RESPECT International Blog

The Mike Immaculate Group of Schools, consisting of nursery, primary, secondary schools and a computer college in Nigeria’s capital Lagos want to enter into a partnership with RESPECT International.

“I want to partner with your reputable organisation because I want a group of organisations encouraging communication between young people across the world,” says proprietor Ademola Ogunyebi.

The group of schools educates 36 refugee students and approximately 280 non-refugee students. Through school projects and RESPECTs Letter Exchange Program and student exchanges the group of schools aim to raise awareness and educate refugees. They also wish to get awareness on some of the schools’ educative projects.

In Nigeria education is free but not compulsory. There, a formal education consists of six years of primary school, three years of junior secondary school and three years of senior secondary school, in addition to four years of university or college education.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are approximately 11,800 refugees in Nigeria mostly from Chad, Liberia, the Republic of Congo and Sudan. Half live in refugee camps and half are urban refugees.

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Artists for Humanity will celebrate its 10th anniversary from December 19 to 25, 2009.

Begun December 19, 1999, in Kinshasa the capital of the Democratic Republic Congo by Amisi Mutambala, the Artists for Humanity initiative (ArtHum) mainly worked in the eastern part of the country with a regionally integrated vision.

Conferences, debates, concerts and cultural and arts-based displays on education, peace, human rights, HIV/AIDS will all take place over seven days in Uvira and Fizi territories (South Kivu province in DR Congo) as part of the anniversary celebrations.

Rewards of recognition will be given to actors both local and international who have distinguished themselves as ArtHum volunteers and work with communities in disaster.

Non-profit associations, foundations, enterprises, state institutions, religious structures as well as individuals who are interested are invited to join the event.

For further information, contact Amisi Mutambala at:

• Dieudonné AMISI MUTAMBALA
• Director & Founder
• Artists for Humanity, ArtHum
• Telephone: +243810343785; +25779979121
• Email: arthum_direction@yahoo.fr

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Opened as a day-care center to help families who could not afford to send their children to the local schools, the Elite Friends Academy was opened on January 3, 2005, in Nairobi, Kenya. With many of the children being refugees, orphans and victims of HIV/AIDS the centre was so named because they believe that the children are the leaders of tomorrow and deserve to believe in themselves and be integrated into the community.

From 27 students in 2005 numbers have increased to 73 in 2008. The Elite Friends Academy is a school working under a self-help group known as Ophrah African Foundation (OAF). The academy currently offers the following: baby classes, nursery classes and pre-unity classes.

The objectives of the academy are to assist the orphans and vulnerable within the community, to become an international center for promoting and assisting talents, to campaign and fight against HIV/AIDS, to rid drug abuse from among the community, and to work towards peace and reconciliation.

For further information see our website.

Refugees in Uganda

Uganda is a haven for refugees from the surrounding countries who are escaping wars in Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burindi, Eritrea and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kampala’s Urban Refugees

The word refugee often conjures up images of rural refugee camps however the city of Kampala has some 30,000 refugees living there. Some have moved from the rural camps whilst others go directly there from their country of origin. They are drawn there by the promise of better living standards and job opportunities but the reality of living as an urban refugee does not always offer descent living standards.

It is difficult for refugees to find permanent jobs either because they do not have a permit, they do not speak english or because they are discriminated against as foreigners. Without work they cannot afford medical care, or education and find it difficult to improve their lives and the lives of their families.

Our Work in Kampala

Since 2007 Joan McDonald has been working with RESPECT International as a field coordinator. She works to coordinate RESPECT university courses to refugee students in Kampala, communicating with tutors, downloading lessons and uploading completed assignments.

Refugee Law Project

Putting her certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language to good use Joan works with the Refugee Law Project: a Ugandan organisation whose aim is to protect and promote the human rights of refugees through Legal Aid and councelling, research and advocacy and education and training.

Learning English is a tool that people can use to improve their lives and the lives of their families. For those who cannot find work and therefore can’t afford the school fees the Refugee Law Project free adult literacy classes.

Further Information

For more information on Joan McDonald please click here.

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Or to visit the Refugee Law Project website click here.