The CODAID Education Resilience Initiative, implemented in partnership with NRC under the Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Multi-Year Resilience Project, aims to provide crisis-affected children and youth in Akobo County with safe and quality education opportunities. The initiative seeks to bridge the humanitarian-development gap by ensuring sustainable learning outcomes, fostering inclusivity, and strengthening local education structures.

Project Objectives

1. Enhancing Access to Education: Provide learning opportunities for out-of-school children and youth in Akobo West-Walgak.
2. Improving Education Quality: Equip schools with necessary learning materials and infrastructure to enhance the learning environment.
3. Ensuring Child Protection & Well-being: Conduct awareness sessions on Child Protection (CP), Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and Mental Health & Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) in schools.
4. Empowering Students & Teachers: Establish and support co-curricular activities and mentorship programs for students and teachers.

Key Activities

• School Support & Infrastructure Development:
  
  • Support 11 schools with education materials and teaching aids.
  • Conduct school spot checks to assess progress and challenges.
• Awareness & Advocacy:
  
  • Organize training sessions on CP, GBV, MHPSS, and inclusivity.
  • Conduct community engagement activities to promote the importance of education.
• Cocurricular Activities:
  
  • Support sports, drama, and other extracurricular activities to improve student engagement and mental well-being.
• Teacher Training & Mentorship:
  
  • Provide training and mentorship support to female teachers.
  • Empower boys and girls through the ‘Champions of Change’ (CoC) module to promote gender equality and leadership.

Achievements (March 2025 Update)

• Supported co-curricular activities in seven schools, benefiting over 400 students.
• Champions of Change module implemented in five schools, empowering over 200 students to advocate for gender equality.
• Awareness sessions on CP, GBV, and MHPSS conducted, reaching over 500 students, teachers, and PTA members.
• Mentorship support provided to female teachers in Walgak Girls’ Primary School.

Challenges

• Low student attendance: Some schools reported fewer pupils due to insecurity and disease outbreaks.
• Security concerns: Tensions between local communities have affected education access.
• Health risks: A cholera outbreak in Walgak has disrupted learning activities.

Recommendations & Way Forward

• Strengthen collaboration with local authorities to improve security and community trust.
• Expand mentorship programs for teachers to improve teaching quality and student retention.
• Enhance community engagement to raise awareness about education and child protection.
• Improve school health support by integrating outreach clinics for students’ well-being.