Quite many children could not even start attending primary school or dropped out of school because of poverty of the parents or for other reasons (they are e.g. victims of rape/sexual violence, victims of exploitation, teenage mothers, orphans and ex-child soldiers). Returnee families with teenagers face a particular problem. Generally, ex-IDP teenagers lived for 5 or more years without any access to education. These children run the risk to remain illiterate people, with limited access to employment opportunities, personal and economic development and limited participation in future decision making and development processes.
The target group are children between 10 and 16 years of age who missed one or more years of primary school education for any reason. Also children between 10 and 16 years of age, recently repatriated, returnees, IDPs, living in Sebele village or in Baraka town
ZOA’s support to the recuperation programs of the government will result in the opportunity for children in Sebele and Mambungu to participate in formal education. ZOA aims to support the District Education Office and the District Inspectorate of Education in their functioning with regard to the recuperation program.
Direct beneficiaries are the children, of 10-16 years of age, who missed out on or dropped out of primary education, participating in the recuperation programs for 3 years. An overall improvement of educational performance in Fizi is expected, as more children are served and, hopefully, more attention for quality will positively affect the teaching-learning processes in the area. The accelerated primary education program is a formally endorsed program in DR Congo and its curriculum has been outlined by the Ministry of Education. It is emergency program, to help out children who missed out on primary education. As long as households are unable to support the schooling of their children during school going age, the work is important.
