JRS/U S A
The Refugee Voice
May 2009 — Vol 3, Issue 2
Pamaikong Primary School classroom
in South Sudan. (JRS/USA)
Key Statistics
JRS assists nearly 8,000 students to
attend school and provides more than
680 refugee teaching and non-teaching
staff with training at the two Karenni
camps in Mae Hong Son, northern
Thailand. A vocational training and
non-formal education program benefits
more than 3,000 refugee participants.
Education is a major component of
the work of JRS in Rwanda. Primary
and secondary schools, as well as
kindergartens, in camps in Byumba
and Kibuye educate more than 12,000
students.
Among internally displaced persons in
Sudan, most of the work of JRS is in
the field of education with more than
25,000 students in both primary and
secondary schools.
As the UNHCR-implementing partner
for education in Dzaleka camp in Ma-
lawi, JRS provides nursery, primary
and secondary education for more than
2,000 students. In addition, JRS sup-
ports women’s groups, provides lan-
guage classes and vocational training,
benefiting more than 150 refugees.
J e s u i t R e f u g e e S e r v i c e / US A | 1 0 1 6 1 6 t h S t r e e t , N W, S t e 5 0 0 | W a s h i n g t o n , D C 2 0 0 3 6 | ( 2 0 2 ) 4 6 2 - 0 4 0 0 |
Jesuit Refugee Service/USA
Education: A Crying Need
“Even as the children cried for food and the old shed silent tears helplessly, the Bhutanese
elders and youth … took up the challenge of educating the younger ones. The sand on the river
bank was our blackboard and paper, our fingers the pencils.” Chetri, a Bhutanese refugee in
Nepal
A
lthough education is often not seen as an emergency activity, the re-establishment of
schooling for children is frequently among the most immediate concerns of communi-
ties who have suffered displacement. The universal drive of refugees to ensure the edu-
cation of their children even in the most desperate of circumstances is a monument to the human
spirit. In our effort to respond to the needs of newly displaced people, it is not uncommon for JRS
staff to arrive at remote refugee encampments to find makeshift blackboards erected under trees
and children copying letters with sticks in the sand. For refugee parents and children, education
represents both a return to normalcy and an expression of hope in the future.
Overcoming Barriers
The right of refugees – especially refugee children – to access education is widely recognized
in instruments of international law. Despite the efforts of JRS and international institutions such
as UNHCR to improve access to education, many barriers still stand in the way.
In many countries, refugee families are denied freedom of movement and are not permitted to en-
roll their children in local schools. Camp education may be limited to the elementary grades, and
access to school materials and trained teachers may be sadly lacking. Even where good schools
exist, education may be cut back prematurely in order to encourage “voluntary” repatriation.
Where camp registration is closed, or where refugee families live in urban settings, no access to
schooling of any kind may be available. Even where schools are available to refugees, factors
such as the lack of adequate nutrition or the need to work to support their families may lead chil-
dren to drop out of school. This is especially a problem for refugee girls, who are often expected
to mind younger siblings or to take on household chores at an early age. People with special
physical, mental or psychological needs are often excluded from education.
continued on page 2
A Note from the National Director
Dear Friends of JRS/USA:
Since its founding, the three part mission of Jesuit Refugee Service has been to ac-
company, serve and defend the rights of refugees. These three aspects of our work
come together in programs of refugee education that at once address the aspirations,
needs and rights of refugees as individuals and as communities.
In this issue of The Refugee Voice, we discuss the many ways in which JRS educa-
tion programs sustain and protect refugees, and help them to realize their full human
potential.
Fr. Ken Gavin, S.J.
www . jr s u s a . o r g
Programs in Chad: from left, school for internally displaced people and local host populations in the Sila region; secondary school students,
Kounoungou camp for Sudanese refugees; teacher (r) and JRS supervisor in the Sila region; secondary school students and JRS project director,
Jouaquin Ciervide, S.J., Kounoungou camp; preschool student, Koubigou IDP site. JRS provides primary education to more than 9,500 children and
pedagogic training to approximately 1,000 teachers in eastern Chad. (photos by Ashley Gagné, JRS West Africa)
continued from page 1
Elementary level education for refugees who have missed years language and in English, thus preparing them both for the possi-
of schooling due to war is not guaranteed. Even where elementary bility of return to their homeland and for a connection to a wider
schools are good, resource issues usually mean that access to sec- world.
ondary education is only provided to the lucky few, if any at all.
As many Bhutanese are prepar-
The situation can be even worse for internally displaced persons, ing to be resettled in the United
especially in conflict situations. In the Democratic Republic of the States, JRS has added programs
Congo, for example, 85% of schools remain closed, and hundreds of basic spoken and written
of thousands of children are without education. Because such con- English to help ease the transi-
flicts can be prolonged, the refusal to address educational needs in tion for older adults.
emergency settings can lead to a lost generation, greatly lessening
JRS education programs also
any hope of building a peaceful future.
meet very different needs in
Even after a displacement situation ends, people may be rightly places such as Uganda and
reluctant to return to their homes if they believe that education Chad, where the recruitment of
will be unavailable. Government support to education in areas of child soldiers is a serious dan-
return, including access to books and materials and the payment of ger.
teacher salaries, is too often not a priority.
Here JRS seeks to use the safe-
Better efforts are needed both to sustain schools during refugee ty and hope represented by the
emergencies and to ensure that schools in areas of repatriation are classroom to provide an alter-
sustained by the international community until they can operate native to child enlistment and
independently. Bhutanese refugee students in a bridge back to civilian lives
Nepal. At the end of 2007, the
Bringing light in a dark time for former child combatants try-
education program had more
ing to rejoin their communities.
“Education is very important for refugees – if you are not educated than 32,000 students enrolled
and nearly 1,000 teachers. The Since October 2007, the JRS
it’s like being blind. You don’t understand anything. We are very
program has been highlighted school program in Chad has
poor people compared to another country, but if we are educated
by UNHCR as a model example reintegrated 183 children with-
we can decide what is good or bad for us. We can improve our-
of how to provide education to drawn from armed groups into
selves and our community.” Nah Reh, a Karenni refugee and JRS refugees. (JRS/USA) their families and communities,
teacher in Thailand
and prevented the recruitment of
JRS programs of service, accompaniment and advocacy seek to many more.
address the needs, rights and aspirations of refugees, both as
A sense of normalcy and participation
individuals and as communities.
In any refugee setting, the sense of normalcy, productivity, and
Beginning nearly thirty years ago, with the establishment of
hope provided by a functioning school system may be of equal, if
schools serving Indochinese refugees in Southeast Asia, the edu-
not greater, value than the instruction itself.
cation programs of JRS today span the globe, reaching more than
300,000 students in 29 countries from Bhutan to Sudan, from Sri “We feel so secure when we are at school: the teachers are friend-
Lanka to Colombia. Wherever we are, JRS involves the refugee ly and provide us with good lessons. I am happy that we also re-
community in the development and operation of our schools and ceive breakfast right here at the school. This is our second home.”
training programs, so the programs will be culturally appropriate Alexis, grade 5, Umodzi Katubza Primary School
and meet real needs.
“I have been happy [with my experience] with JRS. I also hope
An example of this is our program serving the Bhutanese refugee that I can one day be like them to support others [in my commu-
community in Nepal. Each year more than 30,000 children receive nity]. With God’s support, I have been dreaming to go for further
instruction from JRS–trained refugee teachers in both their native studies so that I can become someone who will be able to support

