Delivering targeted informal learning for refugees
The Refugee Education Crisis
Education in refugee camps is a luxury. When resources are stretched thin
and families are displaced, education is neglected, creating a learning gap.
With little formal opportunity to learn, cognitive development is
compromised and refugees fall victim to depression, hopelessness and lost
sense of purpose. The time between flight from persecution and
resettlement, whether a few months or many years, can be pivotal and
transformative. Through targeted services, time in camps can be redeemed to promote educational growth. Books Unbound provides informal learning
opportunities to bridge the education gap in the following ways:
First Project: The Rohingya Picture Dictionary
Who Are the Rohingya?
The Rohingya of western Myanmar’s Arakan state are one of the most persecuted people on earth. For decades, they have been denied citizenship and basic rights such as the right to travel, go to school, vote, or access healthcare in their homeland. Government propaganda and ethnic tensions have portrayed the predominantly Muslim Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and a threat to Buddhism. Both accusations are wrong but widely believed and accepted in Myanmar. Because of this oppression, Rohingya families have been broken and scattered around the globe.
In August 2017, violence rose to genocide against Rohingya communities. Mass killings, rape, and the burning of villages forced almost 1 million Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. This has created the world’s largest refugee camp. The future of the Rohingya is uncertain. They are in essence stranded with little hope for the future.
Opportunity to Learn
The development of a formal, standardized curriculum in the camps is a lengthy process, making it necessary to implement informal learning opportunity. Books Unbound provides access to informal learning through its illustrative and culturally sensitive curriculum.
Our Rohingya-specific basic ESL picture dictionary was developed by a team of volunteer artists from all over the world.
Visit books-unbound.org to see how you can help!