Refugee English Program Continues to Grow
Submitted by logan on December 14, 2009 - 5:59pm
About 2,000 Darfuris are now enrolled in refugee-organized English classes in three refugee camps in eastern Chad, nearly double the number from a year ago. The classes have grown dramatically, from an initial 400, since we started supporting the refugees with Headway ESL textbooks from Oxford University Press. See video from the classes below and learn about our plans to expand this highly successful program.
In this video from Bredjing and Treguine Refugee Camps, Anne Goddard from our partner CORD shows two of the classroom environments in which both men and women are learning English, their "road to freedom." You can see some of the textbooks we sent, funded entirely by donations from the public. Many more videos of schools and literacy classes in the camps can be seen in the Videos section of our website or on our YouTube channel.
Because of the success of this program — indicated by increased enrollment (which is not free, the refugees pay the teachers in their ranks), increased proficiency, and voluntary continuation of classes through the summer school break — we have been asked by our partner CORD to expand support in Gaga Refugee Camp and extend support to a fourth refugee camp, Farchana. We will soon be announcing our goals for these camps, likely around 1,000 textbooks. As in the past, publisher Oxford University Press donates the Headway teachers' books and provides the students' books at cost (85% off), meaning that every dollar donated can purchase nearly seven dollars worth of books.
The Head Teacher of the Treguine Camp Strategic Committee had this to say about the importance of the Headway textbooks we have sent:
"The Headway books are so important, without them we would have no real resources except for a few books which are forty years old. When we got the books everyone was delighted, not just for what they meant for our education and our future but because we realised we are not alone out here. Other people want to help us, we are not forgotten."
You can help, too, by earmarking your donation of any amount for Headway.
