RLO Education Incubation Fund (Kakuma)

  MONTHLY NARRATIVE REPORT: JUNE 2025

Project Name: Building Bridges Project

Objective: Create an inclusive, supportive learning environment for refugee children (4-8 years) in Kakuma refugee camp by enhancing Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and community resilience through play-based interventions and trainings to the parents.

Activities Conducted during the month:

· Learning Through Play: Educational games to develop cognitive and social skills.

· Group Psychological Support: Safe spaces for emotional expression through resolution.

· Art and play group Therapy: Creative workshops (drawing, music, storytelling) for talking circles and role-playing.

· Collaborative Games: Team activities to strengthen communication and conflict for emotional healing.

· SEL training sessions for Parents, caregivers, teachers, and local leaders to play their roles at home and in community and schools

Approach: We have reached 58 children, two new groups comprised of 29 and two old groups made up of 22 Parents and other stakeholders, making the total of 53 for this Month.

During the Month of June, HSD provided Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) support to Children aged 4–8 including 30 male and 28 female, including 2 children with disabilities (1 male and 1 female). And 29 newly enrolled Parents, 5 males and 24 females.

The month achievements were made, based on the following interventions:

1. Community mobilization with the support of parents and local leaders.

2. Implementation of 39 play-based sessions for children, 2 Meetings and 3 training with Parents and Community leaders.

3 Staff weekly meetings to update the weekly activities conducted and monitor the progress of project activities at the center and in the community.

4. Formation of 2 new Parental groups.

Key outcomes:

· At least 23%of the children have transformed social Mindset.

· The social and emotional learning facilitators and Parents reported the reduction of isolation and angrily mood among children.

The SEL play-based intervention for children and training sessions for parents in Kakuma 3, were determined by the following lessons learned:

· Friendly behaviors during the play and class rooms.

· Social interaction between the parents, and children and between the teachers and children.

· Social and emotional roles played by the parents and teachers to raise the children at home and in school.

· Development of confident and emotional intelligence in children through inclusive play-group.

· Important community leadership participation in social and emotional interventions.

 Lessons learned:

· Consistency of Support across Multiple Contexts: SEL skills should be supported at home, at school, and in the community so that the children would internalize the learning of social-emotional skills.

· Parental / Teacher Cooperation: the close collaboration between parents and teachers is extremely important to intensify the SEL, in such a way that children could receive the assistance they need in all the spheres of their life.

· Relevance and Sensitivity: In order to be effective, the SEL interventions need to be culturally relevant and responsive to community values and needs.

· Inclusive and Supportive Environments: The building of confidence and emotional intelligence is built through the formation of inclusive and supportive playgroups and environments in which the children feel appreciated and accepted.

· The Leadership Implication: The leadership aspect of the community members is not only effective to the SEL programs but also further help in the enhancement of community participation in the provision of emotional wellbeing of the children.

· Role Models: To reinforce a SEL lesson to children, parents as well as teachers are expected to be role models in terms of expressing their emotions and practicing healthy social behaviors.

 Best Practices with Evidence:
Community Integration:

One best practice that has been noted is the intentional inclusion of children and parents with different nationalities of origin into the program. This deliberate intermingling has been found to work at alleviating intergroup tensions and understanding. Through creating interactions and experiences with different groups on a daily basis, social cohesion is enhanced in the centers and in society as a whole. The integrated setting allows children to make friendships with the representatives of other cultures, and parents are invited to take part in common activities, discussions, and making decisions, which forms an impression of joint ownership and belonging.

Parent-as-Teacher Model:

The other model that has been successful is the Parent-as-Teacher model. This model will entail educating parents and teachers as co-educators and facilitators of learning and growth of their children. Children receive uninterrupted enhancement of learning and emotional care at the HSD (Humanitarian and Social Development) centers and at home due to imparting parents with early childhood education and psychosocial support skills. The dual support system is not only able to increase the educational outcomes of children, but also strengthens the family, strengthens family bonds, as well as increasing long-term resilience within the community. The model has shown the improvement of the emotional health of children, cognitive growth and readiness to study at school.