RESPECT Nigeria Activities Making Positive Change at Oru Camp
After months of organization, meetings, approvals, and much applied effort, RESPECT Nigeria and its activities are in full swing at Oru Refugee Camp, Country Coordinator Francis Abayomi reports. Oru Primary School is currently involved in a letter exchange program with an elementary school in Toronto, Canada.
Meanwhile, five of Oru's hard-working older refugee students are advancing their education under the tutelage of Iona Lister with RESPECT University. The camp is also eagerly awaiting the arrival of new donated computers which are sure to benefit the entire community.
In October 2004, students at Oru Primary School, where some 400 refugee children are educated, wrote and sent out the first batch of 20 pen-pal letters to students at Hawthorne Elementary School in Canada. The replies arrived in December 2004 and February 2005 (after a school break). In these letters, both refugee and non-refugee students alike share details about themselves, their families, schools, teachers, hobbies, favorite foods, and more. Through these exchanges, the students build awareness about refugee issues while forming friendships across the globe. Regarding the effect the letter exchange program will have on students at Oru Primary, Francis Abayomi states, "I do anticipate a lot of positive changes, it will encourage and improve letter writing among the students and I see more students joining the program." Oru students are currently preparing the next set of replies.
Beyond Oru Primary letter exchange, RESPECT University is also active in the camp. Refugee students Guehi Herve (from Cote d'Ivore), Madame Iosembe Nkoah (from Cameroon), Mathieu Mateso, Bosenda Jean Denis, and Muzembe Willima (all three from Congo) are currently completing their second set of assignments for the course "English for Academic Purposes," which began in January 2005. Comprised of ten assignments, the course is conducted through the postal system, with materials sent back and forth from the students to their tutor, Iona Lister. Although the program is scheduled to last one year, it may take a little longer due to the inefficiency of the mail system. However, in spite of this small difficulty, Iona says, "[There have been] no challenges. It is a pleasure and a privilege to work with all these students, and I am hopeful that they will benefit from and enjoy the course."
The latest development in Oru Camp through RESPECT Nigeria has been the approval of several donated computers through the non-profit organization World Computer Exchange (WCE). WCE provides donated computers to youth in developing countries. Oru Refugee Camp is one of just five "training centers" in Nigeria which will be receiving computers. The donation proposal suggests that fifteen computers should arrive at Oru once sufficient funds are raised for their transport from Canada. Meesa Chungfat, UN Online and RESPECT Nigeria volunteer, reports that 12-week, 4-hour-daily courses will be conducted in each training center. The courses consist of lectures (conducted in English), handouts, notes, and book recommendations for the students. The arrival of the computers in Oru camp will be a major milestone in the ongoing effort to empower the refugee community, especially youths, through education, information, and communication. Francis Abayomi describes the approval of Oru as a training center as one of his biggest victories serving as the Country Coordinator of RESPECT Nigeria.
Through these and other developing activities, RESPECT Nigeria is a major player in the fight for positive change at Oru Refugee Camp. With the continued effort and contribution of both on- and off-line volunteers, the organization hopes to do even more to create and restore the rights of refugees in Nigeria and worldwide.