Supporting Refugee Children’s Education, Church World Service Collaborates with Human Initiative to Ensure Comfortable Schools in Indonesia

Depok, West Java – Church World Service and Human Initiative collaborate to create comfortable and safe school conditions for refugee children in Indonesia. These two global humanitarian organizations provide information and direct understanding to the appropriate target, namely schools. Under the theme ‘Info Session for Local Schools Accepting Refugee Students,’ a total of 62 schools in the Jabodeta area sent one representative each as participants in a webinar held on June 27, 2023.

Various conflicts around the world have immediate impacts on their citizens. Basic rights as citizens gradually disappear, such as limited access to healthcare, forced cessation of education, and lack of civilian protection. This situation also affects mental health and eventually leads many conflict-affected populations to leave their home countries.

Refugees also come to Indonesia seeking protection and a safer place. Although Indonesia has not ratified the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, the country still accepts international refugees based on humanitarian solidarity. According to the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR), there are currently around 12,710 international refugees registered with UNHCR in Indonesia. These international refugees mostly come from Afghanistan, Somalia, Myanmar, Liberia, Ethiopia, and Yemen.

Offering Hope to Refugee Children

While the asylum and protection provided by the Indonesian government and global organizations are commendable, they still have weaknesses in their implementation. This has been observed by Human Initiative in the implementation of the Education Socio-Economic Assistance (ESEA) Program. This program, which operates in various points across Jakarta and its surrounding areas, faces challenges such as bullying, lack of motivation, and limited language comprehension among the refugees.

These realities on the ground prompted Church World Service and Human Initiative to conduct an ‘Info Session for Local Schools Accepting Refugee Students’ for schools participating in refugee programs. The purpose of this activity is to provide information to teachers and discuss relevant issues regarding the education of refugee children in the Jabodeta area. Additionally, there was a session to provide recommendations for the Education and Socio-Economic Assistance Program for refugees. These discussions then led to plans for future collaborations.

“The hope is that this educational activity for schools can provide information and understanding to teachers, creating a pleasant school environment and a new hope for refugee children in Indonesia,” said Aulia, Project Manager of Human Initiative.

Photo: Refugee children from Ethiopia reciting a poem in Indonesian during the World Refugee Day 2023 event organized by UNHCR at Mal Taman Anggrek, Jakarta on June 20, 2023. (Yudha Permana/UNHCR Indonesia)