below. It’s completely up to you how much walking you would like to take part in. If you are a walking enthusiast, you can complete all five routes, but you can just as easily opt for a day's walking or simply join the group for a morning. All the money raised will be supporting our projects and the work of The Institute of Cancer Research. We hope all the walkers have a fantastic time and that the sun will be shining! To find out further information and book your place, please download a registration form and contact Sally Marien. The Dalit people or ‘untouchables’ are India’s lowest caste. They are shunned by society and suffer from exclusion, discrimination and exploitation. Bihar is the poorest state in India and 81% of its population are suffering from poor health and nutrition, lack of access to education, and substandard living conditions.
Bihar also has one of the highest concentrations of Dalit people and being a deeply conservative region the caste system (despite being outlawed by the post-independence constitution) still dictates the order of modern life for millions here. Cities and villages are divided by caste with a clear hierarchy of rights and opportunities assigned to a person based upon their heritage. Government primary schools in Dalit majority areas are scarce, and those that do exist are so poorly staffed and equipped that children rarely attend. If they do manage to enrol in schools, Dalit children are frequently discriminated against, being made to sit at the back of the class and restricted from touching or interacting with children from other castes. As a result, those who do make it into school often drop out at an early age. How we are helping We are working to bring together three small, active and engaged local partners to provide quality education for Dalit children aged 6-12, up to grade 3, which will enable them to access and integrate into mainstream, government middle schools where they will be able to continue their education up to grade 10. This will better their chances of employment in the future, not only in a general educational sense but because preference for government jobs is given to Dalit children who have completed grade 10. This education will be delivered to over 800 Dalit children through 26 Education Centres across both the poorest slum areas of Patna and the outlying rural villages of Vaishali District. These Centres will become bright, child friendly spaces equipped with the resources necessary for these children to engage and learn. We will also support children’s clubs in the slums every weekend as an outlet for play, creativity and self-expression. Due to the discrimination being faced by these children, the work here strives to foster self expression and critical thinking with a particular focus on child rights. The 29 teachers who work in the Centres are being trained to develop theoretical and practical knowledge on child rights, child protection and Dalit rights. Change must take place on a community level to enable Dalit groups to recognise and access their rights. To instigate this change Community Action Groups will be formed in each community, which will comprise of parents, staff and community leaders. Read about the project in more detail Donate to this work Over the last three years, through the work we have supported in Soweto slum (within the Masese II area of Jinja), we have seen the lives of vulnerable children completely transformed.
This was our first pilot project in Uganda and, building on its success, we are starting out on an exciting journey of replicating this work in a series of nearby slum communities. Sadly the needs in these places are just as great as Soweto’s were three years ago. They are called Loco, Masese I and Masese III. Loco Loco is a small slum community, formed of basic rows of barracks that were owned by the railway corporation for their workers. Whilst the land is still owned by this company, the demise of the railway has meant that the accommodation is now rented to the poorest families at the cheapest rate in town. The high rate of HIV has resulted in many widows, child-headed and Grandparent-headed households. General health, hygiene and sanitation within the community is poor and there is an additional malaria problem due to the slum’s proximity to a large lake. There is a serious alcoholism problem here, leaving children especially vulnerable to abuse and neglect. Rampant theft and frequent instances of domestic violence also create a volatile environment. Child neglect is rife, with children regularly abandoned and left to fend for themselves. The nearby nursery school and primary school are both run down and expensive to attend, stopping the most vulnerable children from enrolling. Masese I Masese I is a large, densely populated lakeside slum community, formed mostly of internally displaced people from Northern Uganda. It is ten times the size of Soweto with a population of around 500,000. 