Risk Education Project in North West Syria - From Children to Children This 6-month Mine Action Risk Education (RE) project, capped at $250,000, is consistent with HALO’s endorsed contribution to the 2019 HRP (ref: HSYR19-PRO-MIN-156167-1). The project, conducted in A’zaz and Al Bab districts, will establish a new partnership between HALO and Turkey’s only Mine Action NGO (iMFAD). This will be iMFAD’s first externally funded project in Syria so HALO’s experience is essential to mitigate project risks. HALO will lead grant management and provide mentoring support to iMFAD across all project responsibilities. Implementation will be led by iMFAD but HALO will remain accountable to OCHA. It is HALO’s assessment that a partnership with iMFAD offers the best opportunity to gain approval from Turkish authorities to further expand Mine Action activities in NW Syria. 

The project is designed to build on HALO's work in NW Syria. The scope of HALO’s current operations covers RE, Enhanced Contamination Impact Survey (ECIS) and Victim Data Collection/Victim Assistance (VDC/VA), implemented by 2 Syrian NGO partners. 

More than 10 million people are at risk of ERW contamination in Syria, with 3 million in NW Syria. 95% of ERW victims in Syria had not received RE prior to their accident (ref: 2019 HNO). The absence of ERW clearance in NW Syria elevates the importance of RE to improve awareness and reinforce safe behavior, especially among curious children, who are more likely to unknowingly play with or pick up lethal ERW items (ref: 2019 HNO), as well as teenagers who may be inclined to intentionally engage in unsafe behavior involving ERW.

Only 50% of the population in Aleppo governorate has received RE (ref: UNMAS) and it is HALO’s experience that many of those beneficiaries have probably received ‘mainstream’ traditional RE on more than one occasion, contributing to beneficiary fatigue. With approximately 33 NGOs delivering mainstream RE in NW Syria (ref: UNMAS), HALO has assessed a requirement exists to introduce a new creative and engaging way of delivering RE to children, which builds on existing exposure to RE and avoids future beneficiary fatigue. This new approach should be complemented by RE to CFPs and NGO workers, whose local and extended reach can have a positive amplifying affect beyond the life of the project. A central pillar of this project – From the Children, For the Children – will be the involvement of children, mentored by adults (i.e. RE teams and CFPs) to implement activities of most interest to targeted beneficiaries, ensuring the inclusion of RE key messages consistent with NW Syria MASC guidance. 

2 x 5-person, gender balanced RE teams will deliver RE in host communities and IDP camps – 1 in A’zaz, 1 in Al Bab. The project includes a 1-month project mobilization phase, followed by a 5-month RE campaign spanning classroom-based RE engagement tailored to primary, middle and high school students, complemented by school-based RE arts/theatre activities and RE clubs. Additionally, RE training will be delivered to CFPs (including teachers) and NGO workers.

Each district-based RE team will apply the same community engagement model, with their focus being engagement with 15 schools. A total of 30 schools will be covered, reaching 14,400 child beneficiaries. The teams will also train 280 CFPs and 120 NGO workers.

Importantly, there is one critical limitation with this project – it only covers some districts in Turkish controlled areas. Due to the funding restriction, it is not possible to cover other districts, nor is it possible to provide support in Idleb. For an additional $178,000 plus 7% PSC, HALO can deploy another 2-team capability in Idleb, achievable immediately through HALO’s other partner (Shafak). This expansion would require no extra funding for HALO – all of the $178,000 would be allocated to Shafak.