Integrated Rapid Response for Children

• In Event: Rapid and Relevant: Approaches to Contextual Implementation and Content Adaptation for Acute Emergencies

Proposal

Save the Children (SC) piloted an innovative approach to provide learning opportunities to crisis-affected girls and boys within 3 months of displacement through a rapid response mechanism called "RIRE". This pilot was tested from July 2020 to June 2023 in conflict-prone border areas of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. RIRE provides integrated rapid response in situations of acute emergency and is innovative by integrating three components to address children’s needs in humanitarian settings: Education in Emergencies, Child Protection, and Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support. According to the current model, education is not part of rapid response in the first phase of an emergency. RIRE establishes EiE programs in safe spaces, planned and managed in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to meet the specific needs of communities. It has demonstrated itself as an innovative and demanded model for providing rapid support to children in a holistic manner integrating EiE, CP, and MHPSS. Additionally, RIRE has a strong emphasis on capacity building of local actors in accordance with localization and Grand Bargain agendas.

In a volatile context of expanding crisis in the three piloting countries, RIRE helped 26,957 displaced children (13,872 girls) return to school (more than initially planned), with a response-time usually no more than 3-7 days. RiRE was widely praised by local, national, and international actors as a suitable model for holistic, rapid EiE/CP/MHPSS provision not normally included in initial responses. Overall, RIRE has shown strong evidence of its effectiveness, and a second phase is being launched with a possible replication to Côte d’Ivoire and Togo.

This presentation will provide an overview of RIRE’s phases and technical packages. Using data gained from the piloting of this approach in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, this presentation will also provide practical lessons learned–ranging from experiences establishing close collaboration with local entities to create rapid, sustainable, and localized implementation to the adaptation of global-level tools.

Author

• Deborah Marie Rodriguez Garcia, Save the Children