Education is key to the future of children around the world. It is a fact. And it is even more so in a context like the one I am in, the Mahama refugee camp, in eastern Rwanda, one of the largest on the planet, with more than 60,000 population.
Here, as the headmaster of Paysannat LE school, the largest in Rwanda with over 20,000 pupils, I have confirmed that teaching is not only my profession, it is also my passion. The daily routine in the camp is complex, but life in the classroom is similar, as is desirable, to that in other places. When I am asked what the main differences are between a school in a refugee camp and an ordinary school, I always say that the methodology and the way of teaching are very similar. The differences are found outside the classroom. However, those differences inside the classroom are, fortunately, not so noticeable.
When I am asked what the main differences are between a school in a refugee camp and an ordinary school, I always say that the methodology and the way of teaching are very similar.
It is true that one element that we place special emphasis on at school is psychosocial support. As teachers, we know that we have a key role in talking to students to understand who they are, how they are and, above all, how we can help them.
One of the biggest challenges we face as teachers in refugee camps is the overcrowding of classrooms, where we have a very high number of students, which complicates our work.
In the Mahama refugee camp, in coordination with UNHCR, we have a program to reduce the educational gap [que proporciona tabletas y ordenadores para que los alumnos trabajen en el aula]. Along with our school, this programme reaches 14 other refugee schools in Rwanda, more than 400 teachers and more than 13,500 children. This is a key support for us teachers, as it helps us become familiar with technology in the classroom, responding to many demands in the digital, educational and social fields, both for us and for the students.
In a refugee camp, school is a fundamental axis around which the daily life of the children revolves. At school, children do not think about their problems. They forget for a moment whether their mother is sick or they have any difficulties at home. This is, without a doubt, one of the great values of education in this context.
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