KSC - Providing Education to the Refugees From Syria At Camp Arbat.

 

 

Since the influx of refugees from Syria to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, KSC, side by side with other local and international NGOs, took part in offering emergency assistance to the families of refugees and their children, residing at Arbat Refugee Camp in Sulaimany Province.

 

Prior to providing assistance, KSC made a quick assessment of the number of children at the Camp and the immediate needs of their families. For this purpose, KSC hired a staff member of Syrian origin as the KSC representative at the Camp, to be daily present at the Camp, attend the refugee related meetings, and be abreast of all latest developments there.

 

KSC assistance to the Syrian refugees at the Camp involved providing their needs in the areas of education, health, child protection, and basic needs. In 2013, the following basic needs kits were distributed:

 

• 700 basic hygiene packages, containing soap bars, shampoo, towels, and dignity kits distributed among the refugees upon their arrival;

• 72000 liters of drinking water were provided for the refugees upon their arrival to the camp.

 

Furthermore, KSC actively participated in a joint project of opening a primary and intermediate school for the children of the refugees at the Arbat Camp, launched by UNICEF in cooperation with Sulaimany Directory of Education.

 

In the process of project implementation, UNICEF contributed by providing tents and stationary; Sulaimany Directory of Education developed the curriculum, provided textbooks and teachers; KSC provided school uniforms, jackets, tracksuits, and other requirements. KSC also played an important role in decorating the school, making it a student-friendly space, and organizing various events that stimulated the students’ creative abilities and ingenuity.

 

KSC organized health examination of school children at Arbat School by a medical team composed of a dentist, an ENT doctor, a dermatologist, and an ophthalmologist. The KSC Education Sector staff conducted regular visits to the families having sick children and children with special needs, filling in a form for each of them. Upon KSC request, a team from the Children’s Rehabilitation Centre (CRC) visited the Camp to examine the children having bone disorders.

 

Other activities included distribution of underwear; conducting a survey on the number of children and adults of both genders at the Camp; conducting an exhibition of handicrafts made by children under the supervision of volunteers and presenting a stage performance for the Camp audience; making preparations for opening a kindergarten for preschool children in the camp.