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Over 160,000 Venezuelan refugee and migrant children are out of school. New program delivered by a consortium of partners led by RET International will reach 50,000 children and adolescents with quality, holistic education.

Press release from RET International and Education Cannot Wait

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – The large influx of Venezuelan refugees and migrants into Peru is straining budgets and resources. Children are at risk, with increasing concerns over mental health, bullying, discrimination and gender-based violence. In response to the ongoing crisis, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and its strategic partners announced today a US$6 million catalytic grant for ECW’s Multi-Year Resilience Program (MYRP) in Peru.

The three-year grant will be delivered by RET International along with a consortium of organizations including Plan International, Association of Venezuelans in Trujillo (ASOVENTRU) – a local Venezuelan refugee women-led organization – and UNESCO. The investment will be delivered in coordination with the Peruvian Ministry of Education. To date, ECW supported interventions have reached 46,000 children in Peru with quality, holistic education. The new round of funding brings ECW’s total investment in Peru to over US$15 million.

The Government of Peru has taken ground-breaking steps to include refugee and migrant children into the national education system, regardless of their legal status.

“Many Venezuelan refugee children face significant challenges, such as limited access to education, health and nutrition. Through this investment, we simplify their enrollment, school-feeding, teacher training and strengthen their access to quality education,” said Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait, the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises in the United Nations.

The challenges are vast and complex. Peru hosts the second-largest population of Venezuelan refugees and migrants after Colombia – approximately 1.6 million. Barriers such as long and unclear enrollment processes, financial constraints, frequent mobility, discrimination and poor enforcement of inclusive school enrollment policies are keeping Venezuelan children out of school. In all, around 164,000 Venezuelan children remain out of school, and dropout rates among refugee and migrant children are far higher than the national average (20% vs. 3%).

“For us, education is a fundamental right and a catalyst for the development of fairer and more equitable societies. Since 2018, we have worked in the country to strengthen the educational system, increase inclusion, and improve the quality of life for tens of thousands of children, young people and their families. This program will allow us to continue this vital work, bridging the gaps for students who may otherwise fall behind, be left out, or become at risk. We’re proud to continue our work with ECW and other partners to deliver a durable solution for students for years to come,” said Alicia Rolando, General Program Coordinator for RET in Peru.

Inclusion of ASOVENTRU’s in the consortium of partners underscores the program’s commitment to local leadership, ensuring that local and refugee voices, particularly women, are at the forefront of developing solutions for the education crisis.

“This is significant milestone in terms of engagement of women-led organizations from the heart of migrant and refugee communities in Peru. Our experience working with migrant and refugee families in Trujillo, particularly in protection, health and education services, helps ensure the inclusion of migrant and refugee children and adolescents in the various interventions that will be part of the ECW-funded activities. We aim to mobilize communities to increase access to and retention in the educational system for migrant and refugee children and adolescents, while receiving support and guidance from other partners of this programme to strengthen our own capacities,” said Fiorela Fernandez, President of ASOVENTRU, which will support community engagement activities in Trujillo and Lima as part of the program and more broadly at the national level.

The investment will be delivered in the Lima and La Libertad Departments, where there is a high concentration of refugees and migrants. In ensuring no child is left behind, the program is committed to reaching 60% girls and 10% children with disabilities.

The current situation is impacting the education of all children in Peru. The program aims to ensure at least 14% of children reached are refugees and migrants from Venezuela and will take an adaptive approach to reach out-of-school children and other highly vulnerable groups.

The investment focuses on improved access, retention and completion of learning trajectories for both host community, refugee and migrant children. It will position educational institutions as inclusive and safe spaces to promote social and emotional skills and wellbeing. In delivering localization, resilience and sustainability, the program works to ensure refugee, migrant and host communities are empowered to meaningfully engage in the design and development of the program.  There are over 7.7 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants worldwide, the vast majority in Latin America. ECW and its strategic partners have an extensive US$76 million portfolio of multi-year investments in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela that are reaching these children with the safety, power and opportunity of a quality education. 

To help us continue this critical work in Peru and around the world, make a donation to RET today.