In addition to the initial programs aimed to support the most urgent needs, long-term sustainable education and sport programs are being developed. These long-term programs are designed to have a sustainable impact in the lives of refugee children, providing them with a holistic and basic education that will help equip them with new skills to enable them to begin rebuilding their lives upon return to their home countries or in the case of integration into an asylum or other country.

Uganda: There are 61,875 children attending primary school and 8,924 attending post-primary schools; 45% are girls. The total refugee population as of January 2006 was 214,260 living in 11 settlements; 173,312 are from Sudan, 22,604 are from Democratic Republic of Congo, 15,557 are from Rwanda, with the remainder from Burundi, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, among others. There is a high drop out rate beginning in grade 3 until the end of primary school, especially amongst girls.

UNHCR will target assistance to try to ensure that all students, especially the girls, can continue with education and sport programs. Girls are particularly vulnerable as parents, with few livelihood opportunities, often can not sustain costs associated with education for all their children and preferably favor boys attending school, rather than girls.

Look for more information regarding this program in the next e-newsletter.