In Niger, the Ministry of Education has validated the six-month Accelerated Education Programme (AEP) developed by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

A major step forward was taken on Tuesday, 17 September 2024, with the AEP validation workshop attended by representatives of the Ministry of National Education, technical and financial partners in the education sector, regional and communal education officials, AEP designers, NRC and partner INGOs. After very fruitful discussions, which highlighted the quality and relevance of the programme and its alignment with the renewed national programme currently underway, the Ministry validated the six-month AEP with its extension to emergency zones.

The aim of the programme is to prepare out-of-school refugee, displaced and host community children aged 6 to 7/8 for entry into primary school. At the end of these six months of condensed classes, these children will be able to join the second year of primary school, the cours préparatoire.

“The AEP was submitted to the technicians for comment. It meets the technical requirements and is adapted to the renovated programme. It’s a programme that will guarantee educational continuity in emergency zones,” assures Salley Djafarou, Director General of Education and Training.

Initially, the programme lasted three months and was developed to promote access to the first year of primary school for out-of-school refugee children aged 6 to 8, as well as children from displaced and local communities in the Maradi region. It was validated in 2020, implemented first in Maradi, then extended to Tillabéri in 2021 and Tahoua in 2023, in response to the growing need for access to primary education. Now lasting six months, the AEP enables children to enter the second year of primary school, the cours préparatoire, directly.

This programme fills a gap in educational provision for out-of-school children aged 6 to 8, an age group not covered by the national Strategy of Accelerated School (Stratégie de Scolarisation Accélérée/Passerelle), which is aimed at out-of-school or early drop-out children aged 9 to 12.

Evaluations have shown positive impacts in terms of learning, school awareness, confidence-building, and feelings of security and safety at school. Reinforced by the Better Learning Programme (BLP), this programme includes a psychosocial support component for child victims or witnesses of violence, who arrive at school in a traumatised state, hindering their ability to learn. As part of the BLP, teachers receive pedagogical training adapted to the needs of these children.

“The AEP is a solution that facilitates access to school. It enables the child to gain one school year in six months. What’s more, the child benefits from substantial psychosocial support through the BLP. This programme helps keep children off the streets. It also brings a new experience to the teachers, who see their skills reinforced,” emphasises Idrissa Maïga, Regional Inspector of Primary Education.

The six-month accelerated education programme reinforces NRC’s position in Niger’s educational response and guarantees educational continuity in emergency zones.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Norwegian Refugee Council.

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, have sent separate messages of congratulations to Colonel Assimi Goita, President of the Transition and Head of State of Mali, on the occasion of his country’s Independence Day.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, also dispatched similar messages to Colonel Assimi Goita and Prime Minister Choguel Maïga.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs&International Cooperation.

The ALPS Group met virtually on September 19 to continue its weekly coordination on expanding emergency humanitarian access across Sudan, including through advocating for humanitarian pauses where critically needed, and protections for civilians, while aiming for a broader cessation of hostilities. 

The ALPS Group took note that the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, as evidenced by recent data from Zamzam camp reflecting catastrophic malnutrition, and drew urgency in its deliberations from this sobering update. 

The ALPS Group welcomes the full opening by the Transitional Sovereign Council of the Kassala and Dongola airports for the UN’s World Food Program’s Humanitarian Air Service to execute humanitarian assistance flights. 

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) should facilitate additional airfield assessments, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) should keep up with its commitment to do so. 

Both the RSF and the SAF should facilitate preparations to allow humanitarian flights into and throughout Sudan by guaranteeing the security of aircraft and staff managing air operations.

The ALPS group also welcomes the news that humanitarian operations are now moving across conflict lines from Port of Sudan through Shendi to Khartoum. 

Partners have seized this opportunity and were already able to reach some of the people in need. 

However, this expansion of humanitarian access, while a positive sign, remains insufficient to meet both the needs of the people and to ensure the efficient delivery of the hundreds of thousands of tons of additional humanitarian assistance being mobilized for the people of Sudan. 

The RSF and SAF must facilitate the unhindered and safe access for surging relief efforts along the Khartoum route, as well as further crossline movements on additional routes, including from Khartoum to El Obeid and to Kosti, as well as from Kassala to Wad Medani and beyond. These steps are all necessary to reach the heartland of the crisis and contain the famine.

