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Changing Course, Transforming Education

This International Day of Education, ECW and partners are charting a course to reach even more crisis-affected children.

By Education Cannot Wait

January 24^th, 2022

“Education is, of course, a good in itself: few will deny that it unlocks human potential, bridging the gap between what we are and what we have in ourselves to become. Many describe its value – and its impact on us – as dramatic, mind-blowing and even magical, but it is best seen as the gift that keeps on giving.” ~The Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown

Access to a safe, inclusive, quality education is the fundamental human right of every girl and boy on this planet. Conflict, climate change-induced disasters, forced displacement and other emergencies and protracted crises are denying millions of children this basic human right.

This International Day of Education, as the world looks to change course and transform education, it is essential that crisis-affected children not be forgotten in our global mission to achieve universal and equitable education as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG4). Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and our partners are committed to reaching those left furthest behind with the hope, opportunity and protection that only education can provide.

Since its inception, ECW has reached nearly 5 million children around the world, with the launch of new programmes and additional contributions promising to shape the lives of millions more. As we come together on the International Day of Education, ECW and our partners highlight a ground-breaking contribution from Germany and look at the remarkable tales of resilience, strength and opportunity on the frontlines of the global education crisis.

Groundbreaking Contribution by Germany

The German government just announced €200 million in new, additional funding for the ECW fund. With this historic contribution, Germany becomes ECW’s top donor! This contribution also brings ECW’s Trust Fund to over $1.1 billion and, with over $1 billion leveraged through ECW in-country programmes, this makes ECW a $2 billion global fund just five years after its establishment.

This latest generous contribution, and the ongoing support of all of ECW’s donors and partners, signals a renewed commitment to achieving SDG4 and helps ensure that ECW’s reach and impact will continue to multiply in the years to come.

This means more girls will feel safe going to school, more boys will learn to read, more children will benefit from school feeding programmes, more adolescents will feel empowered to follow their dreams and more children with disabilities will enter the classroom for the very first time.

One thing is certain: strengthening education as a global common good cannot happen without making sure that it reaches every child – including those left furthest behind.

“Resolutions are just tiny steps. To make them a reality requires ACTION. Until it becomes action on the ground, those words mean very little. Not until you help that child to access a safe, quality education have you actually achieved the result.” ~Yasmine Sherif, Director of ECW

Hanifa participating in classroom activities. © Save the Children Ethiopia/Dereje/2021

Hanifa’s Story, Ethiopia

14-year-old Hanifa lives in an internally displaced persons site in southeast Ethiopia with her parents and seven siblings. When conflict forced her family to flee their old home, her schooling was put on hold; Hanifa fell behind her peers and was left unprepared for the national level examinations. With so many obstacles before her, Hanifa worried she might never re-enter the classroom.

An ECW-funded programme, delivered by Save the Children Ethiopia, has helped Hanifa catch up to her peers through free remedial classes for students who have missed school. Thanks to this support – part of a holistic Multi-Year Resilience Programme that is also addressing menstrual health and hygiene, providing school feeding programmes, sponsoring reading clubs and training teachers on how to best support students – fewer girls are missing school.

Hanifa understands the power of education to not only improve her life, but also her community. As her region faces water shortages due to severe droughts caused by climate change, Hanifa stands ready to harness education to bring real, sustainable solutions to her region.

“When I grow up and join university, I want to study Water Engineering to solve the water shortage for my community and my country."

Jair proudly shows off the cardboard creations that line the walls of his room. © UNICEF Ecuador/2020/Arcos

Jair’s Story, Ecuador

The shelves around Jair’s room are lined with his cardboard car creations, so it comes as no surprise that he dreams of becoming a mechanic. While his spatial intelligence is well-developed, an intellectual disability makes reading and writing difficult for the 15-year-old. Facing school closures due to COVID-19, Jair and his parents found themselves at a breaking point and considered pausing his education.

“This time of pandemic has been difficult for us as a family because we do not feel prepared to help Jair in his studies. At one point, we thought about removing Jair from school, but we changed our mind because we want the best for our children.”

