Immediate Education and Child Protection Needs in Host Communities

This project aims to improve the lives of vulnerable Egyptian and Syrian children in Greater Cairo by addressing immediate education and child protection needs and by promoting social cohesion in refugee hosting communities. Egypt has seen a major influx of refugees following the onset of the Syrian crisis. Children are the most vulnerable group in both refugee and host communities and Egypt’s Ministry of Education is struggling to cope with additional demands. Project activities include: (1) providing educational materials to vulnerable students; (2) training school teams (teachers administrators and social workers) on modern pedagogy child protection gender-sensitive approaches to education and school leadership; (3) renovating and equipping schools and water and sanitation facilities; (4) providing outreach and exchange opportunities for Syrians and Egyptians children and families; (5) providing access to health and psychosocial services; and (6) supporting girls and boys to become leaders and agents of change in school and community life. Up to 31 000 children (18 800 girls) in 19 public schools take part in the project along with 694 education professionals and school administrators and approximately 3 000 parents. The project forms part of Canada’s comprehensive response to the regional impact of the Syrian crisis.

The expected results for this project include: - Improved access to quality formal and non-formal education in a protective learning environment for vulnerable school-aged children from Syrian and Egypt; - Improved knowledge skills satisfaction and social cohesion of Syrian and Egyptian communities; - Increased and equitable access to educational opportunities and community based services for girls and boys; - Improved quality of gender-sensitive educational services; - Increased community support for child participation and child protection for Syrian and Egyptian girls and boys.