When Crisis Strikes, Canada Steps Up for Children
In the chaos of war and disaster, some needs are immediate: shelter, food, safety. But building the future requires something more: an education.
Canada is pioneering an approach that gets refugee and displaced children back in school, especially girls and teens.
In partnership with the Government of Canada and generous Canadian donors, Plan International has launched the Refugee Education and Development (READ) project.
The goal is to help 40,000 children in crisis in Cameroon and Niger have the chance to complete their studies in a safe environment.
We know that education transforms lives, strengthens communities and builds peace. Every child deserves the chance to learn, no matter where they are or what they have faced.
See more details about the READ project below.
Une version en français de cette page sera disponible bientôt.
Canadians for Children’s Education
Get involved
If you care about children’s rights and equality for girls, help strengthen Canada’s global leadership in emergency education.
Make Canada’s voice heard at the G7 Summit. World leaders meet June 15–17 to discuss how to tackle global challenges. Plan International Canada’s Youth Council is urging our government to prioritize education for children, especially girls, in crisis-affected countries. Add your voice to our petition to champion refugee rights and education for everyone.
Teachers, bring the critical issue of the importance of refugee education into your classroom. Help your students understand why education for children in crisis is essential – and how they can take action to support their global peers – with our free toolkit, Unpacking Children’s Rights to Education.
READ and Restore
Our new Refugee Education and Development (READ) project
In northern Cameroon and southeastern Niger, too many children have grown up knowing only violence and crisis. For more than 15 years, armed attacks and climate emergencies have stolen what every child deserves: the chance to feel safe, stay in one place and build a future.
There are more than 355,000 children in the region who are displaced from their homes and can’t learn safely, risking their futures. They’re struggling to survive and stay hopeful in one of the world’s harshest places to grow up.
Where violence has brought destruction, the READ project is helping communities rebuild through the power of education. Plan International is training and funding 200 refugee-led local organizations in Cameroon and Niger that are supporting 40,000 young people’s schooling.
What’s at stake for refugee children worldwide?
There are more than 43.4 million refugees around the world. Half of them are children, and of those, nearly half aren’t in school. In countries experiencing violent conflict, 103 million children are missing out on education.
If we don’t act, 84 million children could remain out of school by 2030. A generation of children will grow up without the rights they deserve and the skills they need to lead better lives in thriving communities. And the whole world loses their potential to transform the future.
How Plan International’s READ project is helping
Plan Canada’s READ project funds 200 organizations based in Cameroon and Niger that are run by people who are displaced or marginalized, helping them:
>Build, fix and equip schools
>Train teachers, tutors and young people in job skills
>Cover school expenses and encourage attendance
>Make schools safer and accessible with lighting and ramps
>Advocate for investment in education, especially in emergencies
We’re proposing concrete solutions to the educational problems in our community.” – Fadi Zda, secretary of the Association des Personnes Violentées et Victimes de Guerres (Association of Victims of Violence and War), one of the 200 organization Plan supports in Cameroon and Niger
How You Can Champion Education For Every Child
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READ Library
Read our stories about supporting education in emergencies and defending refugee children’s rights and dreams.
And watch our mini documentaries in support of girls’ education in emergency settings in Africa https://plancanada.ca/en-ca/our-work/our-impact/embedded-storytellers
Bookmark: Coming Soon
This fall, we’ll introduce you to some of the children in Cameroon and Niger who are striving to return to class and make their dreams come true. Plus, find out what people in Canada think about defending children’s right to education, at home and abroad.
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