“During the day there is no electricity for 15 hours, it is dark and cold. It has become almost impossible for us to attend school online,” confides David, 11, who was forced from his home in Ukraine.
David’s story is all too familiar as the devastating Ukraine war enters its second year on Feb. 24.
There has been a terrible toll, particularly on children: more than 14 million have been forced from their homes. Thousands of homes and buildings have been destroyed and, according to UNICEF, the education of more than five-million children has been disrupted.
Winter weather creates additional threats for displaced families, with warm clothing, blankets and other needs in short supply.
However, the Ukraine war is a highly publicized example of a much larger, global crisis of children living in conflict zones.
Indeed, about 450-million children worldwide — or one in six — live in conflict-affected areas. War puts children at risk of violence and exploitation, limits their access to education and impacts their futures. Children living in conflict not only face the immediate threat of violence but also serious human-rights violations like child marriage and child labour.
That is why my organization, Children Believe, recognizes that child protection and education programs go hand in hand. Education enables children to develop to their full potential, and child protection ensures they are protected from abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence.
It makes me think of Efrata, displaced from her parents, who lost two brothers in the conflict in Ethiopia. She has received academic and psychosocial support from Children Believe and has re-enrolled in Grade 8.
And, I also think of Mounia, one of 1.7-million people who have been forced from their homes in Burkina Faso. Mounia was referred to us following a physical and sexual assault during the attack on her village. After getting educational and psychosocial support, she has re-enrolled in Grade 11.
Whether it is David in Ukraine, or Efrata in Ethiopia or Mounia in Burkina Faso, all children have the right to be protected and to a safe, inclusive quality education so that they can dream fearlessly.
To mark the Ukraine anniversary, we’re encouraging Canadians to sign and share Children Believe’s petition alongside other organizations to call upon the Government of Canada to increase international development aid towards education.