Educating the children of Darfur

In the desert nation of Chad, PwC and its project partner the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), are building a fully-functioning primary educational system on the edge of a combat zone.

When completed, the multi-year project will bring the essential of a primary school education on sustainable basis to thousands of children displaced by fighting in their homeland of Darfur.

The project got underway with a 10-day fundraising campaign that attracted more than US$4 million in contributions from PwC people and member firms. It is the largest corporate cash donation in the history of the UNHCR.

Making progress

To date

  • All four schools (8 classrooms of 9m x 5m) are completed
  • Each classroom is furnished with 25 double desks, chairs, and blackboards
  • All multi-use centres are complete and have laptops and printers
  • 15,000 textbooks have been purchased
  • 300 teachers have been trained and accredited
  • Each teacher has received two uniforms made by local tailors
  • 14,000 students have been tested
  • Local committees established to manage and maintain facilities

Underway

  • School is in session!
  • Vocational training available to older children
  • Translation of teacher training materials into Arabic
  • Newspaper publishing in Iridimi camp
  • Special efforts to promote girls education
  • Diagnostic video assessment of teachers

Planned

  • Update database of teacher competencies
  • Purchase additional textbooks
  • Provide learning materials/workbooks to teachers
  • Introduce Peace Education into curriculum
  • Build an FM radio station
  • Mainstream pilot program into other refugee camps
You need the Adobe Flash Player to view this video. Get Adobe Flash.
   Donate now Support our work in ChadLatest updates See the impact we've made so far PwC and UNHCR Read more about our unique partnership

Photo gallery

See images from the front lines of the Darfur refugee crisis.