July 20, 2018 — ECHO is funding a consortium (Plan International Tanzania, Save the Children International and International Rescue Committee) to ensure that Burundian refugees access lifesaving protection and education services in refugee camps in Nduta, Mtendeli and Nyarugusu camps in Tanzania.
The partners have a cumulative of 84 years presence in Tanzania and have worked together to respond to the Burundian refugee crisis since 2015/16. For the past three years, Plan International, Save the Children, and IRC have been in consortium implementing ECHO protection programming focusing on children and other persons of concern. They will now focus on providing gender and age sensitive lifesaving protection services to children, youth and women who are either at risk or have been subjected to neglect, violence, exploitation and abuse. Moreover, the protective education component is also complementary with existing education interventions.
The Burundian refugees living in Tanzanian refugee camps, particularly children and other persons of concern are facing protection risks, due to limited access to quality education, protection services and gaps in funding. The 10 months ECHO funded project will enhance the protection of refugee’s boys and girls, including alternative care for children, education, and participation to build their psychosocial resilience whilst living in the camps, and when they return to Burundi. This project will provide them with lifesaving protection and education services, including Mental Health and Psycho-Social Services (MHPSS). The project will be targeting 91,252 male and female, boys and girls who are most vulnerable refugees, including children and survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV), and adolescents.
Plan International and Save the Children will extend its current Child Protection and Psychosocial services response services but also increase children's access to inclusive and quality formal education through supporting children during early childhood development and alternative education. This will enable them to enter or re-enter formal schooling, mainstreaming protection within education services provided.