03-06-2024 | di COOPI

CAR. Enthusiastic to learn: children, displaced by war, go back to school

In Central African Republic, with support from European Humanitarian Aid, COOPI is working to ensure the education of displaced and conflict-affected children in the Haut-Mbomou region, particularly in the areas of Obo, Zemio, and Mboki. Thanks to the project “Integrated emergency response to support accessible, inclusive, quality and protective education for the most vulnerable populations affected by the crisis in the Central African Republic”, kids like Albert and Maimouna's children have been able to get back to school, regaining hope and enthusiasm.

Albert's children's regained dreams

Albert saw his children's future swallowed up by armed conflict in Haut-Mbomou prefecture. The schools were poorly maintained and lacked teaching materials and qualified teachers. For their safety, Albert denied them from going to school, which severely affected their education: “two of my children started hanging out with bad people.”

Thanks to COOPI's intervention, however, Albert realized how much his children really wanted to go to school, and he was finally able to realize their dream. In fact, COOPI worked to reestablish the schools, equipped them with the necessary materials, trained the teachers, and provided school kits for the students.

One day I overheard two of my sons excitedly telling their neighbor about their achievements thanks to the catch-up courses organized by COOPI and after their reintegration into the formal system: ‘Uncle Abdoulaye, you know I can now count from 0 to 20,’ and his older brother added, ' I can now count to 50!” 

Albert said he is proud of the progress his sons have made and hopes to see them shine even brighter with COOPI's support.

Zenabou is now full of life

My family and I are originally from Mboki, but the war devastated our region, so we came to settle in the site for displaced people in the town of Zemio. When we arrived, the situation was complicated: the town was under attack, which meant that my daughter Zenabou spent five years without setting foot in school, losing any knowledge she had learned and becoming increasingly introverted. For a long time, I thought that my little Zenabou would never be able to mature, take an interest in school and, even worse, in other children her age, given the trauma she suffered from the war.” 

However, Maimouna changed her mind when she saw the results of COOPI's intervention in the town of Zemio as part of the education and protection project funded by European Humanitarian Aid.

I would like to sincerely thank the Directorate General for European Humanitarian Aid Operations for funding this project because it allowed my daughter to overcome her trauma, grow and make new friends. COOPI, after supporting my daughter with accelerated courses since September last year, provided her with school kits and also radio lessons so that she could then reintegrate into a formal school on the Zenabou site. Today she is now able to express herself in French, read and write, and count from 0 to 50. Most importantly, she has been able to overcome her shyness and express herself out loud: she has become more mature and full of life.” 

COOPI has been continuously present in the Central African Republic since 1974, remaining in the country even during the most difficult times. For more than a decade it has been promoting education in emergency situations, carrying out interventions to rehabilitate school infrastructure and support and training.