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Jesuit Entity Reaching Out to Refugees in Chad in “a multidisciplinary approach”

A child in an empty classroom in Chad. Credit: Jesuit Refugee Service(JRS)

By Magdalene Kahiu

N'Djamena, 20 September, 2023 / 6:06 pm (ACI Africa).

The Jesuits Refugee Service (JRS) is realizing a formal education initiative targeting refugees in Chad through what the officials of the entity of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) have described as “a multidisciplinary approach”.

In a Tuesday, September 19 report, JRS officials say they are reaching out to those who dropped out of learning institutions through an “accelerated education” program in view of “leaving no one behind”.

“We are building classrooms and temporary learning spaces in both the new and old camps,” JRS Chad Secondary Education Project Coordinator, Maria Valan, is quoted as saying in the report in which he provides details about the adopted approach. 

Officials of JRS in the country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa have "developed and implemented a multidisciplinary approach, which includes training on different educational curricula, inclusive education, psychosocial support, and social cohesion," Valan says.

“With the aim of leaving no one behind, in addition to preparatory classes for the new children who will be integrated into the Chadian education system, we are also providing accelerated education to those students who have dropped out of school in the past and will be integrated into formal education later," the JRS official in Chad adds.

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She further says that the Jesuit entity strives to promote a friendly learning environment aimed at meeting the needs of refugee children and those from the host communities.

Valan goes on to highlight challenges in the process of implementing the initiative, saying, “Despite all efforts, the back-to-school needs are still huge. The lack of infrastructure and pedagogical material, and the shortage of personnel, are just some of the difficulties faced by the Chadian school system.”

She says that JRS officials in Chad are yet to meet the educational needs of the children despite their efforts, which she says are done in collaboration with the National Curriculum Centre (CNC), and the National Directorate for Inclusive Education and Emergency Action, among other local partners.

“Confronted with fewer livelihood opportunities, communities find it extremely difficult to provide education for displaced children on their own. These new arrivals certainly require the mobilization of more funds and resources to be addressed," JRS Chad Secondary Education Project Coordinator says in the September 19 report.

Magdalene Kahiu

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.

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