When Children Feel Safe, They Learn: Reflections from the Big Mama Project

When children flee conflict, they do not leave their fears behind. Many displaced learners in Cameroon’s North West and South West Regions carry emotional wounds that make it difficult for them to learn, focus, and feel safe in school. The Big Mama Project (BMP) was created to respond to these needs and to help schools become healing spaces where every child—especially internally displaced pupils, can feel seen, supported, and ready to learn.

From January to June 2024, the NGO TEACHERS implemented the BMP in 15 primary schools across the Centre, Littoral, and West Regions, where many displaced families now live. This reflective blog shares what we learned from this pilot, why it matters, and what it means for future work in social and emotional learning (SEL) in Cameroon.

Why this work matters

The crisis in the English‑speaking regions has pushed thousands of children into unfamiliar communities. These young learners often struggle with:

Trauma from violence and displacement
Difficulty fitting into new schools
Low confidence and emotional instability
Limited parental support due to disrupted family structures
Teachers, too, face the challenge of managing large, diverse classrooms while supporting children with deep emotional needs.The BMP aimed to fill this gap by building schools that heal, not just teach.

What the Big Mama Project did

The project combined several activities into one holistic package:

Teacher training on trauma healing and “UBUNTU” pedagogy
Creation of Healing Classrooms using compassion, structure, and positivity
Friendship Clubs where learners connect, play, and support one another
Parent engagement workshops to improve understanding and home–school collaboration
Storytelling diaries and Quality of Life (QoL) surveys to track pupils’ emotional wellbeing
This approach focused on not only academics but also overall child-mind, emotions, and relationships.

What we found: Schools can heal, and children can thrive

1. The project was feasible and well implemented

All participating schools carried out the BMP with only small adjustments. Some teachers used local languages to help children understand SEL messages, while schools created extra time for Friendship Club activities. These adaptations improved the understanding of the program.

2. Signs of improved wellbeing and better learning

Although the sample size was small, early results showed promising trends:

Better attendance
Improved early‑grade reading and Maths scores (EGRA/EGMA)
Higher emotional wellbeing in the QoL survey
More confident, calmer learners, as reported by teachers and parents
Children shared touching stories of feeling “less angry,” “more loved,” or finally having friends. These small emotional victories matter greatly in the lives of displaced children.

3. Strong acceptance from teachers, pupils, and parents

All groups said the project helped displaced learners become more integrated and supported. Many wanted the program extended to more schools, showing strong demand and local ownership.

4. Storytelling and QoL tools are useful, but need refinement

The storytelling diaries captured rich experiences, but without dates it was hard to track how pupils’ emotions changed over time. Future rounds will require better tracking systems.

What we didn’t see yet

As expected in a short pilot, the study could not conclusively show long‑term academic or emotional gains. With a small sample, it is still possible that outcomes could differ at scale. SEL changes often take time to show measurable academic impact, so this is not surprising.

What this means for future SEL programming

The pilot gives us several important lessons:

Healing Classrooms work. Teachers can support trauma‑affected learners when trained and guided.
A holistic SEL package is more powerful than isolated activities.
Randomised trials are possible in this context, which is good news for future evidence-building.
Stronger systems for tracking stories and wellbeing will be needed for scale-up.
Parents and communities must stay involved, as emotional healing goes beyond the classroom.
 

Looking ahead

The Big Mama Project has shown that when schools pay attention to the emotional world of children, learning improves and so does hope. Displaced learners deserve not just a seat in the classroom, but a place where they feel safe, valued, and understood.

This pilot gives us confidence that scaling the BMP can make a meaningful difference for thousands of children navigating the pain of displacement. As we hope to move toward a full trial, one thing is clear:

Healing is possible. And when children heal, they learn.