A peer-taught leadership development curriculum designed to strengthen the capacity and confidence of refugee men and women
LEAD with EMPATHY is a leadership development and empowerment program that provides the tools and guidance for refugees and communities affected by humanitarian crises to learn and practice leadership skills. In humanitarian crises, individuals and communities often lack power over the resources and decisions that affect their daily lives. This inequality springs from a spectrum of causes, including: displacement and legal status, economic constraints, and the loss of agency within the top-down humanitarian structure. Through the LEAD with EMPATHY program, iACT aims to empower men and women to break the cycle of violence that is endemic to humanitarian crises and to increase their power and agency over the resources and decisions that affect their daily lives and futures.
The LEAD with EMPATHY curriculum was developed in partnership with Darfuri refugees in eastern Chad as a solution to address inequalities in the decision-making system in their community. The curriculum is rooted in empathy and nonviolent communication and is designed to provide information, tools, and guidance for individual and collective leadership development. Each unit begins with a mindfulness exercise that serves to create a peaceful atmosphere and ensure all participants feel mentally and emotionally prepared and present. The 30-unit curriculum begins with understanding empathy and nonviolent communication before defining various leadership styles and moving into: goal setting, facilitation skills, human rights, community organizing, empowerment, and peacebuilding. The curriculum culminates with a group-based Action Project that guides participants in identifying a problem and designing a solution in their community.
The objectives of the LEAD with EMPATHY include…
CHAD (DARFUR CRISIS)
The Darfur genocide took place in 2003, killing an estimated 370,000 individuals and displacing more than 3 million. Today, nearly 340,00 Darfuri refugees are living in 12 camps in eastern Chad with limited access to critical services. To support and empower the Darfuri refugee staff delivering the Little Ripples and RUSA programs, iACT launched the LEAD with EMPATHY program in Chad in 2016 and continues to support the program today.
CHAD
IMPACT
Souad is an Education Director of Little Ripples in refugee camp Goz Amer. She has been leading the program since 2016. “Before [LEAD with EMPATHY], we didn’t know how to communicate with the community in a positive way. Now, at meetings with parents, with community leaders, and in education meetings, we share our ideas. For problems we want to fix, we prepare what we will say and then meet with camp block leaders and talk about the issues and try to explain the rights of women and children and why what is happening is not good for the community."
69
Darfuri refugee women who have completed the program
49
Darfuri refugee men and women currently participating in the program
DARFUR CRISIS
FACTS
TANZANIA (BURUNDI CRISIS)
In April 2015, political violence and insecurity forced over 400,000 Burundians to flee to neighboring countries. Currently, approximately 200,000 Burundian refugees are residing in 3 refugee camps in the Kigoma region of Tanzania. To support and empower the Burundian refugee staff delivering the Little Ripples and RUSA programs in Tanzania, iACT launched the LEAD with EMPATHY program in 2018, with our partner Plan International Tanzania, and continues to support the program today.
OUR
IMPACT
Anaclet is a Refugees United Soccer Academy coach and leader in Mtendeli Camp. He has completed the LEAD with EMPATHY curriculum and has a vision to use the power of sport to spread peace and love in his community and beyond. “My vision is to change, to explain, and to educate for peace and love with politics.”
70
Burundian refugee men and women currently participating in the program (50% men and 50% women)
Burundian CRISIS
FACTS
CAMEROON
In 2013, thousands of people were forced to flee the Central African Republic (CAR) due to an outbreak of violence, and ongoing conflict has forced many to remain in neighboring countries. Currently, there are over 250,000 refugees from CAR living in Eastern Cameroon. To support the Central African refugee staff delivering the Little Ripples and RUSA programs, iACT will launch the LEAD with EMPATHY program in Cameroon in 2019 with our partner the Jesuit Refugee Service.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC CRISIS
FACTS
CAMEROON
NEWS & RESOURCES
2019 Humanitarian Response Plan for the Central African Republic
Hundreds of thousands of people have found safe haven in Cameroon but have limited access to food, water and healthcare
CAR Refugees Sing for Peace at Camp in Cameroon
REFUGEE STAFF
PROFILES
Remy
Remy has been an ECCD teacher for 2 years and specifically a Little Ripples teacher for 1.5 years. He arrived in Nduta in 2016 with his elder brother.
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Cebestin
Cebestin has been an ECCD teacher for 2 years and specifically a Little Ripples teacher for 1.5 years. He arrived in Nduta in 2015 alone and his mother and 8 siblings joined him later.
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Jean-Claude
Jean-Claude has been an ECCD teacher for 2 years and specifically a Little Ripples teacher for 1.5 years.
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Vénérand
Vénérand has been a Little Ripples teacher for 6 months. He arrived in Nduta in 2016 alone, but reunited with his mother and 6 siblings who had previously arrived in 2015.
