UNESCO’s “philosophers with boots” help rebuild education after Benin flooding
The education of over 100,000 children in Benin was severely disrupted due to heavy flooding in September 2010 which affected over 450 schools (about 7.5 percent of the total).
UNESCO, as a member of a multi-agency education cluster, is helping the Benin government make plans for the recovery of its education sector, not only in its role as an intellectual “think-tank” but actively, on the ground. “We are indeed philosophers - but with boots” says Gabriel El Khili, who went to Benin in November 2010 as part of a UNESCO mission. “We have no problem getting down in the mud to serve people that need UNESCO’s support.”
After a natural disaster, a thorough needs assessment is critical as it helps define priorities and lays the foundations for recovery of the education sector. “Benin is a good example of UNESCO getting involved at an early stage in establishing an education cluster” says El Khili. “Our most important achievement was a rapid needs assessment which UNESCO and UNICEF led through this cluster. UNESCO’s contribution stretched from collecting the data to co-drafting the final report.”
The needs assessment involved interviews of heads of provincial education departments, school directors and parents’ associations. The questions aimed to review not just the physical damage cause by the flooding, but also issues of access and quality, the potential for community involvement in education and ideas for disaster response. The main challenge was operating in a fragile context where the education data were scarce or of poor quality.
Collecting data was no easy task. “At one stage we drove 100 kilometres to a rural school but it was surrounded by water,” remembers El Khili. “We just took off our shoes, rolled up our trousers and waded through the mud!”
The team found that even the poorest communities had a strong commitment to education. “This is one of the reasons why we must give education priority in emergency responses”, says El Khili. “For the community, education represents hope for the future”.
The rationale for UNESCO’s intervention in Benin and elsewhere is a vision of emergency response which involves all levels of education, in accordance with the Organization’s mandate. UNESCO also works to help national authorities and its partners bridge the short-term response with medium and long-term measures, ensuring that the education ministry has ownership of this process.
As estimated government resources will not be enough to rebuild Benin’s education system, it is hoped that the international community can help bridge the gap.
Source: UNESCO
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