The Need

The need

Young people in refugee camps in Burundi are in desperate need of the structure, discipline, and knowledge a consistent education provides. There are many factors that work against teenage refugees being able to complete their schooling, but the biggest is the feeling of hopelessness and inadequacy that comes from living a life that is not your own. Things that contribute to this low morale include:

• No Mandatory Attendance: While school attendance was once required, that mandate is no longer in effect. As a result, refugee teens are without direction and surrounded by temptations. Without the structure that a school day provides, resisting the desire to be promiscuous or to run wild is incredibly difficult, especially in an environment where they have so little control.

• Ready Availability of Alcohol: There is no minimum legal drinking age in the camps, and alcohol abuse amongst teens is rampant. Since alcohol is a depressant, abusing it only exacerbates the problems of hopelessness and inadequacy that life in a refugee camp creates.

• No Opportunity: The lack of organized activities and employment opportunities not only leaves teens bored and “stuck” at home, it can cause them to resent their unemployed parents who are equally “stuck” at home. Disrespectful and defiant towards the people who care about them most, they are far less likely to be motivated to honor their request to put in any effort to their schooling (or even just to attend!).

At its core, life in a refugee camp is not designed to encourage growth. Instead, it was and is intended to be a resting place or stopover on the way to a new life. When that short stay drags on, as is the case for so many, the will to stay motivated to grow wanes and can be completely destroyed by all the challenges that come from trying to prepare for a permanent life in a temporary place.

After spending 16 years living in a refugee camp, I know firsthand the reality that today’s teenage refugees are facing. There are currently 15,000 students of all ages across six refugee camps in Burundi. Some of these camps have been around since 2002. Only ever designed to be a temporary “refuge” from the perils of war and persecution while the families and individuals await placement in a new home, these camps are not conducive to motivating and encouraging teenagers to reach their full potential.