Regional collaboration leads to the successful delivery of education in emergencies training in Aden, Yemen

The HLA’s Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe (MENAEE) Regional Centre is reflecting on the successful delivery of the Education in Emergencies (EiE) Fundamentals training programme in Yemen – with thanks to the collaboration and support of partners and graduates of our EiE Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) programme.

EiE Fundamentals is a flagship in-person training programme from the HLA which aims to equip country office education and EiE staff with the fundamental competencies to be part of initiating, designing and implementing a quality EiE response in their context.

Staff from the HLA’s Jordan-based MENAEE Regional Centre and Yemen Education Cluster formed the team behind the organisation of the EiE Fundamentals training in Yemen, which was delivered in the city of Aden between 6-10 August. This training builds on the success of the Organisational Development training delivered by the team in Yemen in June.

Thanks to the fruitful collaboration between organising parties together with the team of local trainers in Yemen, the five-day EiE Fundamentals training programme enabled NGOs and cluster partners to strengthen their understanding of an EiE response within the Yemen humanitarian context.

25 participants – including 12 women – benefited from the training. The participants were education personnel drawn from local and national organisations as well as from the Ministry of Education.

The training was successfully contextualised by the five-strong team of local trainers: two Save the Children International colleagues together with three EiE managers and coordinators who are recent graduates of the HLA/Save the Children’s Education in Emergencies Certificate of Advanced Studies programme (EiE CAS).

Participants were taken through key topics including cross-cutting issues such as child participation, child safeguarding versus child protection, inclusion, gender equality, and conflict sensitivity. The trainers guided the participants to reflect on real experiences in the field and how to improve the implementation of EiE projects.

“The training included critical topics which we always take for granted. I never thought about the importance of cross-cutting issues; it was always for me either about the ways of project implementation or donor demands.” – Training participant

A participant from the Ministry of Education reported that, prior to attending the training, it was her belief that organisations work in isolation from authorities. However, by undertaking the training she realised that through the process of developing humanitarian response plans, governments are in fact consulted – and the plans take into account the needs raised by governments, as well as the results of assessments carried out by many organisations.  

One of the trainers – a graduate of the EiE CAS programme – said:

“The training was a great way to learn new skills, network with other professionals, and get inspired by adjusting my perspective. During the training sessions, thoughts about EiE and its practitioners kept running through our minds, giving us new ideas such as early childhood inclusion in EiE, and the key role of the INGO and Ministry of Education.”

Rafka Daoud is the recently appointed MENAEE Regional EiE Manager at the HLA – and a graduate of the EiE CAS programme herself. She is highly positive about the EiE Fundamentals training delivery experience in Yemen. She reflects:

“Education in Emergencies holds significant importance in Yemen due to its vital role in ensuring educational continuity during crisis situations. The primary objective of EiE training is to guarantee the provision of education even during emergencies such as conflicts.

This emphasis on EiE is crucial because education is an inherent right for children and adolescents. Unfortunately, in times of emergencies, access to education tends to be severely disrupted, resulting in a substantial number of children being deprived of learning opportunities. EiE strives to counteract this by creating mechanisms that enable children to access education regardless of the challenges posed by emergencies.”

The HLA MENAEE Regional Centre extends its congratulations to the 25 training participants and expresses its gratitude and appreciation to Save the Children International and Yemen Country Office, the Education Cluster and the training team. This training was made possible thanks to the financial support of the People’s Postcode Lottery Education Trust.

“The training was excellent. I have been in the humanitarian field since 2015 but I learned a lot of new things during this training which will add great value to my experience.” – Training participant

Apply for the Education in Emergencies Certificate of Advanced Studies (EiE CAS) – Middle East and Eastern Europe 2023-24

The EiE CAS Programme: Middle East and Eastern Europe 2023 is now open for applications. It is a sector-facing programme accredited by the University of Geneva and will run from November 2023 to October 2024.

The deadline for applications is 10 September 2023.