RERA: Mali Regions of Ségou, Mopti, Tombouctou, Gao, and Kidal for the Education Emergency Support Activity (EESA)

In 2011, Mali faced a severe food crisis following a poor 2011-2012 crop year, particularly in the northern regions of the country (Tombouctou, Gao, and Kidal). Beginning in January 2012, a political security crisis occurred in addition the food crisis, in the wake of an armed rebellion in the North and a coup d'état in March of the same year.These two crises had serious consequences for the quality of life of populations in the vulnerable northern regions. The crises particularly affected the provision of basic social services such as education and health, severely disrupting the operations of most institutions (schools and health centers).For this reason, USAID commissioned this assessment in order to:

• Survey community perceptions about the causes of conflict and consequences for children's education;
• Determine the impact of the crises on Malian children, schools, communities, and the education system;
• Identify and examine many obstacles to educational access for children affected by conflict.

The assessment focused on viewpoints of community leaders (village chiefs and their advisors, local councilors, members of grassroots community organizations (CGS, APEs, AMEs, student organizations, etc.), teachers, parents (fathers and mothers), children (schooled, unschooled, and dropped out), and NGO officials in the education sector in the regions of Ségou, Mopti, Tombouctou, Gao, and Kidal, whose schools were particularly harmed by the crisis.

In terms of decentralized technical education services, the assessment also surveyed the viewpoints of AE directors, CAP directors and their colleagues. The assessment will provide information to USAID and CAMRIS International to help improve their decision-making and strategies to increase equitable access to quality education for children in conflict areas, through:

• Increased availability of safe and accessible primary education services;
• Improved and gender-sensitive primary education services;
• Institutional capacity building to provide education services in conflict environments.