Uganda: Three Temporary School Buildings at Refugee Settlment Completed

Continued Education for Refugee Children

Since July this year, South Sudanese refugees to Uganda have drastically increased. One of the refugee settlement areas, Bidibidi, opened on August 2008, shelters 150,000 refugees. Among the refugees at Bidibidi settlement, 64% were under the age of 18. When Association for Aid and Relief Japan (AAR Japan) began its support in September, refugee children were going to school in either an overcrowded tent or outside in the open. There were also many refugee children that lived too far away to go to school.

Children studying in the open, under the sun. Due a large influx of refugees, the assembly of tents serving as makeshift schools was not caught up to the number of children(Uganda, September 30th, 2016)

Primary school children packed into a makeshift school tent. When AAR Japan staff visited the school, the children greeted them with a smile and sang a welcome song (Uganda, September 30th, 2016)

As AAR Japan wanted the children to have a place to study as soon as possible, AAR Japan quickly built a temporary primary school. At this time, 3 buildings (9 classrooms total) to accommodate 1,300 children, has been completed. With the cooperation of Windle Trust, an organization that provides teachers and textbooks, school will soon begin. 

As new refugees continue to flow into Bidibidi settlement, AAR Japan is planning to build another three buildings (9 classrooms) to serve as a temporary primary school. 

Temporary primary school with three buildings (9 classrooms) is completed! 13,000 students can now receive an education(October 22th, 2016)

AAR Japan Staff Ryota HIRAMA with refugee children comes to see the newly built school. Class will school begin(October 22nd, 2016)

Security in South Sudan has yet to show any signs of easing. Despite this situation, AAR believes that the earning flame to learn should not fade in the heart of children who will one day become the future of the country.
  
*This project has been supported by the generous donations made to AAR Japan and grants from Japan Platform(JPF).