Democratic Republic of Congo: targeting secondary school education for displaced children
Bujumbura, 3 April 2013 – "Going back to school, to study and be with my friends help me feel normal again. It helps me forget the war and the sorrow of no longer being at home in my village", said 17-year Samuel Shukuru, one of the thousands of displaced children who found refuge in camps around Goma, a strategic city in eastern Congo, following the armed advance, in November 2012, of rebels of the March 23 Movement (M23).
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Jordan: changing with the times, JRS adapts to the community's needs
Amman, 1 March 2013 – Abu Hassan has been the director of the informal education project for nearly five years. In its early years, the school in Ashrafiyeh catered only to Iraqi refugees. But as Jordan hosts more refugees, the JRS school has adapted to the changing situation.
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Democratic Republic of Congo: school, the best deterrent against the recruitment of minors
Goma, 11 February 2013 – For anyone who travels along the muddy and rugged roads of the eastern province of North Kivu, teenage boys clasping on to rifles or some other type of firearm is commonplace. Children are frequently the victims of forced recruitment in the ranks of one of the many armed groups in Congo. Other times, they join rebel groups as they believe it to be the only viable prospect for the future.
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Jordan: there is a refugee inside each of us
Amman, 10 January 2013 – Online higher education students in Amman, Jordan, had the opportunity to attend the play 'Rest Upon the Wind', inspired by the life of Khalil Gibran, author of The Prophet.
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South Sudan: a community is only as good as its teachers
South Sudan, 2 January 2013 – A community is only as good as its teachers. There is no substitute for a trained and committed teacher to promote quality education. JRS learned this valuable lesson in more than 15 years promoting education in South Sudan.
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Afghanistan: uncertain but hopeful
Bamyan, 27 December 2012 – In 2001, the world watched helplessly as the Taliban destroyed two massive Buddha statues, carved nearly 1,500 years earlier in the cliff face overlooking Bamyan. Today, the silent mountains still depict the wounds of this small isolated province in central Afghanistan. It was more than precious cultural monuments that were destroyed. The male and female Buddha statues stand for all the men and women of Bamyan, neglected, marginalised and, still today, in pain.
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South Asia: war-affected students to receive online education
New Delhi, 15 November, 2012 – Walking into a school in a returnee camp, an urban slum, or underprivileged rural community, young children like Azar* are always keen to say what they want to do when they grow up. He wants to be a doctor to help his country, Afghanistan. Heart-breaking, maybe not! With the expansion of online education to marginalised communities in South Asia, boys like Azar may get an opportunity to realise their dreams.
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Burundi: informal education promotes community development
Bujumbura, 6 November 2012 – Investment in education, especially of women, would put Burundi firmly on the path towards sustainable development. While the primary focus of the Jesuit Refugee Service is the promotion of formal education, ignoring early-school-leaver women in Burundi not only negatively effects the individuals concerned, community development is also hindered. Or so the anecdotal evidence from JRS field staff suggests.
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Jordan: accompaniment comes first for refugees
Amman, 30 October 2012 – Situated in a quiet neighbour on top of a hill, it would be easy to confuse Ashrafiyeh as just another school in east Amman. But few of the students share a common language, or religious and cultural traditions. Most have been forced to flee conflict and survive on the margins of society. They need to be supported and kept engaged. This is the approach taken by teachers in the JRS school in Jordan.
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Democratic Republic of Congo: victims of sexual violence find the courage to share their experiences
Goma, 28 September 2012 – It was a day like any other in one of the literacy centres for displaced women, managed by the Jesuit Refugee Service in North Kivu in eastern Congo. But here the students were not just learning to read and write, they were exploring delicate issues of sexual and other violence, as part of a healing process.
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