In Ituri province, in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, armed clashes have emptied villages, destroyed schools, and forced thousands of families to flee their homes. As a result, generations of children have been left without an education.
When armed conflict steals children's right to education
Uprooted and traumatised, the children of Ituri have often lost years of learning and now find themselves having to make up precious time while surrounded by insecurity and hardship.
In Tchomia, a small town on the shores of Lake Albert, the consequences of the conflict are visible in every child's eyes. Many children have missed years of schooling, while others have never had the chance to attend.
To address this situation, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is implementing accelerated education courses. These allow children aged 10 or older to catch up on two school years in the space of just one, at elementary and middle-school levels.
The courses are part of the IMPACT project (Multisectoral Intervention for Populations Affected by Conflicts), funded by EU Humanitarian Aid.
Today, 560 pupils spread across several schools in the province are participating in the programme. It combines intensive teaching with trauma support following an approach set out in NRC’s well-known psychosocial intervention, the Better Learning Programme (BLP). This approach gives learners the opportunity to regain a sense of normalcy after experiencing traumatic events during their displacement.
Furaha Mave Anifa, 23, a teacher at Kasenyi Primary School, recalls how the children were when they first enrolled in the programme.
“When we started with the accelerated education courses, their learning level was very low. Some had never studied, while others were still traumatised after hearing so many gunshots,” she says.
For parents, education remains a daily struggle. Djabila Michée, 55, a father of two, explains: “We had fled to Uganda, and now we are back. My two children had already experienced learning difficulties because they were constantly forced to interrupt their studies to flee the fighting.”
To help children overcome their trauma, Furaha and the other teachers combine theoretical teaching with the BLP method, using a series of structured games designed to reduce stress and build confidence.
“We are only a month in, but I can already see some changes. My hope is that by the end of the year, they will all be back to their previous level,” she explains.
Djabila’s children are now enrolled in the programme. He is pleased with their progress: "I see changes in their development. I even see how the teachers are improving their grades, and I'm happy about that."
Despite the trauma and disruption caused by the conflict, the children of Ituri have started making up for lost time and regaining their self-confidence.
For these efforts to bear full fruit, however, it is urgent that peace and security be restored throughout the province in a lasting way.
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