Education under threat: How EU Trust Fund support is safeguarding Sudanese children’s right to learn

The war in Sudan has devastated the education sector. Now in its third year, more than 10,400 schools have been forced to close, leaving over 90% of school-age children without access to formal education and causing a child displacement crisis of enormous scale. The immense strain on functioning schools and resources is crippling. Eman Farah, a senior education official in Atbara locality - one of the regions overwhelmed by the arrival of displaced families, explains 

“We took in nearly 26,000 students arriving from other states. The classroom that once had 70 to 80 students now accommodates 150 to 180. Our schools are now operating in two shifts to cope”. 

Adapting to new realities

In June 2021, the European Union Trust Fund invested Euros 13.1 million in the Education Quality Improvement Programme – phase 2 (EQUIP 2) to strengthen the Sudanese education sector and improve the quality of teaching. After the outbreak of war in April 2023, EQUIP 2 was quickly adapted to address the urgent needs of vulnerable children while continuing to sustain the sector and support its long term development needs. The programme succeeded in training hundreds of teachers and education officials, and enabling thousands of Sudanese children in Sudan and neighbouring countries to receive quality education. 

In the capital Khartoum, the National Teacher Training Centre (NTTC), once a thriving hub for teacher development, was destroyed in this war. Staff were forced to flee to different cities around the country. Thankfully, with support and training from Ginger SOFRECO, the NTTC has managed to relocate to Atbara. This move allowed them to resume their vital work supporting teachers during these challenging times.

“The training we received from Ginger SOFRECO on managing online sessions helped ensure that even during the war when people are scattered, the work of teachers can continue” said Afaf Ali, a trainer from the NTTC. “We were able to conduct effective workshops to connect with all the stakeholders in the education sector from across Sudan, even Darfur, White Nile and Blue Nile states, to collate information on the situation on the ground and put together a strategic plan that can carry the education process forward during the war”.

To watch the video Link here 

Beyond borders: supporting Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries 

Channelled through key partners UNICEF, Ginger SOFRECO and Expertise France, EU Trust Fund funding has empowered teachers and education officials in Sudan to navigate unprecedented challenges. The funding enabled the provision of learning materials, safe learning spaces and crucial training for teachers, in particular in “Education in Emergencies” - a specialised approach equipping teachers to provide quality education even in unstable environments. EU support extended beyond the Sudanese borders to include schools and learning centres targeting the children of Sudanese families who sought refuge in Egypt, Chad and Ethiopia, thereby benefiting thousands of children with quality education.

In Egypt, twelve-years-old Mazen Othman is finally learning in one of the 40 community learning centres supported by EUTF funding through Expertise France in Egypt. His family is one of millions who sought refuge in Egypt after fleeing the war in Sudan. 

“I am happy to be at School,” he says with a smile, “in the future, I wish to become a doctor so that I can help treat people.”

To watch the video Link here—

Mazen’s teacher Ikhlas Yahya received specialised training through the programme to be able to better address the often unseen needs of refugee children in schools. “We strive to nurture them, guide them, and give them hope.” she says acknowledging the trauma many of her students had to endure,  “I hope they all thrive in the future and become the generation that will build a new Sudan.”

To watch the video Link here—

Education is a right, and it provides children with a vital sense of normalcy, stability and hope. The successful partnership between the EU and its implementing partners UNICEF, Ginger SOFRECO and Expertise France has ensured thousands of Sudanese children can continue to learn in what is currently one of the world’s most severe education crises.

The EU remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting the people of Sudan throughout these turbulent times, recognising the importance of investing in education today for a more peaceful and prosperous future for the country.