Children's Education in IDP Communities Project

Situation
Due to its close proximity to Russia, Azerbaijan is directly affected by Russia’s political, economic and social situation. Thus Russia’s external and internal turmoil, such as the Nagorno-Karabakh war with Armenia, has led to a large population of internally displaced persons (IDP’s) in Azerbaijan, totaling approximately a half a million people. The Boyuk Bahmanli village is the largest settlement of IDPs in the Fizuli District of Azerbaijan. This village, along with other villages in which Counterpart International works, is part of a new initiative by the President to better kindergarten education and early child development.

What We Did
In October 2009, Counterpart began a 12-month Children's Education in IDP Communities Project (CEP) in Azerbaijan. The project was funded by the Bureau on Population, Migration and Refugees (BPRM), U.S. Department of State. The project, regulated by the National Advisory Committee (NAC) rehabilitated a dilapidated kindergarten in the Boyuk Bahmanli village. In addition, Counterpart strengthened the capacity of IDP community-based organizations to improve children's education, and created an early childhood development program for pre-school children. Nearly 750 children under the age of 6 gained access to pre-school education as a direct result of the project.

In October 2009, the NAC met for the first time. NAC members noted that this project directly supports the President of Azerbaijan's initiative to begin innovative approaches to kindergarten education. They identified a number of opportunities for leveraging support for the benefit of over 700 IDP children in Boyuk Bahmanli and the neighboring villages of Ashagi Kurdmahmudli and Yuxari Kurdmahmudli.

Counterpart established community-based Education Committees (ECs) in each municipal council. These committees ensured the right needs are met during rehabilitation; provided for the involvement of women on community issues; developed citizen engagement plans to respond to children's education needs; and liaised with the NAC on programmatic progress.

Counterpart designed and supported the implementation of an early childhood development (ECD) program. The goal of this task was to create a secure and safe environment in which children, especially girls, can grow and learn new skills in compliance with the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) standards. The program was based on learning-through-play and included life lessons on the importance of physical activity, proper nutrition and good hygiene. Each kindergarten received sports equipment to reinforce the learning-through-play approach.

Impacts

• 3 Community-based Education Committees (CECs) have been established in the municipalities of Boyuk Bahmanli, Yukhari and Ashagi Kurdmahmudlu. Each CEC is composed of municipality members, kindergarten teachers, community members and representative of Executive Power of Fizuli district.
• 30 kindergarten teachers, volunteers and parents in three IDP communities were trained to support the healthy development of children; 44 community members (including 13 kindergarten teachers and 31 young women) from three communities have been trained in the early childhood development.
• One kindergarten has been rehabilitated for 712 pre-school children and one playground completed to serve a total of 1,912 children
  • Counterpart installed new roof, ceiling, floor, electric system, sewerage system, heating system, windows and doors; re-plastered and repainted; installed safety fence; and constructed a playground.
• An early childhood play development (ECD) program was developed and implemented at 3 kindergartens in IDP communities.The kindergartens were recently provided with sports equipment for all students.