‘Tigray is the forgotten crisis. My grandmother’s refugee story inspired me to help’

Although some makeshift schools exist, children are especially vulnerable over the long summer holidays, often wandering around the camps in search of food or work facing a high risk of exploitation.

This summer, we launched a pilot Step Up educational programme in two IDP camps. In collaboration with UNHCR, OSSHD, ECDC, Plan International and IHS, we operated in temporary learning child friendly spaces, essentially tents with plastic sheeting. The programme provided children with a safe and supportive environment where they could learn, play and develop skills. Activities focused on health and wellbeing, language, crafts, music, and drama. We also distributed learning materials and equipped local facilitators with resources to support the upcoming academic year.

How did you hear about the dire situation in Tigray?

I was at an OLAM conference in New York last year, part of a network of Jewish organisations working in humanitarian aid and international development. There, I met a representative from Tigray, who shared with me about the current crisis and the urgent lack of educational opportunities in the camps. He invited me to pilot a Step Up educational programme there during the holidays for displaced children.

Chayli with teenagers on The Step Up programme in Tigray (Photo: Chayli Fehler)[Missing Credit]

What does The Step Up do?

The Step Up educational programme supports refugees, internally displaced children and other marginalised young people affected by conflict or humanitarian crises. Our programmes run during the holidays or as after school clubs, providing safe and productive learning and play spaces when formal schooling is unavailable.

Our model prioritises local leadership. We work closely with local teachers, local youth, NGOs and community members to ensure that programmes are culturally sensitive and responsive to real needs. We strive to ensure our projects are ethical, sustainable and rooted in humility and respect.

While we occasionally bring small teams of international volunteer educators, their role is to support local expertise. The Step Up operates in East Africa, including Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Djibouti.

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What are you most proud of?

A core part of Step Up is empowering and engaging refugee and marginalized youth to lead informal education programmes in their own communities.

This summer, I launched a tailored Step Up Youth Leadership programme in Axsum, Tigray, where teens from two IDP camps received training and then assisted with leading activities for the younger children in their community.

Watching young people grow from quiet participants to confident leaders, running sessions, solving community challenges and creating their own initiatives, was incredibly inspiring.

One of the most humbling moments for me was when a South Sudanese refugee who had participated in the first Step Up Youth Leadership programme in 2019 in Gambella tracked me down on LinkedIn. He shared that the experience at Step Up had inspired him to finish high school, and he had just graduated as a social worker, motivated to give back to his community. He told me that his belief in himself came from our Leadership programme, and seeing me volunteer in his community made him feel like he wanted to do the same.

What inspires you to do this work?

I feel a deep responsibility to help those less fortunate. As part of my Jewish identity, I believe I have a moral obligation to support people in need, wherever they are and whoever they may be. My perspective is also shaped by my grandmother’s journey to the UK on the Kindertransport, which always reminds me of the importance of supporting refugees and those escaping conflict.

I’m passionate about education, youth empowerment and interfaith work, as I think they are essential for building a more peaceful and united world.