- Author, By Paul Njie & Michel Mvondo
- Role, BBC News, Metche
Wen 40-year-old Hanan run from di violence wey dey happun for Sudan West Darfur province, she bin no sabi wetin go happun to her teaching career.
But, she bin no get choice but to leave her life behind as Rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) sack her home town El Geneina and her Masalit community become di target of ethnically driven attacks.
“Arab tribes and some RSF groups attack us for our neighbourhoods, and dem burn tins for di city. Dem also poison di water source and we bin no fit do anytin. E no get any way wey we fit comot go find water or food. We spend about two months for dis situation,” she tell BBC.
RSF bin dey always deny di accuse wey allege say e dey lead campaign of ethnic cleansing for West Darfur.
Hanan run go eastern Chad, joining more dan half a million Sudan civilians wey run from di fight fight between Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) wey General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF of General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo dey lead.
Report show say over 10,000 pipo don die and close to ten million displaced, wey don create di world largest war-related displacement crisis, wey pass wetin dey happun for Ukraine and Syria.
Hanan and her family first land Adré, one of di oldest camps wey dey host Sudan refugees.
But di camp over full, so dem move go Metche.
Di journey to Metche dey take two hours by car for dry season, on di dusty, sandy road wey meander through rocky, barren landscape.
For rainy season, di journey dey take even longer as di road go turn to poto poto.
Di rows of modest huts wey dem roof wit zinc dey shine dully for di hot sun, providing shelter to 40,000 pipo.
Di camp get outpatient clinic, markets, and a new primary school.
Na for February 2024 Norwegian Refugee Council set up di 21 classrooms wey provide 1,800 children and teachers like Hanan wit new sense of purpose.
Di strong voices of di children as dem dey sign n aim welcome us to di class, one temporary structure wit zinc roof and wall wey de make wit tear tear tarpaulin.
Children of different ages sidon for floor mats instead of desks and benches – dis one no affect dia moral at all.
Na here we meet Hanan, back to di blackboard. She hope say dis one go help her young kontri men move pass di horrors of war, and carry di promise of brighter future for her beloved homeland.
“I hope say dem go fit complete di different levels of education, get certificates like bachelor degrees, so dem go control di kotri wen dem go back home,” she say.
Twelve-year-old Ahmed sidon for di front, as im follow di odas dey sing di alphabet.
Im family escape one attack by RSF and allied Arab milititants for di IDP camp wia dem live for El Geneina, forcing dem to find refuge across di border.
“I spend seven to eight months witout education because of war and wen I come here for Chad, I bon no go school for months,” im tell us.
“Now, I don find school and I happy well well becos I get new friends; I bin tink say I no get future.”
Opportunities no balance
United Nations say Sudan na one of di worst education crises in di world now: 19 million children dey out of school, about 6.5 million of dat number don loss access to education due to di conflict.
Despite di success of di new school, more dan 20,000 children for di camp still no dey class.
“Wen NRC come here, dem indent more dan five camps wey need education,” di NRC Shelter officer Isam Adam tell us, as im agree say, plenty work still dey front for dem to reach every child.
Ahmed younger brother Gamareldin na one of di ones wey still dey wait.
“Di situation dey very bad. I no happy becos as my brother dey school, me I dey out of school,” im tok, as im dey try make im no cry.
Im dey fear say im future no clear.
Hanan to follow share di fears of di children wey never fit find place for her class.
“Now we get plenty children wey no dey school wey dey come here evri day to find admission, but e dey very hard for someone wey dey come study and we say, ‘sorry we no fit give you admission’,” she tok.
“We need someone to solve dis problem. Make dem increase di number of schools and classrooms becos plenty children dey out of school,” she add.
Ahmed and Gamareldin papa, Abobakar, dey hope for di day wey dem go fit go home.
“I no want my children to remain here,” im tell us, adding “my hope na to return to my kontri so my children can complete their studies there.”
As di fight all over Sudan dey catch fire dey go wit no sign say di gun go quiet soon, e hard to say wen e go safe to return home.
For Hanan, e dey enof for now say her students don return back to classroom.
“We feel say we dey safe place for now.”