| Grant Profile: |
| Project Title: |
Jordan/Lebanon: Supporting a Sub-regional Response to Displaced Iraqis through Ta’leem |
| PCF/LICUS/SPF: |
PCF |
Status: |
Open |
| File Number: |
363
| Region: |
MENA |
| Sector: |
Social Protection |
Country: |
Multi-country |
| FY approved: |
2008 |
Grant Theme : |
Social protection and risk management |
| Keyword(s): |
Children and youth;Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons |
Approved Amount: |
$2,437,134.00 |
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Grant Recipient:
Save the Children (USA) |
Grant Purpose:
The Grant will be implemented in Jordan and Lebanon, specifically in areas where there is a blend of host and newly arrived refugee populations from Iraq. It will aim to provide early childhood, basic education and youth education services to Iraqi children, adolescents and youth, and their host country counterparts in Jordan and Lebanon .
Of specific interest would be lessons learned in integrating newly arrived populations into the regular school system, ensuring the maintenance of standards, and using the lessons learned to advocate with Ministries of Education for the adoption of inclusive and participatory approaches within the mainstream teaching approach.
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Grant Activities:
Component 1: To increase access to protective, inclusive and participatory early childhood education services, the grant will support the following initiatives:
(1) Renovation of kindergartens in 5 areas in Jordan and in Lebanon;
(2) Provision of material assistance for children to attend kindergarten services in the rennovated facilities;
(3) Establishment of parent and child centers for younger children, aged 3 – 4, in order to promote learning through play from a very young age, involve parents in child learning processes and create forums for parental discussion and support;
(4) Establishment of a core team of champion kindergarten teachers and enhancement of their knowledge, attitudes and practices related to child-friendly, safe and inclusive early childhood education curriculum;
(5) Workshops with parents and caregivers on topics related to early childhood development, such as working with young children, fostering an inclusive and safe environment, promoting positive behaviors and positive discipline, both for parents and kindergarten staff;
(6) Workshops and awareness sessions on child rights, psychosocial support and participatory approaches with both parents and kindergarten staff.
Component 2: To increase access to protective, inclusive and participatory basic education services for vulnerable Iraqi and Lebanese children, the grant will support the following activities in Lebanon:
(1) Supplementary classes for children in foreign languages (English and French), mathematics, and literacy in cooperation with local NGOs;
(2) Provision of material assistance to enroll children in school;
(3) Capacity building courses for teachers in protective, inclusive and participatory approaches;
(4) Discussions among children and needs assessment in relation to their children’s education, protection and participation.
Component 3: To increase access to protective, inclusive and participatory youth education opportunities for vulnerable Iraqi and Lebanese adolescents and youth, the grant will support the following activities in Lebanon:
(1) Provision of material support to families, to enable them to enroll adolescents or youth in vocational training centers;
(2) Capacity building in youth in life skills and physical education;
(3) Supplementary summer classes for adolescents and youth in foreign languages (English and French), mathematics and literacy;
(4) Capacity building courses for teachers in participating schools and vocational training centers, in inclusive education, participation and protection.
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News:
Eight million children have been affected by armed conflict worldwide. To help many of those suffering from the negative consequences of violence, the World Bank has invested significant resources in children and youth in the Middle East while other funding for them is decreasing. One of its projects, the Ta’leem Regional Education Initiative, aims to provide access to quality education for thousands of vulnerable, displaced Iraqi children and their host country counterparts in Jordan and Lebanon. The initiative has yielded many positive results in the first several months of its implementation and is considered to be a successful practice in the field of providing educational opportunities for young refugees. It is coordinated by Save the Children, a leader in children and youth programming. The program is complemented by relevant initiatives undertaken by UNICEF and UNHCR.
Thousands of illegal Iraqi refugees have found a home in Lebanon and Jordan in the last years. While they live in low-income areas and face negative perceptions widespread in their host communities, their children are the ones affected the most. One of their challenges is equitable access to appropriate educational opportunities that take into consideration their language and critical psychological needs.
As a response to the plight of young people in Jordan and Lebanon, the World Bank is supporting improvements in both access and quality of education for Iraqi children aged 3 – 24 as well as their peers from the two host countries. The overarching goal of the Ta’leem Regional Education Initiative is to protect the vulnerable, displaced Iraqi children, adolescents and youth along with their host country peers, enabling them to be positive and educated members of their present and future communities.
As a result of the Ta’leem Initiative in Lebanon, around 1,500 Iraqi children received scholarships for the 2008/2009 academic year. Five kindergartens were equipped and provided a safe space for 205 children. In addition, around 300 young people received life-skills or vocational training. Life-skills trainings focused on topics such as communication skills, conflict resolution skills, accepting differences, physical development, and reproductive health. Vocational training classes included English language teaching, computer graphic design, computer literacy sessions, make-up and hairdressing for women, and ornamental “Henneh” tattoo classes.
The initiative also provided 60 teachers with capacity-building trainings in children inclusion and protection. The trainings were designed to develop teachers’ capacities to provide students with a better learning environment that addresses their educational and psychological needs. Participants learned interactive teaching methods and techniques for a more learner-centered approach. Teachers also learned to develop lively activities, games and role-plays to help bring out the isolated or insecure child. They were also trained in recognizing children’s learning difficulties and the steps necessary for using the help of specialized therapists.
As part of the program, 300 parents attended protection and education awareness sessions. Trainings focused on methods for addressing difficulties that parents and children encounter and included topics such as promoting positive disciplining of children and alternatives to physical punishment.
In Jordan, 24 kindergarten classrooms in 19 schools were selected for renovation after careful and detailed engineering assessments. They will be renovated, furnished and equipped to accommodate displaced Iraqi children. Alongside with the renovation, public school teachers will receive training that addresses the specific needs of Iraqi children. The training will focus on children’s rights, preventing and intervening in violence to children, respecting diversity, establishing protective mechanisms, and establishing approaches that recognize and address psychological stressors which have a negative impact on children’s learning. The curriculum for the training has already been submitted for approval by the Ministry of Education.
The Ta’leem Initiative in Jordan has also helped develop the concept for Parent Child Centers where small children will be able to play with their peers, and parents will have access to information on parenting and children’s learning. In addition, Save the Children is developing a “Khatawat at Home” kit that will outline activities for parents to do with their children at home. The resource will provide benchmarks in children’s development so that parents can be alerted to any delays, and it will also advise parents on what they can do at home to stimulate their children’s development and learning. While all children can benefit, this will be especially useful for getting young out-of-school children ready for school.
The initiative has also helped maintain a Help Desk which informs Iraqi families about the process of enrolling their children in public schools. As a result, the program helped 600 Iraqi children gain access to formal education.
In addition to improving education for displaced Iraqi children in Jordan and Lebanon, the Ta’leem Initiatives is expected to reduce conflict by removing the stress placed on governments by refugees, as well as reduce pressure on displaced Iraqi families by providing direct and indirect support to get their children a quality education. This will help remove some of the burdens from families and may keep them from falling into poverty. By being provided with opportunities to attend trainings, adult caregivers of children will also be able to socialize, express themselves and be better prepared to care for their children. They will be better informed and supported by institutions to cope with their situation, which may reduce their willingness to create conflict with others. These, in turn, will reduce the chance that vulnerable adults and youth would turn to crime, gangs, or radical politics.
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