Teachers in refugee camps help children overcome trauma

In northern Kenya, Kakuma refugee camp is home to over 290,000 refugees — approximately half of them are children. The area borders South Sudan, Uganda, and Ethiopia, making it a key place for families to seek refuge over decades of conflict, persecution, food insecurity, and climate-related disasters, such as floods and droughts.

It is no wonder children here grow up with an outsized level of trauma and stress.

At Porticus, we work to shift educational systems to support children in adversity. We want learners to be supported to build resilience and socio-emotional skills as a key enabler for them to develop to their full potential. This is why we support refugee-led organisations to develop young people’s social and emotional learning (SEL). Activities like creative arts therapy allow children to voice their emotions, build resilience, and learn to cope with trauma and stress—which are sadly in abundance in their lives.

Many parents lack the skills to support their children's education, so through the programme. parents learn the importance of talking to their children about what they learned in class.

"We didn't know how to follow up on our children's progress," said Feza Luondo, one of the mothers living in the camp. "After receiving training, we learned that when your child comes home from school, you need to look at their books. And if there is any homework, review it together and offer support where needed."

Find out more about how teachers and Refugee Led Organisations are helping young students develop their full potential in Kakuma by watching this video.