Helping young women from Horn of Africa to get an education [18.05.2011]

The River Nile Learning Centre was established in 2006 in response to the educational difficulties faced by young refugees from the Horn of Africa whose education had been severely disrupted. Its focus today is on young refugee women, especially those who are pregnant or have small children.

The River Nile Learning Centre offers a unique re-engagement program of VCAL studies to fifteen young women aged 15-21 years, individually tailored to each woman’s specific needs and personal goals. Its uniqueness lies with the fact that the women can bring their babies and young children to class with them. While the students retain the primary responsibility for their children, there are Education Support Aides to assist the young mothers. The aides are women from their own culture who are able to provide stimulation to the children, assist the students with their parenting skills and assist the qualified teaching staff to create a good learning environment. In April, the Trust awarded a grant of $25,000 towards employment of the aides.