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VSO/Abir Abdullah

Supporting Rohingya child refugees

Education and care for refugee children in Bangladesh

Many Rohingya children have witnessed violence and loss first hand. Some have suffered abuse and torture themselves or were forced to watch family members tortured. 

Compounded by the daily stressors of displacement - like hunger, disease and lack of safe places to play or to learn - depression and other mental health issues are prevalent.

Rohingya mother and children VSO/Abir Abdullah

Rohingya children try to draw pictures with the note books and color pencils donated by VSO at the home-based child friendly center at Jamtoli

We are providing vital education and safe places to learn, to help thousands of Rohingya children reclaim their childhoods.

Home-based education

We are providing a home-based education programme.

Children living in the refugee camp have the same right to education as other children, but can’t access normal schools or teachers – so VSO is training their mothers to deliver quality lessons to little ones with storybooks, songs and games to fire their imaginations, all in the security of their tents.

By doing so, these Rohingya women will have the skills to educate others in their community through play-based learning.

We’re starting by training 50, and hope to do more.

Safe spaces

VSO staff at Rohingya camp

VSO staff at a newly-constructed child-friendly space

There are lots of hazards in the refugee camps. Bored children with little to do are playing close to dirty stagnant water and dangerous waste.

VSO has laid the foundations for six special spaces where children ages 6-14 will be able to play and learn in a safe environment.

While they’re under construction, we’ve already donated the first batches of simple toys: balloons to develop fine motor skills, notebooks and pencils to practice doodling and small items for counting and matching.

We aim to reach 4,200 children aged 3-14 years and give them the care and support they need to heal and reclaim their childhoods.

You can support this project with a donation today:

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