The situation of children in Angola at the end of
the war was catastrophic. Less than half of all children attended
school. A 2005 estimated (UNICEF MIX) that over 70% of first grade-aged
children (six year olds) failed to enter school. Development Workshop
and its local government and NGO partners have been working to
alleviate this crisis via assisting the integration of children back
into the educational system through a programme of school
rehabilitation and construction. The programme provides assistance to
communities in constructing low-cost schools and locally producing
school furniture and other equipment employing local materials,
training and community labour.
DW has worked with Ireland, Canada, Switzerland, the
European Union, British Petroleum and ESSO/Mobil in a programme of
school rehabilitation and new low cost construction. The programme
integrates its activities with complementary educational programmes of
government and international partners such as UNICEF. Girls in
particular are targeted; many do not currently attend school, either
because they have never had the opportunity to enrol, or because they
dropped out for reasons related to economic stress or insecurity. DW
has assisted in the construction and rehabilitation of over 120 schools
in the central war-affected provinces and a further 80 schools in
Luanda’s peri-urban areas in support of local community initiatives.
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