Education, Training & Employment: Pathways to Empowerment and Self-Reliance

Education is a fundamental human right and the most powerful tool for breaking the cycle of poverty and displacement. Yet, displaced youth face immense barriers in accessing professional education and training that align with both their personal aspirations and the dynamic needs of the modern workforce.

At Stop Child Abuse (SCA) and the Vastare Foundation, we believe that refugees and vulnerable host communities share the same inherent right to quality education. Our mission is to bridge the gap between survival and self-reliance, ensuring that marginalized youth are equipped to become a qualified, empowered workforce.

Our interventions span across formal education, vocational training, and youth leadership, with an unwavering commitment to gender equality at every level:

1. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Our core economic support strategy heavily prioritizes TVET. By aligning our training programs with the host country’s economic development goals, we ensure that youth are learning relevant, in-demand skills. We intentionally design these programs to dismantle gender stereotypes, encouraging young women to enter and thrive in diverse professional fields.

2. Holistic Healing & Learning: Vastare Village (DRC) In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we operate Vastare Village—a dedicated safe haven for children and young mothers who have survived extreme poverty, sexual violence, or recruitment by armed groups. More than just a shelter, the Village is a nurturing ecosystem. It provides comprehensive health care, deep psychosocial support, and vital educational and skills-training opportunities, allowing survivors to heal, learn, and reintegrate into community life with dignity.

3. Removing Barriers: Vastare Scholarship Program (Kenya) In Kenya, brilliant minds are often held back by financial constraints. The Vastare Scholarship Program was launched to guarantee access to quality education for children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds, with a strict priority on girls and children living with disabilities. We remove all logistical barriers by covering tuition fees, uniforms, school supplies, and transportation. Crucially, the program also provides ongoing mentoring and counseling to ensure students thrive both academically and emotionally.

4. Amplifying Voices: The Vastare Youth Forum (Kenya & DRC) Empowerment means giving youth a seat at the table. Operating in both countries, the Vastare Youth Forum is a dynamic platform where young people can articulate their perspectives on critical global issues, including child rights, gender justice, peacebuilding, and climate change. The forum connects young leaders, activists, and influencers, equipping them with the advocacy skills needed to champion their causes at the local, national, and international levels.