Integrated Rapid Response for Children: A Lessons Learned Case Study from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger

Save the Children (SC) is piloting an approach to provide an integrated rapid response in situations of acute emergency in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali. The approach is called RIRE, short for the French: Réponse Intégrée Rapide pour les Enfants (Integrated Rapid Response for Children). RIRE is innovative as it integrates three core components to provide immediate support and address the needs of children in humanitarian settings:
– Education in Emergencies (EiE): All children who are left out of school are provided with play-based education activities aimed at increasing children’s academic, social and emotional readiness to re-enter formal or non-formal schooling. EiE programs are established in safe spaces, planned and managed in collaboration with communities and relevant authorities.
– Child Protection (CP): Building on existing mechanisms, key actors – community volunteers, social workers, para-social workers and education facilitators – are provided with capacity building. These support families and caregivers in providing adequate care and protection; and coordinate multi-sectoral services to address the needs of children.
– Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS): A mobile team provides Psychological First Aid (PFA) to children and families as well as training and orientation for key stakeholders. This enables actors to identify children requiring MHPSS interventions; provide immediate support; and ensure referral of children in need of treatment from specialised services.

RIRE is implemented as a pillar of SC’s Pilot Programmatic Partnership (PPP) with the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), or ECHO-PPP. This program runs from mid-2020 to mid-2023 and seeks to improve the protective environment, well-being, and learning of displaced children and host communities. Under other pillars, it addresses humanitarian needs on a longer term, including the continued provision of EiE/CP/MHPSS, and has a strong emphasis on capacity building of local actors in accordance with the localisation and Grand Bargain agenda; as well as close collaboration with Government and key humanitarian actors.