Peacebuilding UK is supporting the ‘Centre for Peacebuilding and Community Development’ Russian Charitable Fund in conducting reconstruction work to four war-damaged schools – two in the mountains South of Chechnya, one in Grozny and another in the western border town of Sernovodsk. The work of three of these schools was completed in the summer of 2008, enabling children to attend school from the beginning of the present school year this September. The final school – the only school in the mountainous village of Novi Sharoi – has recently been completed. This school was almost completely destroyed during the war, and so has been completely rebuilt from its foundations.  You can read more about the extraordinary efforts put into the rebuilding work on our blog.

Peacebuilding UK supports an English Club in Grozny, which provides English tuition and a space for young people to meet to discuss contemporary issues and make contact with young people in other countries. Sadly the local NGO set up to run this project (’English Club’) was closed down by local authorities in early December 2007, but should be able to re-open within several months.