Civil war in Uganda

Education as a means of protection

Over 18 years of civil war in northern Uganda, fought mainly between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan military, has prevented young people from getting a good education. Over 90 percent of people live in camps for internally displaced persons and most schools in Kitgum and Pader districts are closed despite efforts to achieve Universal Primary Education.

A night commuter is doing her homework where she sleeps every night at Kitgum Government Hospital in northern Uganda along with several others. This shows the dedication conflict-affected young people have to their education. Photo by Matthew Emry

Many young people have missed out on years of schooling and are subjected to harmful forms of child labour. They live in daily fear of abduction by the LRA to become soldiers and/or sex slaves. Some are recruited into government military service; others are sexually exploited and abused; domestic work is also common.

ORACLE - Opportunities for Reducing Adolescent and Child Labour through Education -began in 2004 to raise awareness about the worst forms of child labour and address them by improving the quality of and access to education. Funded by the US Department of Labour, it is run by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the Italian Association for Volunteers in International Service (AVSI).

ORACLE sees education as a means of protection, creating opportunities for young people's involvement, equal opportunity for girls, and community engagement. By providing opportunities to complete secondary school, learn some skills and find a job, education offers the chance of a better future.

Working with local communities ORACLE enrols children and adolescents in schools, runs remedial and catch-up classes and works to prevent students from dropping out. For those unable to continue with schooling or who need a secure income, ORACLE offers non-formal vocational skills to help them find a job and become self-supporting. A survey in 2004 highlighted the following:

• Adults living in camps cannot provide for their families, let alone afford schooling for their children. Education is supposed to be free but paying for supplies such as pens and exercise books prohibits attendance.
• Local communities lack information about child labour, child rights, the need to educate girls and the overall importance of education.
• Former child soldiers find it difficult to return to school and teachers are inexperienced in handling multi-age and multi-level classes.
• Communities often see child labour as normal and rely on young people’s contributions to family income irrespective of the type of work involved.
• Teachers and district officials believe parents give their children too much work which interferes with their schooling, especially girls.

ORACLE enrolled 1,303 young people in formal and non-formal primary and secondary education programmes. Young mothers and former child soldiers are encouraged to return to classes; mothers can bring their babies along. Vocational courses include carpentry, tailoring, brick-laying, baking and business skills. The ORACLE project also trains teachers to relate better to conflict-affected children and young people.

These activities cannot ensure an end to the conflict or guarantee a regular income but they do help communities cope with their circumstances and provide opportunities for a more stable future.

Clearly, there is a need for strong support for education in emergencies with a focus on young people. Specifically:

• Policymakers, donors and practitioners need to recognise the protective role of education, ensuring safe spaces for learning, psychosocial healing and development on many levels.
• More funding should be allocated to education in emergencies for rebuilding schools, learning materials, teacher training and vocational and other skills training.
• Education models are needed that support young people's lives through education in environments where economic opportunity is limited.

Elena Locatelli and Lucia Castelli
Plot 1119, Ggaba Rd
Po Box 6785
Kampala
Uganda
elena.locatelli@avsi.org or lucia.castelli@avsi.org
www.avsi.org

Dorothy Jobolingo
International Rescue Committee
Uganda ORACLE Programme
Plot 7, Lower Naguru East Road
Naguru, P.O. Box 24672
Kampala
Uganda
dorothyj@ircuganda.co.ug
www.theirc.org

See also

ORACLE survey report: attitudes, actions and awareness towards education and child labour in northern Uganda, by Debra Sheldon, June 2004

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