Srilankan Refugee Camps
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Refugee Camps after school Education Program
In Tamil Nadu, approximately 58,000 adults, including 25,000 children, are living in refugee camps with uncertain futures. Financial constraints hinder their ability to pursue education, with many unable to access private tutoring or coaching.
This marks the third successive generation of children growing up in refugee camps within Tamil Nadu. Their path to accessing government-provided opportunities for higher education hinges on successfully completing their high school education.
Cycle of Poverty: Many children drop out before completing high school, leading to menial jobs and perpetuating the cycle of camp residency. This ongoing issue has gone largely unnoticed despite its proximity.
Educational Emancipation: Education is recognized universally as a key to breaking free from poverty. Our goal is to provide these children with educational opportunities, aiming for full educational access within 12-15 years, making our intervention eventually unnecessary.
Collaborative Effort: Kanavagam, in partnership with the JRS Foundation—the only Indian government-approved organization for educational services in the camps—leads this initiative.
Empowering Local Educators: We identify and train after-school teachers from within the camps, equipping them with laptops and offering performance-based bonuses. Teachers supervise groups of 10 students and receive a base salary of Rs. 300 per child, with additional bonuses for students’ grade advancements.
Proven Success: Our pilot program in Moongiloorani Camp, Sivagangai District, with 30 children, achieved a remarkable turnaround. Within three months, the pass rate soared from 50% to 100%, with six students advancing one grade and three students advancing two grades. Expanding Impact: With approximately 108 camps housing an average of 30 high school children each, our initiative has the potential to significantly impact the educational outcomes for a large number of refugee children.