New grant to Save the Children will help children recover from violence in southern Philippines
June 7, 2017
The IKEA Foundation has granted Save the Children €100,000 to help children recover after horrific violence broke out in Marawi City, the Philippines.
In late May, fighting broke out in the southern Philippines between government forces and a local armed group. Thousands of civilians fled for their lives, and more than 50% of the population in Marawi has been evacuated from the city.
The ongoing conflict in Marawi City has left children displaced, homeless and very vulnerable. The trauma may have a deep and long-lasting impact on their development, if they do not receive help to process it.
Many schools have been damaged or are being used as temporary shelters, putting children’s education on hold. The longer their educations are disrupted, the less likely children are ever to return to school.
Save the Children in the Philippines
Save the Children will use the IKEA Foundation’s grant to open ten temporary learning spaces, providing children with a safe learning environment so they can continue their educations and begin recovering from the trauma.
Save the Children will also give 1,500 children hygiene kits and back-to-school kits, and will run psychosocial support activities for children, parents, caregivers and others responsible for children’s wellbeing.
Shambhavi Sharma, Humanitarian Programme Manager at the IKEA Foundation, said: “We believe all children have the right to a safe and healthy childhood, as well as a quality education—rights that are threatened when children are displaced by violence. That is why we have granted Save the Children €100,000 to help children in the southern Philippines overcome their trauma and continue their educations.”
