Only second to Nigeria, Cameroon is the most affected Country in the Lake Chad Basin by Boko Haram violence in terms of displaced people and armed attacks affecting civil population. The number of refugees in the Far North Region keeps increasing.

It is in such context that COOPI carries out the “Riedupace” project, financed by the Italian Agency for Cooperation Development (AICS) and aimed to improve the life of both the refugees and the hosting communities, by providing humanitarian assistance and education services to 12,300 people. Part of the intervention will also restore abandoned and/or damaged schools, several of which had been closed and others used as bases by the Cameroonian army or as reception facilities. Teachers are few in numbers, because they fear working in this area of the Country, while cultural obstacles are aplenty.

The project focuses on the most vulnerable groups, i.e. girls and the disabled, also by raising their families’ awareness on the importance of attending school. Schools are getting equipped with desks, chairs, kits containing pencils and textbooks; moreover, COOPI works to get rid of physical barriers, which make it difficult for disabled students to access educational facilities. A relevant part of the work entails the involvement of teachers, who will also be trained in mental health, disability and child protection.