2
the needy.” Jonah, a JRS Form Four student in the Kakuma Refu-
gee Camp The Refugee Voice - May 2009
Participation in the schools, whether as students, parents or teach- programs in Malawi, where local children attend our schools on
ers, contributes to the re-establishment of a sense of control and re- an equal footing with refugees, in a policy aimed at encouraging
covery in a situation where so much has been lost. In a refugee sit- interaction with the local community. “The school is the arena for
uation, schools provide activity with a purpose and offer attainable co-existence and cultural exchange. We Malawians ... are learning
goals in the here and now, while affirming the hope for a better future. a lot from refugees,” observes Gerald, a member of the Primary
School Management Committee.
For more vulnerable individuals, such as trauma survivors, or-
phaned or separated children, and people with disabilities, the safe By opening schools to the entire community, JRS creates opportu-
haven provided by JRS nities for local populations to see the positive benefits of hosting
schools is especially im- refugees on their soil. Peace education helps
portant, as schools are both refugees and refugee hosting communi-
a place where special ties to learn to negotiate a safer future.
needs can be identified “Prospects for long term peace depend great-
and met. ly upon opportunities available to children to
Depending on local receive an education and who are brought up
needs, JRS’ education within a culture of tolerance and forgiveness.
programs may include JRS is trying to do its part,” says Alice Lapitu-
teaching sign language la, JRS project worker in Cote d’Ivoire.
to the deaf and Braille “When my children attend school I do have
to the blind; pre-school hope that life will be meaningful to them and
enrichment for children that the mistakes our countries made will not
with mental disabilities; be done again. I hope they will live in a peace-
vocational education for ful country.” Eugene, a refugee from the Dem-
children and adults with ocratic Republic of the Congo
physical and mental
challenges; and counsel- creating opportunities for adult learners
Carpentry class in Kitgum provides vocational training for refugees.
ing for trauma survivors. Education programs can be empowering for ref-
JRS offers adult literacy courses and non-formal vocational training
Equal access to educa- for adults. (Dani Villanueva, S.J.) ugee adults, who need to prepare for an uncertain
tion for girls is a special future. Programs of adult literacy enable adults
priority, providing an alternative to child marriage and build- to understand and communicate their rights and needs.
ing a foundation for stronger and more prosperous families. JRS “I can now speak and write English, thanks to the ESL program.
schools teach both girls and boys about the equal dignity of men I can read documents and try to communicate to ... officials in the
and women, and work to overcome gender based discrimination camp.” Graduate of the English as a Second Language Program
and violence.
Vocational training classes not only fill the otherwise empty hours
Building Bridges of camp life, but also instill pride, discipline, and skills that will
JRS refugee education programs can also benefit local people, and improve participant’s prospects for success wherever their future
can be an important factor in preventing friction between the refu- paths may lead.
gee and host communities. “Our accompaniment of families has A special aspect of JRS adult education programs is teacher train-
helped build the trust which has led to the establishment … of ing. In order to help the refugee community to meet their own
schools. The community approach, based on close proximity, al- need for education, now and in the future, JRS works with refugee
lows the involvement of all families without discrimination in a volunteers to provide them with the guidance and tools needed to
region where inter-communal tensions are strong,” says JRS West provide quality education. Often, this is done through “community
Africa Communications Officer Ashley Gagné. teachers” programs, where in–service training is provided to up-
An example of the success of this approach is found in the JRS grade existing teaching skills.
continued on page 4

