Reference :
V-P-CO-E-02795
Date :
12/04/2023
Caption :
Department of Antioquia, Ituango. The ICRC concludes the reconstruction of the local school, which will benefit 58 pupils.
Confidentiality level :
public
Publication restrictions :
publication without restrictions
Description :
"On 17 April, the ICRC inaugurated a fully renovated school building providing educational opportunities to 58 students from the remote village of Bajo Inglés in the Ituango municipality of the Antioquia Department (in the north-west). This marks one of the ICRC’s most ambitious infrastructural projects in Colombia and is part of a multidisciplinary child protection initiative that aims to reduce the risk of underage recruitment by armed actors.
"The school had to be demolished and rebuilt, making it one of the largest-scale infrastructure projects undertaken by the ICRC’s delegation in Colombia. The work carried out by community members was essential for the transfer of over 250 tonnes of construction materials. The result was very positive: the school went from having one floor, two classrooms and two bathrooms to two floors, four classrooms and five bathrooms. This means that the students now have more space to study.
"The project was also supplemented by protection dialogue regarding safe access to education (A2E), as well as a proposal for economic and food security through productive projects such as initiatives related to coffee and pigs.
"As background, the Ombudsman’s Office and other civil authorities have publicly denounced the recruitment of children by armed actors in Ituango. There was also an alert raised regarding the increase in child indoctrination in rural institutions. These affirm the relevance of a joint intervention between the ICRC’s protection, water and habitat (WatHab) and economic security (EcoSec) units to provide a safe and protected environment for students that is free from the risks generated by armed conflict."
Source: ICRC website, article 16/05/23
Original material :
digital
Resolution :
4608x3456
Orientation :
landscape
Colour/B&W :
colour
