To ensure children who have suffered the significant impacts of war have a safe space to explore their own stories of healing.
Descriptions of Challenges
Withe escalating conflict between the Turkana, Pokot and Ilchamus pastiralist communities, raids for land, water, and cattle have been historically persistent; global climate change, increasing draught, and the availability of small arms have contributed to frequent and more violent conflict. When brutality erupts, families are displaced, homes burned, and people are killed. The violence has halted the construction of a national highway utilized for humanitarian aid. During conflicts, schools often close. Insecurity and fear can be a constant presence among children, teachers and families – all experiencing the impacts of violent turbulence, arms related injuries, death, high rates of dropouts, poor academic performance, food and water insecurities, and retrogressive practices of child marriage and female genital mutilation.
Longer Project Description
The Peace school shall provide a place for children to learn about their culture through indigenous knowledge, the environment through science, and peace through education and healing arts. It shall offer a space for children (aged 5-18) from warring tribes in the surrounding areas to gather together. They’ll have a chance to learn, play, create, garden, build community, and heal. To combat the effects of colonization and climate change for this generation and future, we shall teach ancient cultural practices and promote cultural diversity, which has already resulted in therapeutic moments of rival communities “singing and dancing to each other’s songs.”
First Project Steps
– Acquire a piece of land on which to build a new Internet classroom and a large community garden with a water source.
– Providing ongoing teacher training,
– Program design
– Infrastructure
– Operational supplies
Who the Project Impacts
1,847 (children, youth, elderly, educators), community members and partners.
Follow-up Phase II Steps
We shall also incorporate ecology, gardening, community involvement, small business and other community and globally focused issues into our efforts, and the school idea is part of a larger local and regional plan to focus on peaceful co-existence, education, and a stronger community involvement in making the Kenya Rift Valley region a safer place to live.
If all goes well, we have the dream of building similar schools in different countries of the world and continue to collaborate and unite countries and dreams through the school of peace in Kenya.
How We Measure Success
– Number of children directly traumatized by man made conflicts have been brought together for education, art, play and cultural activities.
– A decrease in local and regional violence
– Significant increase in provision of school supplies, sponsorship for educational costs, peace education materials.
– A permanent institution for the purpose of educating on a number of ecological issues including nonviolence and other forms of peace-making built.
– Number of teachers trained and implementing an expanded Peace Education Program Curriculum.
– The ongoing international peace/culture art exchange for children is thriving and growing in 17 countries around the globe.
– Partners continue to support the globally peacework as children around the world work for peace.
– An increase of peaceful initiatives
We believe that early education is the place to build a foundation that will help make these changes become sustainable. If the kids grow upat a young age living these learned ideas, they have a much better chance to incorporate them into their adult lives.
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How we create a community culture of peace is evolving. Peace building is more effective at the community level where needs are known and solutions come from collaboration and cooperation between all sectors of society: the arts, education, environment, business, safety and security, recreation, faith-based, service, wellness, and government. Read more by clicking on logo below:
