25-06-2016 | di COOPI

Diffa: an important goal for young refugees' future

Also in Nigeria the school year is coming to an end. In Niger a group of 40 refugee students could pass their final exam thanks to the remote education program financed by UHNCR.

The project started in 2014 in Diffa region and its purpose is to guarantee secondary-school Nigerian students the possibility to pursue their studies on a specific digital platform for education. In Diffa region we currently count 4 operating centres for remote education, but recently the centre set in Bosso have unfortunately been closed for safety reasons. Furthermore, the remaining 3 centres can receive up to 377 students.

In state of emergency it is always difficult to guarantee the right to the education: only in Diffa region 80 schools near the border with Nigeria have been closed after the first attacks of Boko Haram (February 2015). The 50 emergency schools which have been created currently receive more than 17.000 students. The project could be realized thanks to an agreement between the respective Ministries of Education of Nigeria and Niger and offers to boys and girls a formation in English language.

The 40 students who completed their studies had the opportunity to pass the final exam at the end of the school year. Although they have been witnesses of atrocities and have been forced to escape from their houses, these guys are determined not to allow that their difficult condition prevents them from getting a proper education. In fact, they know that a good education is the key for a better future.