70% of the community have no permanent jobs, and with casual labour paying an average of 1500 shillings a day (approx 30p), rent is too expensive. Consequently many children have to work finding firewood to pay for rent and food instead of going to school. For those that do want to pursue education, many can’t afford the school costs or nursery fees. The community is mainly made up of widows, single mothers, child mothers and child headed households. Many children are abandoned when single mothers try to solve their problems by marrying, only to find that their children are not welcome in the new household. Many are orphaned through HIV and malaria. Masese III Masese III is a slum community for low cost renters with an estimated population of around 5,000. The community consists of many Karamojong people, who are a nomadic group from Northern Uganda. The Karamojong traditionally let their children wander unattended, resulting in many left alone and vulnerable all day whilst their parents are working. Child marriage is a serious issue in this area due to traditional practices, which can be brutal. Child headed households (often as a result of HIV) and child protection issues are rife and alcoholism is a recurring problem. Over the past few years the community have become dependent on food handouts from a neighbouring organisation who is about to move on, so they desperately need to develop sustainable incomes and food sources. What we have done so far Following our pilot, the first, crucial step is to have established a Child Protection Team in each area, who are working to empower the local residents to provide a safe environment for their children. This team are building relationships in each place, identifying the problems specific to each area and beginning to address them through workshops and training sessions. The workshops are dealing with many issues including child development, parenting techniques, child rights, reproductive health and alcohol abuse. They will also offer individual support to vulnerable families. What we’re going to do over the next few years
Find out more about our expansion in Uganda Donate to the new projects Skilfully designed by local illustrator Hannah George, in the run up to Christmas 2015 we sold some beautiful wrapping paper and matching tags. All profits are going to our work with Syrian refugee children in Lebanon who face a harsh winter living under canvas. In this way, the paper had gifts wrapped up for Christmas and is now enabling a refugee child to be warm and ‘wrapped up’ this winter. Beyond coats and clothing the money will also be keeping schools warm and towards the establishment and maintenance of a new refugee camp, hastily built after a forced evacuation just before Christmas. We wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone involved in All Wrapped Up Campaign, every person helped raise the great total of £6533. Whether you helped by buying it and wrapping up your pressies, or by volunteering your time to roll it up, sell it or to man a fair stall. We couldn’t have done it with out you. We also want to say thank you to the many people who made donations the the All Wrapped Up Just Giving campaign. It really was a team effort. To show just how much of an impact this had, take a look at our stats sheet! To find out more about our Lebanon project click here. After a sudden evacuation before Christmas, our Lebanese partner organisation have been able to settle 25 Syrian refugee families in a brand new camp in Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.
Just before Christmas we reported that one of the camps where we are supporting Syrian refugee children had been evacuated by the military with no notice or direction of where to go. They simply had arrived one morning, fully armed and announced that the camp had to be cleared in a week due to a military base expansion. The military base is being expanded from a nearby checkpoint, and for security reasons the army do not want any camps in the sightline of the base. This not only affects one of the camps we are working with, but up to 50 camps, displacing thousands of Syrian people within Lebanon. This evacuation has been a devastating blow for people we are working with. The school we support in this camp has had to move, the families have had to move, and for a month or so there was no place for them to go. To ensure safety and stability for these families, our local partner has rented the land for a new camp themselves rather than leaving families to rent from landowners direct. Many landowners abuse the desperation of refugees needing land, using sexual exploitation, unpaid labour and child labour as payment when people have no other means to pay. Managing the land and the camp in an ethical way therefore, brings security and peace of mind for the refugees. 25 families have been settled in the new camp, with space for 27 more. The process is gradual as our partners want to ensure that space is reserved for the most vulnerable refugees. There is adequate space throughout the settlement (something not often adhered to in the building of camps) and the camp has a good water supply and sanitation. A new school has been built in the camp (see photo below). It has been designed by a German architect who works with a local team and who has been in Lebanon for 18 months. The design allows for adequate ventilation and light within the tented school, which are elements that are often lacking in other tent schools. The base is concrete and the structure made out of wood. There are plans for a vegetable garden, so that the camp residents who have valuable agricultural knowledge and experience from their lives back in Syria can teach their children to grow food from the fertile Bekaa Valley soil. This will enable them to pass on skills to the next generation that could otherwise be lost due to the conflict. It is hoped that with dedicated planning and building at this early stage, the camp can become a model for other refugee settlements in the valley. Find out more about about the work we support in Lebanon Donate to the new camp and existing schools. |
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