War-induced Challenges and Coping Strategies of Displaced Students in the Primary Schools of Addis Ababa

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the war-induced challenges and coping strategies of displaced students in the primary schools of Addis Ababa. It was qualitative in its design and an in-depth interview was employed to collect data from 23 purposively selected grade 5 to 8 students (war-displaced) attending in six purposively chosen primary schools. The findings revealed that nearly half of these students neither faced significant psychosocial, economic, and educational challenges nor exhibited severe reactions nor employed extreme coping strategies. Although many factors contributed for this situation, the most important of all is the school meal and materials support program of the City Government of Addis Ababa. Fear of loss of a relative and/or property, language and economic problems, and loss of parental care were the major challenges. Telephone communications, family support and friendships with other displaced students, working in the informal sector, and seeking
school community cooperation were the coping strategies deployed for the four challenges, respectively. It was concluded that not all displaced students face severe challenges, but when they do, they employ different copying mechanisms. Addressing language and economic problems in the short run and dealing with displacing factors and safety issues, as well as planning for federal and regional school meal and materials support programs in the long run, are recommended as the ways forward.