Komera. Be Brave.
‘Komera. Be Brave.’ is a two-part resource available in book and curriculum format. The book is written and illustrated by Caitlin Vaka, and the curriculum is created by Melissa Donaher.
Audience: Ages 5-9, 10-14
The book shares the story of a young refugee boy, Aleze, who flees to Burundi from his home in the Democratic Republic of Congo and is later resettled in the United States. Through this story, students will come to understand some of the factors that contribute to the Congolese wars and empathize with individuals whose lives and education are disrupted by war. Students will make connections between the importance of community in Azele’s and other refugees’ lives, and their own experience of community and belonging, particularly during challenging times.
“ ‘We look different than they do. We speak a different language. We have different traditions.’ But we aren’t really that different at all...”
The curriculum is designed for educators who wish to teach their students about the importance of community and belonging. It discusses difficult topics such as war, violence, and ethnic conflict. The lessons includes four sequential modules that offer guiding questions, teacher notes, learning objectives and activities, and select multimedia. It is designed to be used alongside the children’s book Komera. Be Brave. Each module is intended to be implemented over one week in a series of one to three 30-60 minute lessons, which are all aligned to the New York State New Generation Grade 4 ELA Standards.
Download a PDF of the curriculum (1.4mb)
Additional reading: "I find myself as someone who is in the forest": Urban refugees as agents of social change in Kampala, Uganda by Sarah Dryden-Peterson (2006) in the Journal of Refugee Studies.
Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this publication belong solely to the authors and do not necessarily represent those of REACH or the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
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