This World Refugee Day, Right To Play warns Mali’s displacement crisis is also an education crisis
Canadian-supported EMPOWER program is helping children displaced by conflict keep learning, rebuild confidence and access psychosocial support
Toronto ON, June 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On World Refugee Day, Right To Play is drawing attention to a group of children often missing from global refugee conversations: children forced from their homes by conflict but still displaced within their own country.
In Mali, ongoing conflict has displaced nearly 414, 524 people. Most remain internally displaced, living in host communities or informal settlements with limited access to basic services. For children, displacement can mean more than losing a home. It can mean losing a classroom, a teacher, a routine, a sense of safety and the chance to keep learning.
Across Mali, more than 2 444 schools are currently closed due to insecurity, lack of infrastructure and supplies, and teacher displacement. More than 733 200 children are out of school.
“World Refugee Day is a moment to recognize people forced to flee,” said Yacouba Dena, Country Director, Right To Play Mali. “But in Mali, many displaced children have not crossed an international border. They remain inside the country, facing many of the same barriers as refugees — disrupted education, trauma, uncertainty and limited access to support — often with far less visibility.”
Through EMPOWER, an education and psychosocial support program supported by Global Affairs Canada, Right To Play is working with community-based organizations in Mali’s Mopti and Gao regions to support internally displaced and host-community children aged 6 to 12, particularly girls and children living with disabilities. By integrating structured play into learning, the program helps children rebuild confidence, process trauma and stay engaged in school despite disruption.
The program offers a concrete example of what Canadian international assistance can help make possible in fragile contexts: locally led support that keeps children connected to learning, strengthens community organizations, and helps children rebuild confidence and a sense of safety amid conflict and displacement.
Since launching in 2022, EMPOWER has reached more than 57,516 children — 68 per cent of them girls — with inclusive, play-based learning opportunities. The project has also strengthened local community-based organizations, many led by women and displaced leaders, and helped 3,755children obtain birth certificates, enabling them to enroll in school.
Right to Play results show Grade 4 reading proficiency among participating children increased from 13 per cent to 31 per cent. Local education authorities also report that teachers are using more games, interactive activities and inclusive methods in classrooms.
In regions affected by insecurity and displacement, the barriers to education are complex. Schools may be closed, unsafe to reach or overcrowded. Families may lack the documents needed to enroll children in new schools. Teachers may be displaced. Economic hardship can push children into work, while girls face increased risks of early marriage — pressures that make it even harder for children to return to school and stay there.
“Access to education is a major challenge in some areas of Mali due to insecurity,” said Awa, a Right To Play-trained teacher in Mopti. “Since we introduced play into our lessons, I’ve been very happy because the children actively participate and always ask for play in our various classes. At first, the children took to a classroom game like any other, but over time, they came to understand that play is a way for them to learn.”
Right To Play says education must be understood as part of the response to displacement, not separate from it. For children affected by conflict, school can provide routine, safety, social connection and psychosocial support.
“The challenges that the children face are stress and trauma,” said Hamadoun, a Right To Play-trained community volunteer in Mopti. “Because of the psychosocial support games, children are learning to manage emotions and resolve interpersonal conflicts.”
EMPOWER works with local education authorities, municipal leaders and community-based organizations to strengthen locally led support for children’s learning and well-being. The project also strengthens organizations led by internally displaced people and women, equipping them to deliver inclusive learning and advocate for children’s educational rights.
“Conflict and displacement make it harder for children to keep learning, feel safe and access the support they need,” said Jessie Thomson, Chief Executive Officer of Right To Play. “EMPOWER shows what Canadian-supported, locally led programming can look like in a fragile context: helping children return to learning, build literacy and life skills, and recover confidence through safe, inclusive education.”
Right To Play says the need is urgent because displacement places pressure not only on internally displaced families, but also on host communities that are already facing poverty, overcrowded classrooms and limited services.
“When children are displaced, education is often one of the first things disrupted and one of the hardest things to restore,” said Thomson. “On World Refugee Day, we need to recognize that children forced to flee their homes due to conflict or disasters need safe, inclusive education and psychosocial support. We must see this as life-saving, as is a fundamental human right and basic need.”
About EMPOWER
EMPOWER is a 4.5-year, CAD $8.6-million project funded by Global Affairs Canada. Launched in August 2022, the project is implemented by Right To Play in partnership with local education authorities and community-based organizations in Mali’s Mopti and Gao regions.
About Right To Play
Right To Play is a global organization that protects, educates and empowers children through the power of play. Working in some of the world’s most challenging contexts, Right To Play helps children build the skills they need to overcome adversity, stay in school and shape better futures for themselves and their communities.
Carrie Croft Right to Play International ccroft@tsa.ca
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