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Session Submission Summary

Maintaining Quality Education Services while relocating 55% of intervening schools to a more secure environment

Wed, February 22, 8:00 to 9:30am EST (8:00 to 9:30am EST), Grand Hyatt Washington, Floor: Constitution Level (3B), Roosevelt

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

Maintaining Quality Education Services while relocating 55% of intervening schools to a more secure environment
CRS has been implementing school meals programming continuously in Mali since 1999, including four phases of United States Department of Agriculture McGovern-Dole. CRS is implementing the fourth phase of our McGovern-Dole program entitled Jigiya, which means hope. In addition to working with four local implementing partners, CRS partners strategically with Education Development Center and directly with the Government of Mali to optimize education quality and government engagement and sustainability.
The security situation in Mali has been challenging since 2012 and has deteriorated further since 2018. First limited to the northern part of the country, widespread insecurity has now expanded into the center and the south, resulting many internally displaced persons and an important number of schools forcibly closed by armed groups and situated in zones inaccessible by NGO staff. This insecurity situation was exacerbated by the political instability during the last two years, notably repeated coups d’etat and the installation of a transitional government, all of which coincided with the MGD project start up. Currently, 1,664 schools are reported closed (20% of total schools, over 50% in the region of Mopti) preventing 500,000 children from learning and affecting 10,000 teachers.
Given concerns for the safety of project participants, communities, and staff, CRS and partners, in close collaboration with the donor and the government, made the decision in 2022 to relocate activities in 146 schools from zones where either safe access had become impossible, schools had been forcefully closed by armed groups, and/or storing food and providing quality education would put the schools and communities at increased risk of violence. The map below shows the old and new zones, as well as the different activities related to education and early grade reading, community mobilization, and school meals to be implemented. This implies new engagement with previously unserved schools and community stakeholders while communicating clearly with communities being left, on the rationale for the shift as well as potential future remote engagement.

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