ANAKA Collective (Migrant Women’s Education project) – In 2024, Belfast Charitable Society agreed to fund ANAKA for a further two years (previously funded 2022 – 2024) in order to support the costs of two part time Education Project staff dedicated to addressing education and skills gaps for school age children, young adults (aged 16-25) and women in the migrant community.
Now in the third year of the project, the education workers have delivered education clinics for women and children and developed English conversational classes and ran basic computer classes in Arabic. The group have also teamed up with QUB MSc TESOL and Applied Linguistics students and Refugee Language to run two English language pilot programmes enabling the youth group, who currently have no access to full-time education, to avail of tailor-made classes that will enable them to continue their educational journeys.
Alongside these practical workshops and support the group have been involved in ongoing conversations with a range of stakeholders including school principals, politicians, government departments and community groups about the needs of migrant children, young people and parents in the educational system and potential solutions to the myriad of barriers and issues they face.
The project has also recruited many volunteers to help deliver homework clubs, Maths & English classes, and children’s activities.
