* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
When the EU was awarded the Noble Peace Prize, it was also a victory for Domina (13) in DRC and for all children affected by war.
“I was out playing with the other children, when the militia came. We quickly fled into the forest and kept on running,” Domina remembers.
It was during her first year at school that her village in Masisi in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was attacked. There was no time to prepare, no time to bring any belongings, no time for the children to search for their parents.
“There was a relative of mine there with me. When we were running, she was shot and killed. She was even younger than me. We just had to continue running,” Domina says.
For months the children hid in the forest. At some point Domina was reunited with her aunt. She is not sure what happened to her mother and father. She thinks they were killed. People said nobody was left in the village.
TEACHER IN THE MAKING
When the young girl arrived at a displacement camp in Bukombo together with her aunt, they could not afford to enroll her in school. It would take several years before she was back in a classroom.
“Education is really important. I learn a lot of things I did not know before. If I finish studying, I will be able to work, get money, support my family and become independent,” Domina says.
Every day she goes to school in the morning. Then, in the afternoon, she helps her aunt cultivate their land. The young girl is already determined to become a teacher so that she can give everything she has learned back to the next generation.
“If all children were educated, the war would stop. If people are educated they will learn why joining the militia is bad,” she explains.
LOST GENERATION
More than 2.7 million people in DRC are living in displacement as a result of more than two decades of war, and the fighting is on-going. Many families have been forced to flee several times.
Last year, the fighting in parts of eastern Congo escalated again, and more than 500 schools in North Kivu were occupied, looted or destroyed by rebel groups.
“We risk losing a generation due to the conflict and this on-going crisis. It is evident that the education sector here has not received a lot of funding in the course of the last decade. The priorities have been towards basic household items, shelter, and water and sanitation,” says NRC´s Education Programme Manager Nadia Bernasconi.
“There are major gaps in child protection and education activities, and there is a need to refurnish and rehabilitate schools after occupation or attacks. It is estimated that up to 70 per cent of the displaced children in North Kivu are not attending school,” she adds.
PRIORITISING EDUCATION
With money from EU´s Children of Peace Initiative, NRC has been able to rebuild several schools in Masisi, and provide school kits and catch-up classes for children who have spent years out of school. Domina is one of the children who benefits from the project.
The initiative was launched after the EU received the Nobel Peace Prize. The EU wanted to dedicate the prize money to children in conflict areas.
“It was obvious for us that the Nobel Peace Prize money should be allocated to the most vulnerable who are often the hardest hit by wars: the children of this world. We want ‘children of war’ to become ‘children of peace’,” said Jose Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Commission, when he announced the initiative.
PROVIDES PROTECTION
“This was a very important decision by the EU, not only because the funding would make a difference for the children receiving assistance but also because it sent a clear message about education being a priority in emergencies,” says Bernasconi.
Her experience from DRC has convinced her of the importance of education, especially in emergencies. The risk for young boys and girls of being forcibly recruited to armed groups and used as porters, soldiers or sex slaves is high. Schools offer a safe haven for many children.
“If the children are not going to school, they are in great danger of being recruited by the militia,” says Bernasconi.
In addition, school helps children overcome some of the traumatic consequences of war.
“Staying in school can help a child remain a child. We train the teachers so that they know how to handle traumatised students and to understand the children’s fears,” explains Bernasconi.
THE BIGGEST FEAR
Domina’s biggest fear is losing her aunt. In November 2012, the young girl had to flee for a second time when her camp was attacked by a militia.
“I was very afraid my aunt would be killed. I have no parents. What will happen with me if I lose my aunt as well?” she asks.
The thirteen year old girl prays it will never happen again:
“I want peace. If we have peace we will no longer have to flee.”
Read more about Education in Emergencies at www.nrc.no
