Umbrellas, fears and well-laid plans
Education in Emergencies is a project funded by the European Union and UNICEF. It is helping teachers and children overcome their fears of Boko Haram attacks.
The umbrella metaphor introduces the idea of protecting the school from the ‘rain’ of threats from Boko Haram and other dangers. Education in Emergencies looks to involve the whole school and even the parents and communities, in the process of developing ways to reduce those risks through the development of a School Emergency Preparedness and Response plan.
Boys at a school in northeast Nigeria are outside but they are not playing games. They are practising an evacuation and how to stay together if their school ever came under attack.
When the subject is interesting children focus better, when it comes to learning about reducing the risks for them and their fellow classmates, they pay special attention. They’ve all contributed to the plans for what to do if Boko Haram attacks the school and that preparation goes a long way to putting minds at ease.
‘Gun shot’. A simple and tragic reminder of the dangers children face in northeast Nigeria. As part of the EU Education in Emergencies project, the children at Kaleri school were asked to write down their fears and identify strengths and vulnerabilities of their school and community as protective environments. As the project progresses, the changes in the children’s perception of safety are being monitored.
‘Kidnappy’ is another one of the fears that children carry inside them and wrote down as part of the Education in Emergencies exercise. Thousands of young girls have been kidnapped by Boko Haram and held for years in captivity. The EU funded project helps children articulate their deepest fears and then works with teachers and communities to better prepare children and the school community to a situation of school kidnapping.
Psychosocial support is important, because children with self esteem, a strong sense of identity, children who believe in themselves and who trust each other, children who know how to keep calm, are likely to be more protected during a situation of kidnapping.
