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Sheltered Dreams: A Tour of Shaimaa’s Makanna

An ECW-funded "Makanna" – or children’s safe space – stands as a beacon of hope for girls and boys affected by ongoing conflict in Sudan

By Education Cannot Wait

April 16^th, 2024

Adapted Story from the Field. Special Contribution by UNICEF Sudan. (Original)

“My name is Shaimaa. I am 14 years old and this is my Makanna.”

The sun shines bright, afternoon heat already settling over the El Goz gathering point in Kosti, Sudan.

Fourteen-year-old Shaimaa smiles at the entrance of one of the large, sturdy tents that make up the Makanna – Arabic for our space. Each tent offers a unique, crucial service, and protection for Shaimaa and the hundreds of other crisis-affected girls and boys that visit the Makanna.

One year into the brutal war in Sudan and the impact on children has been devastating, with 4 million displaced from their homes – including Shaimaa. Forced to flee from Khartoum when the war broke out, she and her family sought safety in Kosti, a journey of over 300 kilometers.

Shaimaa yearns to return home to her old life, friends and school. But with no end to this conflict in sight, she is grateful for the protection and learning opportunities that she finds in her Makanna.

Through funding from Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and the Government of Canada, holistic services are provided daily at the Makanna by UNICEF, Sadagaat, JASMAR and the Ministry of Education. From e-learning and psychosocial services to water, sanitation and hygiene, partners are working together to ensure a whole-of-child response reaches Shaimaa and other vulnerable children in the country.

A Tour of Shaimaa’s Makanna

Shaimaa in front of her Makanna at El Gox gathering point located in Kosti, White Nile state. © UNICEF Sudan/Mohamdeen

The Makanna in El Goz is bustling today.

One of the largest in Kosti, El Goz gathering point hosts nearly 1,000 internally displaced people, including Shaimaa and her family. Each day, hundreds of displaced and host community children frequent the Makanna, where they can access an integrated package of critical services – including structured learning, psychosocial support through recreation and play, referrals to healthcare and protective services, and water, sanitation and hygiene.

"Makanna is a safe place where children can learn and play.” ~Ghada Hamdy, UNICEF Education Officer

From tent to tent, children and adolescents receive diverse support – all designed to ensure their welfare, enhance their development, and protect their physical, social and emotional well-being amidst an ongoing crisis.

Lifeline for Learning

A facilitator helps a student during an e-learning session at the Makanna. © UNICEF Sudan/Mohamdeen

With schools closed throughout the country, many families depend on the Makanna to provide crucial learning alternatives.

In one tent, Shaimaa and other children quietly settle in for an e-learning lesson. They put bright blue headphones on. In front of each child sits an e-tablet on a wooden stand which allows them to navigate through interactive educational content.

While today’s learning is digital and self-paced, trained facilitators make the rounds to work with and help each child with the task before them.

Throughout the week, the Makanna also offers structured learning opportunities through regular classes, with a set shift schedule by age group. This access to continued learning is a lifeline to children like Shaimaa, who dream of continuing their studies and recapturing some sense of normalcy and routine in their lives.

Building Resilience Through Play

Children play a game of volleyball at the Makanna. © UNICEF Sudan/Mohamdeen

After her e-learning session, Shaimaa makes her way to another tent – this one, a children-friendly space where young children have the chance to play and participate in activities. Shaimaa immediately joins in on a game being played.

Playing and physical activity are important for children and good stress-relievers, especially for girls and boys who have been through difficult and traumatic experiences. Mental health and psychosocial support is also offered in the child-friendly space.

Sports are popular at the Makanna, as evidenced by the groups of children playing outside. Recreational kits have been provided for the children to use – including balls for various sports, whistles, team vests and more. Despite the scorching sun, a soccer and volleyball game are underway, while younger children fly kites.

Shaimaa is quick to put on a blue vest and join the girls team for a quick game of volleyball.

