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Program and Safeguarding Advisor, Syria Education Programme Kouteba Al-Khalil
Kouteba Al-Khalil specializes in child protection, safe programming, and capacity building. He has eight years of experience in establishing and operating child and youth protection programs and developing child safeguarding systems. His past work spans protection in emergencies, early childhood development, social-emotional learning, resilience program, mental health and psychosocial support, establishing child-friendly spaces, and developing child safeguarding procedures and policies.
As the Program and Safeguarding Advisor on the Syria Education Programme, Kouteba led the establishment of comprehensive child safeguarding systems. He oversaw the implementation of behavior change management, safeguarding trainings, and helped integrate a child protection code of conduct. He recently worked coordinating emergency responses during conflict-related crises and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kouteba is an active advocate for children’s rights. In his capacity as a Syria Education Programme advisor, he has represented the program at several international events, communicating his knowledge of establishing child safeguarding systems and behavior change to benefit other programs and contexts.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic Literature and a Business Administration Diploma.
by Kouteba Al-Khalil
3 Questions with Kouteba Al-Khalil on Creating Safe Education Systems for Syrian Girls
The challenge of protecting Syrian schoolchildren predates the ongoing, decade-long war. Before the start of the conflict in 2011, safeguarding practices were rare and legal frameworks non-existent. Physical and psychological abuse as forms of discipline were, sadly, commonplace. In many Syrian schools, these problems persist. In fact, over a decade of intense conflict has exacerbated…