Recognizing that Jair required additional reinforcement, his teacher connected his family with a counselor to develop a plan which better supported the teen’s learning style. ECW-funding has ensured that students like Jair keep receiving the psychosocial and pedagogical support that they need amidst the pandemic through donated data plans and tablets that are promoting contact between students, families and the educational community. Now, Jair and his mother can call his counselor whenever they need additional guidance and Jair is thriving!

Kawthar poses inside a UNICEF-supported self-learning center in Al-Hasakeh, northeast Syria. © UNICEF Syria/2020/Delil Souleiman

Kawthar’s Story, Syria

By 13, Kawthar had lived through displacement five times due to the conflict in Syria. Her early years were marked by instability and loss, preventing her from attending school. These roadblocks were further compounded by a physical impairment called stunting which impeded her growth. It made walking the long distance to school physically impossible for Kawthar.

Thanks to an ECW-funded self-learning programme which has reached thousands of out-of-school children, Kawthar was finally able to take the first step towards making her dream of attending school and becoming a fashion designer a reality. She recalls the moment she learned about UNICEF’s “Back to Learning” campaign.

“I could not stop smiling. I knew then that my dream could become a reality.”

The programme has not only helped Kawthar catch up to peers and supported her reintegration into formal school (ECW partners provide students-in-need with free transportation to and from school), but it has boosted Kawthar’s self-confidence.

A teacher in Somalia goes desk to desk checking her students' work. © UNICEF Somalia/Sebastian Rich

Sabah’s Story, Somalia

Just three years ago, Sabah spent her days helping with household chores and herding goats rather than studying as her pastoralist family could not afford her school fees. Today, 10-year-old Sabah is thriving at her local village school – placing 3rd in recent exams!

“I’m very glad to be among the top three students in the village school. I am hoping to be a doctor and cure sick people in the village when I grow up.”

Sabah was finally able to attend school with support from an ECW Multi-Year Resilience Programme which is reaching vulnerable children in the country experiencing poverty, food insecurity, water shortages and other ongoing crises. Pastoralist families like Sabah’s are acutely dependent on their livestock for basic food and income, with many moving from place to place in search of rain and pasture. School fees are out of the question for many families who are struggling to even put food on the table.

Thanks to support from ECW, Sabah’s primary school and many others now offer free schooling, an initiative that is bringing more and more children from rural communities into classrooms. In the face of school closures during the pandemic, ECW investments have ensured that vulnerable children and adolescents receive educational kits which include books and solar lamps. These kits and tailored education plans that suit the needs and lifestyle of pastoralist families are helping to keep girls and boys throughout Somalia learning.

Yasmine gets support and encouragement from her teacher, Kamal Hossein, and fellow students at the learning center. © UNICEF/Bangladesh

Yasmina’s Story, Bangladesh

Yasmina, a 10-year-old Rohingya refugee living in the world’s largest refugee camp in Bangladesh, has a contagious smile. Despite the horrors that she has witnessed in her young life, her resilience is steadfast. But learning has been difficult for Yasmina, who suffers from learning disabilities and a severe speech impediment.

While she began attending classes at a nearby learning center in the camp, her attendance wasn’t regular. Thanks to a “Back to Learning” campaign launched by ECW-supported partners, Yasmina’s mother was encouraged to send Yasmina back to school to continue her education through a new structured-learning programme which is ensuring that children with disabilities have inclusive access to learning opportunities.

Yasmina’s teachers are receiving extra training to help integrate her and other students with special needs into the classroom so that they can flourish. Yasmina’s mother beams with pride as she speaks of her daughter’s progress.

“I can see a big difference in Yasmina over the past few months. She feels very excited and encouraged to learn. I can also see some improvements in her speech. She is growing in confidence and much more content now that she is going to the learning center six days a week.”

ECW is proud of its work with partners to transform education in emergencies and protracted crises. The inspiring stories of Hanifa, Jair, Kawthar, Sabah and Yasmina provide just a snapshot of how access to safe, inclusive quality education can change not only that child’s life, but the futures of entire families and communities.

"As we commemorate the International Day of Education, let’s not just look at this as a one day celebration. Let’s take action now to provide quality education to girls, boys and adolescents in emergency settings and protracted crises!" ~Yasmine Sherif, Director of ECW

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