The new Pamaikong

Primary School under con-
struction in South Sudan,
Feb. 2009. It will replace
thatch huts currently used.
The cover photo shows a
current school classroom.
(JRS/USA) 3
b r i n g i n g l i g h t i n a dar k t i m e , e d u c a t i o n p r o v i d e s t o o l s f o r l i f e
The Refugee Voice - May 2009
continued from page 3

Where possible, JRS also provides scholarships for refugee

teachers to attend teaching colleges or certificate courses to
attain professional standards. JRS trained community teach-
ers go on to professional or managerial careers as teachers or
in other positions.
JRS is proud of its efforts; but we cannot meet this need alone.
The role of education in the empowerment of the individual,
the stabilization of the community and in building for durable
solutions makes the guarantee of access to quality education Chelsea, one of the Community College graduates in Namokora near Kitgum,
for every refugee of fundamental importance. Uganda. (Angelika Mendes/JRS Eastern Africa)

“I’m happy to be a teacher… I want to share my knowledge Recommendations for Action

and experience with students. The students are very happy to
have teachers; they know that education is good for their fu-
ture. If we teach we remember what we learned in school, we
keep our knowledge. I want to have more teacher training to
improve my skills and help the community.” Nah Reh, JRS
refugee teacher in Thailand.
Special thanks to the JRS Regional Offices of
Asia Pacific, South Asia, Southern Africa, Eastern Africa,
Grands Lacs, West Africa and JRS Thailand
for their contributions to this issue.
• Every child should have access to primary and secondary educa-
tion.
• Refugee communities should be encouraged to be involved in the
staffing and direction of their schools.
• Age, gender and mental & physical disabilities should not pose
barriers to refugee education.
• Better efforts must be made to ensure access to education in
emergency settings, in order to provide an alternative to violence
and hope for reconciliation.
• International organizations and governments must do more to
ensure quality education is made available in areas of repatria-
tion; and that, where necessary, schools are sustained by inter-
national assistance until local governments are able to assume
responsibility for their support.

Jesuit Refugee Service/USA

1016 16th Street, NW, Ste 500
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 462-0400 | www.jrsusa.org

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