RLO Education Incubation Fund (Kakuma)

MONTHLY NARATIVE REPORT: AUGUST 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:

· Introducing drama, poem, modelling and cultural dance practices with the intention of increasing chances for interaction among children in diversity. (Targeted group 6 to 9 years old)

· Learning Through Play: Educational games to develop cognitive and social skills (4 to 5 years old) like drawing, music, storytelling by talking circles and role-playing.

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

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

· SEL training sessions for Parents/ caregivers and community leaders to play their roles at home and in community.

· Training teachers on child’s protection policies to play their roles with much concern for all child’s rights at the center and in the community.

· Conducting event in collaboration with UBONGO Kids.

We have reached 180children this Month with gender balance of 100 boys and 80 girls from different ethnic communities residing in Kakuma 3 particularly zone 2.  Regarding the parents/caregivers and community leaders, we have now completed the training of the four parenting groups formed which comprised of 73 members from which 56 are females while 17 are males. During this Month, informal Support was offered to all children in several perspectives relevant to Social and emotional learning at the target of age cohort including children living with disabilities from 4-8 years old.

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

· Community mobilization with the support of parents and local leaders to reach the monthly target.

· . Implementation of 50 play-based sessions for children which enabled them access the social and emotional well-beings during the interaction with each other and with the family members.

· Conducting Meetings and 2 trainings with Parents and Community leaders which resulted in improvement of behaviors in children and parents as observed during the interaction in the community and at the learning center.

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

· Staff capacity building done on child’s protection policies and code of conduct based have helped the staff to improve in the management of children.

Key outcomes of the Activities conducted in the Month of July.

· At least the number of children changing behaviors has increase to 40 %.

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

· Children from Somalia community have been interacting with other children as a result of parent’s mindset changing.

· The diverse communities residing around have understood the important of Social and Emotional learning services provided by HSD’s team at the center and in the outreach.

The C I D play-based intervention for children and training sessions for parents in Kakuma 3, were determined by the following Practices and lessons learned in the Month of August 2025.

           LESSONS LEARNED:

· Emotional Expression: Once children are given an opportunity to express themselves emotionally, they will feel safer and less stressed and this is directly reflected on their behaviors and interaction with other people.

· Emotional Insight: The activities were related to Emotional Expression to help children identify and name their feelings as well as be more controlled in challenging situations.

· Peer Support: This is emotional support on a group basis between the peers in the group which may be quite comforting and understanding and sometimes the peer must be suffering much like the children.

· The cultivation of Empathy: The role-playing practice enabled children to learn and understand various mindset having learned to be emphatic and emotionally intelligent.

· Integration of Play in Learning: Play based learning was useful in enhancing cognitive as well as social development of children. It offered less stressful and enjoyable learning environment among kids.

· Development of Trust: Group activities helped children to develop trust towards one another and this increased more links in the classroom.

· Knowledge is Power: Teaching the teachers on what they should expect out of abuse and neglect will help them to react in a quick and efficient way that can prevent any harm.

.          BEST PRACTICES:

· Establish Diversity and Inclusion:  Diversity exercises like drama and dance are applied to enable the children to embrace other cultures in order to foster inclusiveness. It is possible to show children various backgrounds showing different traditions, languages and stories.

· Foster Imagination: Drama, use of poems and modeling are avenues that are used to bring out the creativity in the children. This assists them in their creativity besides providing them with confidence.

· Teamwork: Drama and dance involve team work that encourages teamwork and group communication that is a major aspect to be trained on the kids.

· Group Learning Interactive: Talking circles, role-playing and storytelling are good technologies that are used to engage in communicating and exchanging ideas with peers.

· Creation of a Secure Environment: One should create a less critical environment where children are not afraid to express their emotions. This environment has to encourage vulnerability and shun any negative impact.

· Teacher Facilitation: Facilitators should also intervene teaching the skills of conflict resolution and the necessity of working as a team and being understanding of each other.

· Interactive Workshops: This entails promoting group discussions, role playing during training to make sure that the care givers can practice the skills being taught.

· Collaboration with Parents and the Community: In order to offer a holistic support network to the child, the teachers are supposed to collaborate with the parents, caregivers, and community leaders.