Cheers and laughter fill the air. In these moments, the 14-year-old is able to recapture some semblance of the childhood she knew a year ago.

Healing Through Art

Fourteen-year-old Shaimaa smiles in front of her Makanna. © UNICEF Sudan/Mohamdeen

In yet another tent, girls and boys work on drawing projects.

Children and adolescents living through the humanitarian crisis in Sudan face immense adversity and stress. Those struggling with trauma and anxiety often find it difficult to verbally communicate their emotions. Like playing, art provides crisis-affected children another channel through which to work through and express their feelings and experiences.

With the stroke of a paintbrush or line in a sketch, they can communicate their inner thoughts – things they may not yet have the words for. Art sessions at the Makanna are run by trained caregivers, and psychosocial support is provided to those affected by the ongoing conflict.

Girls’ Clubs Bolster Protection

Adolescent girls and members of the Saleema Club show off their messages in the Makanna. © UNICEF Sudan/Mohamdeen

Girls are often among the most vulnerable during a crisis. They are at hightened risk of child marriage, gender-based violence, abuse, forced labor and more.

At the Makanna in El Goz, girls like Shaimaa have access to girls clubs, also known as Saleema clubs. These clubs empower members with life skills and information on important topics to protect themselves and their peers – including violence against children and related reporting pathways.

Saleema clubs also provide access to psychosocial support, case management for unaccompanied and separated children, and services for survivors of gender-based violence.

Clean Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

Shaimaa washes her hands with soap and water at the Makanna. © UNICEF Sudan/Mohamdeen

The importance of clean and safe water cannot be overstressed. At the El Goz gathering point, this is provided with water trucking services. Through daily activities, facilitators at the Makanna promote the benefits of handwashing with soap and water, and other hygiene habits to prevent diseases.

“We learned that clean hands save us from diseases that may affect our health.” ~Shaimaa

To solidify the importance of this practice, there is a handwashing station with water and soap at the entrance of every section of camp.

Health and Nutrition Services

At the Makanna, internally displaced families and those from nearby host communities also benefit from a mobile clinic, which is providing critical integrated health and nutrition services to those in need. These services include, but are not limited to, immunizations and nutrition screening.

Shaimaa in the Makanna during the day's e-learning session. © UNICEF Sudan/Mohamdeen

“I want to go back to our house and go back to school as before.” ~Shaimaa

The ongoing conflict in Sudan continues to take innocent lives, with over 14,000 children, women and men reportedly killed already. It has resulted in the largest forced displacement crisis in the world today – with more than 8 million people displaced inside and outside of the country since 15 April 2023. According to the United Nations, half of Sudan’s population – 25 million people, including 14 million children – urgently need humanitarian assistance.

Most schools are shuttered or are struggling to re-open across the country, leaving nearly 19 million school-aged children at risk of losing out on their education.

As the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises within the United Nations, ECW and global strategic partners have responded with speed, agility and coordination to provide girls and boys impacted by this complex conflict with the safety, hope and opportunity of a continued education.

To date, ECW has provided US$10 million in response to the regional refugee education needs, with First Emergency Response grants announced in the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan. In Sudan, ECW has provided US$28 million in funding – including a US$5 million grant announced in August 2023 that will reach over 86,000 girls and boys with access to a holistic, inclusive education.

But the needs in Sudan, and in crises around the world, are only escalating.

As we build on calls from the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and its Neighbours, ECW calls on public donors, the private sector and philanthropic foundations to urgently mobilize US$600 million in renewed support for ECW’s 2023-2026 Strategic Plan. With a total of US$1.5 billion, we can reach 20 million children and adolescents – and step up support for crisis-affected children and youth like Shaimaa.

Their education – and the protection, empowerment and hope that it provides – cannot wait.

A girl works on her tablet during an e-learning lesson at the Makanna. © UNICEF Sudan/Mohamdeen

Access high-resolution photos from this story and our full media library on ECW’s FLICKR.

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