Omar is 13 years old and has experienced the violent uprooting of his family and extreme personal loss. He has missed out on most of his education and his sense of security and stability has been shattered. Save the Children opened a children’s center at the camp where Omar and his siblings live and now he spends every day there.
Fifty-five thousand children have already attended these centers, which have been established in eleven different locations around West Darfur. The child-friendly spaces provide a secure location for children like Omar who have become, through conflict, part of a new and transient community facing special risks. Some are neglected, most miss out on adult attention and guidance, and they are at risk of abuse if left unsupervised. Families can make use of the centers for temporary child care as an alternative to leaving their children alone. At the same time they can learn basic literacy, numeracy, hygiene practices and social skills.