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Nestor
Nestor has been an ECCD teacher for 2 years and specifically a Little Ripples teacher for 1.5 years. He arrived in Nduta in 2015.
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Diomède
Diomède has been a Little Ripples teacher for 1 year. He arrived in Nduta in 2015 alone and his mother joined him later.
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Djimil
Djimil has been an ECCD teacher for 2 years and specifically a Little Ripples teacher for 1.5 years. He arrived in Nduta in 2017 with his wife and child.
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Adeline
Adeline has been an ECCD teacher for 2.5 years and specifically a Little Ripples teacher for 1.5 years. Her previous husband was killed in the violent conflict in Burundi and she arrived in Nduta in 2016 with her 4 children.
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Jeane
Jeane has been working as an ECCD teacher for 2.5 years and specifically a Little Ripples teacher for 1.5 years.
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Goodeberth
Goodeberth has been an ECCD teacher for 3 years, but only recently started working as a Little Ripples teacher.
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Peline
Peline has been an ECCD teacher for 2 years and specifically a Little Ripples teacher for 1.5 years.
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Innocent
Innocent has been a Little Ripples teacher for 3 months as part of the mobile unit, traveling to different camp zones to deliver the Little Ripples program to children who live far away from the child-friendly spaces where the other Little Ripples activities take place.
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Virginie
Virginie has been an ECCD teacher for 3 years and specifically a Little Ripples teacher for 1.5 years.
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Ernest
Ernest has been a Little Ripples teacher for 4 months. He arrived in Nduta in 2015 alone and has a secondary school education.
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Nathanael is currently a Little Ripples teacher and is the Coordinator of all other Little Ripples teachers in the Nduta camp. He arrived in Nduta in 2016 alone.
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Hilaire
Hilaire got married in 2013 and arrived with his wife in Tanzania in 2015 where they spent 1 year in the Nyarugusu refugee camp before eventually transitioning to the Mtendeli camp.
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Pascal
Pascal arrived alone in Tanzania in 2015 where he spent 1 year. While there he was reunited with his parents who had arrived a few months before him. He also met his wife in Nyarugusu and they got married in 2015.
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Beatrice
Beatrice arrived in Tanzania in 2015 where she spent 2 years in the Nyarugusu refugee camp. She was eventually transferred to the Mtendeli camp in 2018 where she met her husband and got married in the same year. She completed secondary school and is a trained teacher.
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Anita
Anita arrived to the Mtnedeli refugee camp alone in 2016. There, she met her husband and got married in 2017. She dropped out of secondary school in Grade 10 because her family was no longer able to afford her school fees. If she receives the opportunity, she would like to finish secondary school someday.
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Deo
Deo arrived alone to the Mtendeli refugee camp in 2016. There, he met his wife and got married in 2017. He has a secondary school education.
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Denise
Denise arrived to Mtendeli alone in 2016. She met her husband there and got married in 2017. She dropped out of secondary school in Grade 11 due to her first pregnancy. If she receives the opportunity, she would like to finish secondary school someday.
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Leubain
Leubain married his wife in Burundi in 2015. They arrived together to Mtendeli in 2016. Leubain finished secondary school and is a trained teacher.
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Diane
Diana arrived to Mtendeli in 2016 with her mother and 2 younger siblings. She dropped out of secondary school in Grade 11 because her mother was no longer able to afford her school fees. If she receives the opportunity, she would like to finish secondary school someday.
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Diane
Diana married her husband in 2015 in Burundi before traveling to Tanzania with her husband and arriving in Mtendeli in 2016. She dropped out of secondary school in Grade 12 due to her first pregnancy. If she receives the opportunity, she would like to finish secondary school someday.
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Renovat
Renovat arrived alone in Tanzania in late 2015, where he spent the first 6 months in the Nyarugusu refugee camp. He eventually was moved to the Mtendeli refugee camp, where he met his wife and got married in 2016. Re?novat has a secondary school education.
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Enoch
Enoch arrived alone in Tanzania in late 2015, where he spent the first 8 months in the Nyarugusu refugee camp. He eventually was moved to the Mtendeli refugee camp, where he met his wife and got married in 2017. Enoch has a secondary school education.
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Shadrack
Shadrack arrived alone in Tanzania in late 2015, where he spent the first 3 months in the Nyarugusu refugee camp. There, he met his wife and got married. In 2016, they were moved to the Mtendeli refugee camp. Shadrack finished secondary school and is a trained teacher.
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Edyssa
Edyssa arrived in Tanzania alone in 2015 and spend the first year in the Nyarugusu refugee camp. She was eventually transferred to Mtendeli where she met her husband and got married in 2017. She has completed secondary school.
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Audrey
Audrey arrived to the Mtendeli refugee camp with her Uncle in 2016. There she met her husband and got married in 2017. She finished secondary school and is a trained teacher.
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