The project of Africa Education began officially in May 1997 as a result of reflection on the part of JRS field personnel and Directors on a common experience of persons involved in the education of and with refugees: the need to start anew, over and over again, in difficult and isolated circumstances. Precious time is spent collecting appropriate resources, and the inability to tap into the wisdom accumulated by other JRS education projects often becomes a source of frustration.

The aim of the Africa Education project, both of the personnel and of the Resource Base, is to facilitate the task of field workers by providing human and material resources to JRS colleagues involved in education projects throughout the continent. They, in turn, become resources for their co-workers, so that together we work towards the enhancement of the quality of education and professional formation given to refugee children and teachers in our projects.

The services of a Resource Person for Africa and the establishment of a Resource Base were suggested as a possible answer to perceived needs for making resources, and information easily available, and for the sharing and procurement of educational materials. Through the Africa Education project, resources relevant to education projects in Africa as well as documents generated by the "wisdom" and the experience of JRS in education projects are collected in a central place and disseminated to the field. The Resource Person and the Resource Base facilitate a network for sharing information, materials, and offer a forum for reflection on our common mission of being with the refugees, serving them and advocating their cause through the service of education.

The Resource Person visits the field projects for reflection, input, or evaluation, as requested. The Coordinator of the Resource Base circulates a monthly Newsletter reviewing recent acquisitions. She purchases books and a material requested by field personnel, and attends meetings in Nairobi relevant to issues in the education of refugees. The project office is based in Nairobi, Kenya, but the scope of the project is that of JRS education projects in the regions of Africa. Some education projects in Asia have also benefited from the resources of this project.

JRS Africa Education hopes that this web site will serve as another contribution to the network among JRS personnel and other colleagues involved in the education of refugees. We put at your disposal the Book Lists from the Resource Base and short profiles of the JRS education projects in Africa, as well as links with the projects and with other relevant web sites.

For more information on other Jesuit Refugee Service projects, visit their website at www.jesref.org.