Ecuador Education
“They came home happy. They liked the teachers and learned new things every day,” says Yessica, recalling the afternoons after her son, Amber, and niece, Yari, began attending an EU-funded accelerated learning programme run by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and its partners.
For Yessica, those afternoons marked a turning point. After years of migration, separation, and uncertainty, Amber and Yari (short for Yariannis) were finding their rhythm again. They were learning alongside other young people their age, building confidence, and beginning to feel at home.
Yessica poses for a photo with her son Amber, her niece Yari, and her husband.
Photo: Andrés León for the IRC
On paper, Amber, 15, and Yari, 16, are right on track. Last year, Amber was studying in the 10th year of Basic General Education while Yari entered the first year of High School, exactly where you’d expect them to be for their age. But for these two teenagers, getting there was no small feat.
Before joining the Pedagogical Leveling and Acceleration Program (NAP), a programme that helps students who have fallen behind catch up with their peers, both were behind their expected grade level because of disruptions to their education after fleeing Venezuela.
For Yessica, who is raising Yari as her own daughter, the change has been deeply meaningful.
Starting again
For years, Yessica's family lived apart. In 2020, her son Amber traveled to Ecuador with his aunt, while Yessica remained in Venezuela to care for her father, who was ill. It would be four years before they could be together again.
In 2024, as the situation in Venezuela became increasingly difficult, Yessica’s family lost access to their land and were left with almost nothing. This is the moment Yessica decided to reunite with Amber and seek better opportunities for their family. She eventually travelled to Ecuador with few belongings and no clear idea of how she would rebuild her life.
“When I arrived, it was the beginning of a very difficult process because I came with nothing—I came empty-handed,” she recalls.
“I hope to see them graduate, to become someone in life.” - Yessica.
Photo: Andrés León for the IRC
She began selling arepas with a small two-burner stove, gradually building a new life in Tonchigüe, a coastal community in Ecuador’s Esmeraldas province. Today, she sells fast food and cares for her family.
But migration had interrupted her children’s schooling. Their learning levels no longer matched those of other students their age, making it harder for them to feel settled in the classroom. For Amber, the gap was particularly difficult. “When Amber arrived in Ecuador, he could not read or write,” Yessica says. “He did not know anything.”
In Esmeraldas, insecurity and violence can also make it harder for children to remain connected to school and find safe spaces to learn and spend time. For Yessica, helping Amber and Yari return to a stable education was about more than catching up with lessons – it was about helping them recover a sense of direction after years of disruption.
A chance to catch up
Yessica learned about NAP through the school the children attended. Staff explained that the programme would allow them to complete the equivalent of two school years through an accelerated learning process, helping them move closer to the level expected for their age.
At first, she was unsure whether it was the right decision, particularly because of the insecurity and the violence in the area. She feared that enrolling the children in an alternative education programme might expose them to additional risks. But after speaking with another mother, she decided to let both children take part.
“After everything we went through, seeing them study and feel confident again gives me peace. NAP helped them believe in their future,” says Yessica.
Photo: Andrés León for the IRC
A choice she doesn’t regret. “I thank God for this project because it allowed my children to advance by one school year,” she says.
The classes gave Amber and Yari a supportive place to learn, with teachers who encouraged them and explained lessons clearly.
“They speak very highly of the teachers,” Yessica says. “They say they are very nice and explain things well.”
Yari also received psychosocial support, giving her space to talk through her experiences and strengthen her confidence. Alongside lessons, these trusted relationships helped the children feel listened to, supported, and safe. Thanks to IRC’s Healing Classrooms methodology, teachers also apply strategies that promote safe, supportive, and responsive learning environments.
The programme also provided school uniforms and education materials. For the family, this practical support made it easier for the children to return to school prepared and take part fully.
Yessica remembers how excited Yari was when she received hers. “With tears in her eyes, she said, ‘Thanks to the project. I cannot believe it. I cannot believe that I am already in the first year of Bachillerato when I should only be in 10th year.’”
More than catching up
By the end of the programme, Yessica could see changes that went beyond school results.
“They have become more mature, they think differently, and they are more confident about what they want and about moving forward,” she says.
Amber studies at home. Now that he has caught up with his education, he says he’s determined to continue learning, develop skills for his future and eventually start his own business.
Photo: Andrés León for the IRC
Amber is now studying alongside people closer to his own age. He says the programme helped him feel happier and more confident, and made it possible for him to continue learning at the level he should be. Education has opened more than one possible path for him. He wants to keep studying, while also learning barbering and thinking about becoming an entrepreneur. “I want to learn something that can help me work and maybe have my own business one day,” he says.
Yari is also looking ahead. She dreams of becoming a forensic criminologist and says the programme gave her the confidence to continue studying towards that goal.
Yari walks into school with a smile, ready to continue learning after taking part in the Accelerated Pedagogical Leveling programme. She dreams of one day becoming a forensic criminologist.
Photo: Andrés León for the IRC
Yessica has seen the children’s progress recognised by their teachers, too. At school meetings, staff regularly spoke positively about their work and commitment.
“When I went to meetings, they always spoke well of them,” she says. “That made me feel very good.”
For a mother who has worked hard to rebuild her family’s life, those words were a source of pride.
“Seeing Yari graduate fills me with pride. Thanks to NAP, she recovered her confidence and can continue building her future,” says Yessica.
Photo: Andrés León for the IRC
A future to look forward to
The family’s progress has not erased the challenges they face. Yessica continues to work to support the household, while insecurity and limited opportunities affect the wider community. She also recently underwent surgery for a tumour, making it harder to work.
But Amber and Yari now have something steady to build on. They have returned to education and begun to imagine futures shaped by their own hopes.
“For them, it has been the best,” Yessica says of NAP. “They felt sad when it ended; they wanted to stay.”
Yessica takes a walk with her family down the coast near where she sells food – seeing them thrive in a safe learning environment has been an immense source of pride for her.
Photo: Andrés León for the IRC
She also has a message for families arriving in Ecuador after migration has disrupted their children’s education.
“If they have the opportunity for their children to enter the NAP programme, they should not hesitate,” she says. “It is a great benefit. Time goes by quickly, and it has been the best thing in my children’s lives.”
Stories like Amber and Yari’s show why education in emergencies matters. When children lose time in school because of migration, insecurity, or crisis, a safe and flexible programme can help them recover missed learning while rebuilding a routine.
Jahel, IRC Protection and Communications Officer, shows Yari how to access safe and reliable information online. Through this, Yari explored how digital tools can help her search for educational opportunities, including free courses related to criminology.
Photo: Andrés León for the IRC
Through NAP, implemented by the IRC with local partners, including DYA, and funded by the European Union, almost 1,940 children and adolescents accessed support between May 2025 and June 2026 to catch up on learning and stay in school.
Continuing this work means helping families like Yessica’s protect their children’s right to education and turn past challenges into new possibilities for the future.
About our work with the European Union
The International Rescue Committee partners with the European Union to provide life-saving support to people caught in conflict and disasters around the world. Our work funded by the EU enables people to survive, recover and rebuild their lives.
