Increasing access to gender-responsive quality education for refugee and host community children and youth — with a strong emphasis on girls and adolescent girls — across three West Nile districts through community engagement, school enrolment advocacy, and gender equality programming.
In the refugee settlements of West Nile, girls face compounding barriers to education. Displacement disrupts schooling. Poverty forces families to prioritise boys. Early marriage pulls girls out of classrooms before they can complete their education. Social norms that undervalue girls' learning are reinforced by community structures that have never been meaningfully challenged. The result is a generation of girls whose potential goes unrealised — not because of a lack of ability, but because of a lack of access and support.
Gear for Success — GFS — addresses these barriers directly. Implemented by YSAT in consortium with Oxfam, RELON, and CECI, with funding from Global Affairs Canada, the project is a 3-year initiative running from 2024 to 2026. Its goal is to increase access to gender-responsive quality education for refugee and host community children and youth, particularly girls and adolescent girls, across Imvepi Refugee Settlement in Terego, Bidibidi in Yumbe, and Parloriniya in Obongi.
YSAT leads the project component in Terego District, working across two primary schools — Awa Primary School and Emmanuel Primary School — and Omugo Girls' Secondary School. The work combines community sensitisation, school enrolment advocacy, gender equality programming using the Gender Action Learning System (GALS) methodology, and GBV and child protection awareness — recognising that education access for girls cannot be secured without addressing the protection environment around them.
A total of 928 participants were reached through community sensitisation and school enrolment campaign meetings, with a strong emphasis on gender-inclusive advocacy, organisational policy reviews, and capacity building. These engagements provided a platform for learners, parents, caregivers, and community leaders to discuss barriers to education — particularly those affecting girls and other vulnerable groups — and to promote equal access to learning opportunities.
YSAT conducted community-level enrolment advocacy campaigns to enrol new female learners at the lower secondary level. These activities strengthened community awareness on the importance of education, encouraged re-enrolment of out-of-school children, and fostered more supportive attitudes toward girls' education. The gender-inclusive approach has helped address harmful social norms, promote retention, and enhance community ownership in ensuring all children are enrolled and supported to stay in school.
Using the Gender Action Learning System (GALS) methodology, YSAT trained 108 participants drawn from cash-for-work programmes and peace ambassador groups, supporting the emergence of community champions for shared decision-making and equitable gender relations. Gender equality and protection were integrated across all peacebuilding interventions, building household-level change that complements the school-level advocacy work.
Community awareness sessions on Gender-Based Violence reached 175 individuals, promoting positive family practices, shared responsibilities, and access to protection services. Overall, 700 individuals were reached through GBV and child protection awareness activities, contributing to safer and more cohesive communities and reinforcing YSAT's broader protection mandate. Sessions addressed causes, types, and effects of GBV, with clear referral pathways for survivors.
GFS-funded activities implemented in partnership with War Child Canada focused on strengthening access to safe and gender-responsive education. Activities included community sensitisation, education needs assessments, and school safety audits, reaching 220 refugee learners and 83 learners from host communities. Safe school environments are a prerequisite for girls' continued enrolment — this strand of work ensures the schools themselves are places where children, especially girls, feel protected.
Participants reached through community sensitisation and enrolment campaigns
Individuals reached through GBV and child protection awareness activities
Refugee and host community learners reached through school safety activities
Participants trained in GALS for shared decision-making and gender equity