Nearly 25,000 displaced children in Zimbabwe are set to benefit from a new program launched by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) on Wednesday to create a safer, healthier and more conducive school environment for mobile and vulnerable children.
The program targets 40 marginalized and neglected schools in need of emergency assistance in the capital Harare and in the districts of Hwange, Makoni, Mutare and Chipinge and aims to tackle some of the most pressing issues faced by displaced children in the country.
“The state of the national education system, characterized by resignations, absenteeism and low morale among teachers, significant numbers of school drop-out and violence against children is considerably worse among mobile and vulnerable populations,” IOM said.
An assessment of six urban schools by Save the Children UK in 2008 showed a nearly 55 percent drop in school enrollment, a nearly 70 percent drop in teacher presence, a consistent pattern of school-based violence and an alarming degradation in school infrastructure which was having a serious impact on the education and health of the children.
The program, to be carried out jointly between IOM, Save the Children UK and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) would work to enhance the physical, protective and social environment at school by refurbishing and re-equipping school facilities.
It would also provide support and training in key life skills such as dealing with the risk of HIV and AIDS as well as sexual and gender-based violence.
Teachers would be supported in their work through training on a range of issues, including protection of children in emergency situations and prevention of family separation.
IOM, which has received nearly $740,000 from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), would focus on liaising with mobile and vulnerable communities and the emergency refurbishment of the schools.
The IRC and Save the Children will tackle water and sanitation and child focused activities respectively.
The program builds on a joint IOM and multi-partner initiative that helped 19,000 displaced children’s access to education through the provision of emergency education assistance to 33 primary schools and early childhood development centers in six provinces last year.
Although it is unclear how many vulnerable children are unable to attend school in Zimbabwe, UNICEF figures reveal that there are more than 850,000 orphans and vulnerable children attending primary and secondary schools in Zimbabwe in 2009.
Source African Press Agency
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