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Phase: Ideas Missions: Transforming School Environments

Making Schools better places to be for refugee children.

The school environment should be child or learner friendly to grant the child the peace of mind, and promote sense of safety and security.

Photo of owaa vincent patrick
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Learning is seeing and seeing in itself is learning. Therefore, when the refugees schools in terms of infrastructure are nicely constructed, it will help to attract more refugees children to access learning to transformed their entire lives. The schools we have at the moment like in Kakuma, is pack up to 300 learners in smaller classroom that, makes school being look as jailer and not a learning institution as it's suppose to be. It's therefore, a responsibility of all who wish to assist this most disadvantage groups of people through building classrooms and providing schools with necessary materials.

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I needed visualization and partnership as well.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF

I am a person who wish to share with others the experiences I have and willing to do an advocacy for the education for the refugees a round the globe.

IS THIS AN IDEA THAT YOU OR YOUR ORGANIZATION WOULD LIKE TO TAKE FORWARD?

  • Yes, and I am looking for a partner working with refugee communities to implement this idea.

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Photo of An Old Friend
Team

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Photo of Usanii Lab
Team

Dear Owaa, we would love to get some feedback from you about our project idea and it would be great to work with you in the future as well.
We are planning to do media-, arts- and design-workshops in the Kakuma refugee camp.
https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/refinement/youth-empowerment-through-design-workshops-in-the-kakuma-refugee-camp

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Photo of owaa vincent patrick
Team

I am so glad of the your exciting project which aims at empowering youth through design arts. This will come very handy indeed, and our energetic youth in the camp will take part actively in it given the chance to do so. Thanks.

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Photo of Usanii Lab
Team

thank you so much Owaa! It's great to receive feedback from you. From your experience, what to do you think could be most challenging for us?

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Photo of An Old Friend
Team

Hi Owaa
Thank you for sharing your idea, you may be interested in ours project which tries to address some of issues you raise: https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/ideas/educational-resource-wall/comments#c-4a46133f59df72c1b844780d18c823e6
I have experience of working within the education sector of Kakuma refugee camp, with the latest visit in March 2015. Our work in the camp covers classroom construction, teacher training, psychosocial support and the provision of classroom supplies.
This project aims to combine our knowledge and existing programmes in the camp to create a useful tool which teachers and pupils can use when resources are limited. The resource walls will also provide a vibrate colourful feature to the often empty Mabati and mud brick classrooms.
Regards, Simon

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Photo of owaa vincent patrick
Team

Hello Devine,

 Thank so much for your response to the idea and the issues, I personally raise. In fact, your project proposal cover and aim at addressing the issue of psycho-social training for capacity building of the teachers, classroom construction and other related problem pertaining education in Kakuma camp, I honestly agreed with you. Secondly, Children learn so first, through seeing, or visualization, touching, smelling and imitation. So to me, the idea of coming up with the resource wall, which you had already began doing in the camp is the best of all in addressing the limited resources, I would like to encourage you to increase your effort in extending this to various schools in the camp, because we have the similar resources issue that affect the similar refugees children as well. In anut shell, I am very excited when, you said loud and clear that, the project is aim to combine our knowledge and skills with the existing programmes in the camp in order to create a useful tool which can aid teachers and pupils to do improvisation when resources are limited as it used to be the case in the camp schools.
       Lastly, colorful school environment entice the children into serious learning activities without their knowledge, I therefore, encourage to go ahead with the vibrant project.

       Thanks,
    mr. Patrick Owaa

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Photo of An Old Friend
Team

Great to hear from you Patrick, it will be a great asset to have you inputting to our project. Can you write some thoughts on the project proposal you mention above here: https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/ideas/educational-resource-wall
Looking forward to working with you.
Regards, Simon

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Photo of luisa covaria
Team

Hi Owa,
Great insights into the problem. Do you have a more specific plan on how to improve schools? Are you working on education in Kakuma right now? How did you hear about the challenge? Do you know the Amplify champions: https://openideo.com/blog/refugee-education-community-roles

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Photo of owaa vincent patrick
Team

Hello Covaria,
 I am very grateful receiving your response into my comments regarding making schools better place for quality and visible learning. I do have vibrant idea on how to improve schools around. Secondly, I am working in education department as field officer with LWF education as at now in kakuma, beside, I had my own CBO for adult program. I do appreciate you so much for finding time to response to my comments. Thanks.

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Photo of Les LaMotte
Team

Owaa,
Hello my S Sudanese friend... what city are you from? Are you Nuer or Dinka? I lived in Malakal in 2010 and 2011 for about 4 months... worked on Urban planning for the Upper Nile State and Gambella & Matar in 2009, where we now have our orphanage with 1500 S Sudanese refugee children. Do you know Stephen Khor Chambang? He is my partner in our work at his home in Matar. He is an American and has his 3 children here in the US in Iowa. I would like you to join us and to see the things we are doing in Matar in which we hope to begin with a model building and implementing that will change the face of Education in S Sudan. Hope to hear from you soon.

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Photo of owaa vincent patrick
Team

Dear Les lamotte,
   I am so happy indeed, to hear of your unique contribution to my fellow S.Sudanese brothers and sisters who are badly in need. You are such a very great friend who is worthy to be praise for saving the lives of 1500 innocent children. It's indeed incredible things, may God bless you of the good work your doing to fellow brethren.
      In regard to your question, I am S. Sudanese , and my Town is Juba, am an Equatorial, currently living in East Africa Kenya with the hope of assisting my fellow S.Sudanese refugees living in Kakuma camp. I am so glad of the work your doing, and if you need me to join as you have said, I am ready to do so. And thirdly, my hope and vision is working towards changing the face of education or making a difference in refugee education for better transformation of their entire life. This can only be possible through quality education, and education itself is the only equalizer in life. Therefore, if you need me you can contact me by this personal mail: patrickowaa@yahoo.com or tel: +254727802806.
        I am currently working with LWf education department in kakuma serving the refugees children as education field officer. I am looking forward going to work inside South-Sudan. I would like to hear from your side as soon as possible.

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Photo of Shane Zhao
Team

Very excited to see this connection form Les and Owaa! We'd love to hear where this collaboration will evolve.

Owaa, have you seen this idea? https://openideo.com/challenge/refugee-education/ideas/entrepreneurial-training-for-women This is an idea to develop a program in collaboration with the LWF to empower refugee women in Kakuma with entrepreneurial skills. You might be interested to reach out and contribute some feedback to the conversation!

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Photo of Les LaMotte
Team

Shane, thank you, it is a snippet as to how I work by enfolding others and getting behind them to accomplish the right thing... not just my idea. I am also quite thrilled to see the courage of a S Sudanese who trying to use his input on a platform such as this. Thank you for seeing this.

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Photo of OpenIDEO
Team

Hi Owaa, interesting post! Any chance you could find an image to go along with it? Images help grab attention and tell a story with higher impact. You should be able to use the Edit Contribution button on the top of your post and follow the instructions to add images from there. Looking forward to seeing more of your inspiring insights on OpenIDEO.

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Photo of owaa vincent patrick
Team

I am so glad to be part of this forum, so delighted in sharing views pertaining issues of concerned.

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