Building Peace Through Education

"After my father was killed on our farm, we fled to the city with my mother,'' says Margarita,* 10, who lives on the outskirts of Bogotá, Colombia. "After two years here, I am glad to be able to go to school again and make new friends. I study hard and my teachers are helping me to have new dreams." Margarita is attending school again with help from a CIDA-funded project managed by Save the Children Canada (SCC).

Millions of children in Colombia do not attend school because they are poor or have been affected by armed conflict. About 1.6 million children and youth are ''internally displaced,'' lacking the resources or documents to enter school. Many others drop out because teachers are poorly trained or courses don't meet their needs. Without education or employment opportunities, youth are at greater risk of being recruited into Colombia's illegal drug trade or armed conflict.

The SCC project has helped some 12,000 children and their parents and teachers in three war-affected areas. The project has prepared displaced children to return to school and worked with municipal governments to create more than 2,800 new placements. Teachers have been trained to assist traumatized children. New courses and materials developed through the project are more relevant for children affected by armed conflict. Through classes and creative play, children learn about their rights and conflict resolution.

Jairo,* 6, and his mother moved to a shantytown outside Medellín when their rural community was threatened by an armed group. After losing his father and friends, Jairo became violent toward other children. Teachers trained through the SCC project helped Jairo overcome his anger and become happier. "I want to go to school and play with other boys", says Jairo. "I used to get really mad at other boys, but now I am trying to learn at school and help my mom."

Eleanor Douglas, SCC's expert on children in armed conflict, says, "In situations of armed conflict, support for child-centred, quality education is very important. It assists war-affected children to reconnect with others, develop a sense of normalcy in their uprooted lives, and prevent recruitment by armed actors. This project has helped make schools a safe place for children and youth. Through the project, children and youth learned to resolve conflicts and deal peacefully with violence in themselves, and in their families, schools, and communities. It helped them break the cycle of violence and start rebuilding their lives."

*Names of children have been changed to protect their identities.