From Australia to Bangladesh, Save the Children is helping children and families find support from their local communities
Right now there are more than 43 million refugees seeking shelter in other countries all around the world. For those fleeing crises in their homelands, the journey doesn’t end at the border: it continues through the challenges of resettlement, recovery and rebuilding.
For more than a century, Save the Children has supported displaced children and families through such measures as temporary shelter, support to find employment, psychosocial counselling, and education programs. Today, that work is happening all over the world, and here are two examples of it: in Australia where we support migrant and refugee families settle into their new lives, and in Bangladesh where we help Rohingya refugees continue their schooling.
It Takes a Village
It Takes a Village is a community-based initiative which supports families from refugee and migrant backgrounds settle into life in Australia. Implemented by 54 reasons, who deliver our programs in Australia, we gather groups of parents and children together to take part in a variety of activities, including children’s playgroups, life skills classes, and support sessions, all of which help strengthen social networks, build confidence, and provide a safe space for children to play freely.
Five-year-old Maluka* has been able to make friends and improve his English through the It Takes A Village program.
Photo: Ashton & Peek / Save the Children.
“It’s very good for a new life for the people to come in here,” says Fafi*, the daughter of Palestinian and Syrian parents, who arrived in Tasmania recently. She brings her five-year-old son Maluka* to the groups where play mats are laid out, equipment is assembled, colourful banners are draped from the walls, and a dance floor is prepared. “For kids, for family, it’s beautiful.”
Maluka gets excited to come every week to play, sing and dance. When asked why he comes to the program each week, he does not hold back: “Because I love it!”
Inclusive Education
14-year-old Yasmin* is a Rohingya refugee who fled violence in Myanmar with her family and settled in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Since birth she has lived with multiple disabilities that cause her to have difficulties hearing and understanding complex information. As a result, she felt disconnected from school and struggled to keep up, which concerned her mother Tasmeen*:
“She didn't know how to study,” Tasmeen says, “Which worried me a lot.”
That changed when Yasmin started attending a Community Based Learning Centre supported by Save the Children – a centre set up specifically to provide safe and inclusive environments for Rohingya refugees. Our partner in operating the centre, Humanity & Inclusion, has delivered training to the teachers to ensure they cater to the diverse needs of those with disabilities.
Yasmin*’s life has changed dramatically thanks to the tailored education she receives.
Photo: Rubina Alee/Save the Children.
Now Yasmin receives personalised support from her teachers, who adapt their delivery in the classroom, create colourful visual prompts to aid her engagement, and produce learning resources in accessible formats. These measures have helped Yasmin reconnect with her class, and she is showing significant improvements – both academically and emotionally.
“She can now write, read, draw,” says her mother, Tasmeen, who is incredibly grateful for the support she’s received. “She knows a lot. Seeing even this much improvement makes us happy!”
Despite the difficulties of being a refugee in one of the most challenging environments in the world, Yasmin’s education is helping her find confidence, independence, and hope for her future.
Whether through a community playgroup or a classroom, we’re helping refugee children and families reconnect — with learning, with support, and with community.
Banner Image: Ashton & Peek / Save the Children.
*Name changed to protect identity.