Regarding El Fasher and its surrounding areas, the ALPS Group calls on all international actors to press the warring parties to comply with their obligations under international law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and urged the RSF to refrain from any attacks targeting civilians and the SAF to stop its widespread aerial bombardments. 

We call on international partners to join efforts to reach immediate humanitarian pauses to the fighting in El Fasher, as well as in Sennar, Khartoum, and al-Jazira states to allow humanitarian access and corridors for those Sudanese most in need.

The warring parties must ensure civilians can safely leave the areas of fighting. 

We recall that all parties to the conflict have to respect the rules regulating the conduct of hostilities. 

This includes to take all necessary precautionary measures to limit the negative impact on the civilians.

The delegations affirm it is imperative that both parties to the conflict progress discussions on implementing the ALPS Group’s proposed compliance mechanism proposal, which seeks to facilitate implementation and prevent violations of the parties’ commitments made under the Jeddah Declaration. The group affirmed that it will continue to consult with Sudanese women as part of its work.

As the spirit of the ALPS Group is one of alignment, we strive to work together within the ALPS Group and beyond to build greater international cooperation on alleviating the suffering of the Sudanese people and bringing an end to the violence.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs&International Cooperation.

Menzies Aviation (www.MenziesAviation.com), the leading service partner to the world’s airports and airlines, has announced the official opening of its new cargo facility at Maputo International Airport (MPM) in Mozambique. 

The state-of-the-art facility means that Menzies can now handle cargo at MPM, increasing Mozambique’s freight capacity. This represents a significant expansion in Menzies’ footprint across East Africa, with the company’s regional customer portfolio set to increase over the coming months and years.  

Boasting high-end facilities and cutting-edge technology, the new cargo warehouse enables Menzies to offer high quality, efficient and safe services to airlines, including launch customers Airlink and Qatar Airways. 

The warehouse was officially opened at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday 5 September, where Menzies’ Senior Vice President Cargo (MEAA), AlAnood AlSuwaidi, was joined by representatives from Aeroportos de Moçambique, E.P., the Civil Aviation Institute, Customs of Mozambique and airline partners. 

Menzies Aviation has been operational at Maputo International Airport since 2018, operating as National Aviation Services until 2022. It launched two exclusive, contemporary lounges at the airport’s international and domestic terminals and later expanded its portfolio to deliver comprehensive Meet and Assist and ground handling services at the busiest airport in Mozambique in 2019.  

AlAnood AlSuwaidi, Senior Vice President Cargo (MEAA), Menzies Aviation, said: “We’re thrilled to cut the ribbon on our new cargo warehouse in Mozambique. This cutting-edge facility will allow us to provide best in class services to our airline customers while supporting East Africa’s air cargo sector. This represents the next exciting step in Menzies’ cargo expansion strategy, which has seen us expand our footprint right across the globe.” 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Menzies Aviation.

For further information contact: 
Beki McVicker, Communications Manager, Menzies Aviation           
via Dentons Global Advisors 
Dentons Global Advisors, One Fleet Place, London, EC4M 7RA 
menziesaviation@dentonsglobaladvisors.com 
Tel: +44 (0)7894 991 586 

About Menzies Aviation  
Menzies Aviation is the leading service partner to the world’s airports and airlines, with operations on six continents, at more than 295 airports in 65-plus countries, serving more than 4.5 million flights a year and handling over 2 million tonnes of cargo.  

Supported by a team of over 50,000 highly trained people, the company provides complex and time-critical ground services, including passenger, lounge and ramp services; air cargo services, including handling, warehousing and wholesale freight forwarding; and fuel services, including fuel farm management and into-plane fuelling.  

Menzies Aviation is recognised across the industry for delivering the safest, most secure and sustainable services tailored to customers’ needs and is essential to keeping passengers, aircraft and cargo moving, round the clock, every minute of every day.  

Menzies Aviation is headquartered in London, and since its founding in 1833, has become the largest aviation services group in the world by number of countries, airports and aircraft turns. 

http://www.MenziesAviation.com