Improving the well-being of refugee and host community children and youth in Rhino Camp through play-based psychosocial support, digital learning, teacher coaching, and community case management — strengthening resilience and self-reliance in four primary schools.
Children in Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement carry burdens that most children elsewhere will never know. Many have witnessed violence, survived displacement, and lost family members to conflict. They arrive in classrooms carrying trauma that affects their ability to learn, relate to peers, and trust adults. Teachers in those same classrooms are often overwhelmed — managing hundreds of children with minimal support, their own wellbeing neglected, and limited training in how to respond to the emotional and psychological needs of their learners.
The INSPIRE Project — Improving Prospects of Conflict-Affected Children and Youth — was designed to address this directly. Implemented by YSAT in partnership with War Child Alliance and funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it works across four primary schools in Rhino Camp: Ocea, Eden, Wanyangi, and Odobu. The project combines four evidence-based approaches — play-based psychosocial support, digital learning, teacher wellbeing and coaching, and community case management — to strengthen the resilience, learning outcomes, and protection of both refugee and host community children.
What sets INSPIRE apart is its integrated design. Rather than treating psychosocial support, education quality, and child protection as separate tracks, the project brings them together in the same schools and communities — recognising that a child who is not emotionally safe cannot learn, a teacher who is burning out cannot teach, and a community that is not engaged cannot protect. YSAT's permanent presence inside Rhino Camp makes it uniquely placed to hold all three together.
The TeamUp approach uses structured sports, arts, and non-verbal group activities to help children manage stress, build positive relationships, and re-engage in learning. To date, 4,224 children have benefited from this approach. It has contributed to improved emotional well-being, stronger peer connections, and more supportive classroom environments across all four project schools.
The Can't Wait to Learn (CWTL) approach supports literacy and numeracy through self-paced, interactive tablet-based modules in Eden and Wanyangi primary schools. So far 1,105 learners have been supported, with teacher facilitation and continuous progress monitoring driving steady improvements in foundational learning outcomes, measured on a monthly basis.
The CORE approach strengthens teaching quality by supporting teachers through coaching, reflective practice, and wellbeing sessions in Ocea and Eden primary schools. 75 teachers have been supported within the span of one year. This has improved teachers' motivation, self-regulation, and ability to deliver inclusive, play-based lessons that enhance learner engagement.
This approach focuses on identifying and supporting vulnerable children while improving coordination among protection actors. It has strengthened collaboration between schools, Community Protection Committees, and local authorities, and has improved referral systems and child protection responses. Cases identified are tracked, supported, and followed up to ensure no vulnerable child falls through the gap.
The project raises awareness on child protection, education, and the value of play-based learning. This has strengthened collaboration between refugee and host communities, improved help-seeking behaviours, and enhanced community resilience — creating a more supportive environment for children's learning and wellbeing. Community sensitisation also addresses barriers to enrolment, particularly for girls and other vulnerable groups.
Children reached through TeamUp play-based psychosocial support
Learners supported through digital literacy and numeracy learning
Teachers supported through CORE wellbeing and coaching sessions
Primary schools directly served across Rhino Camp