Bazada
B A Z A D A
Baza/Kunama schoolchildren in Sudan and northern Ethiopia are paying a heavy price for years of armed conflict that have torn through their communities, disrupting education and placing an entire generation at risk. Prolonged wars, displacement, and economic collapse have severely weakened already fragile school systems, leaving thousands of children without stable access to learning.
The situation in northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where Baza/Kunama children had been attending local schools before the outbreak of war involving Eritrea, the Tigray regional forces, and the central government of Ethiopia. Large numbers of schools have been devastated by fighting, looted, or destroyed. Classrooms that once served as safe spaces for learning now stand empty or in ruins, stripped of basic materials such as desks, books, and teaching aids.
Even where school buildings remain standing, the education system is collapsing from within. Teachers across the region have gone months, without salaries. As a result, many have been forced to abandon their teaching jobs in search of alternative livelihoods to support their families. This mass departure has left schools without qualified educators, making it impossible for children to continue their studies even when they are willing and able to attend.
The combined impact of destroyed infrastructure, unpaid teachers, and widespread displacement has left Baza/Kunama children facing long interruptions in their education. Education advocates warn that prolonged absence from school increases the risk of child labor, early marriage, and long-term poverty, while also eroding the social and cultural fabric of already marginalized communities.
In Sudan, ongoing conflict has severely undermined the government’s ability to support education, resulting in a sharp decline in the quality of learning. Schools in areas where Baza/Kunama communities live lack essential facilities, teaching materials, and supplies. Many families in these communities are struggling to provide even basic support for their children’s education, leaving students unable to attend school regularly.
In conflict-affected regions, schools have been forced to close, while children face insecurity, trauma, and extreme poverty. For many families, survival has become the priority, pushing education further down the list of urgent needs and leaving a generation of children at risk of falling behind.
