Two million high-risk children to be educated through EAA

Two million high-risk children to be educated through Education Above All-UK Department for International Development partnership

DOHA, 2 March 2016  Two million children in high-risk communities will receive primary education after Education Above All’s Educate A Child programme (EAC) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID) signed a five-year partnership agreement in London.

The agreement will benefit refugees and internally displaced children in Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, South Sudan, Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana. Almost 30 per cent of the 59 million out-of-school children globally live in these countries.

Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, Founder and Chairperson of EAA and Rt. Hon. Justine Greening MP, Secretary of State for International Development witnessed the signing of the agreement which was preceded by a meeting where Her Highness and Secretary Greening discussed the importance of accelerating efforts to enrol out-of-school children in quality education programmes, especially for those living in conflict affected regions. Her Highness emphasized the importance of dedicating resources specifically to support children affected by the Syrian crisis and advocated for the support of alternative educational approaches and modalities to the traditional education system in an effort to alleviate some of the barriers to accessing education.

Fahad Al Sulaiti, CEO of Education Above All, said:

“Primary education is a fundamental right, but millions of children across the globe have no access to quality education. We are thrilled to be partnering with the UK government, which is a powerful agent for change in the developing world, on this important endeavour. We hope that others will be inspired by the example set by EAC and by DFID and invest in the future of the world’s children.”

This partnership is an innovative way to tackle funding for education. Each side will operate according to its strengths – DFID by focusing on funding government systems, and EAC by funding local and international NGOs and UN agency projects – to maximise the pledge’s impact for the world’s most vulnerable children. Typically, Education Above All invests USD 100 per child so that, together with our partners, we can provide quality primary education for some of the world’s most hard to reach children.

Desmond Swayne, Minister of State, UK Department for International Development (DFID) said:

“Investing in education is absolutely fundamental to tackling extreme poverty and building secure, sustainable communities. For children, an education is their first step to being able to take control of their lives and build the future they want. No child should miss out on this opportunity simply because of where they happen to be born.

The UK has helped give a quarter of a million children affected by the Syria crisis an education and the Syria conference aims to achieve this for all children in the region. Our partnership with Education Above All will ensure that vulnerable children in low income and developing countries, as well as those affected by conflict, don’t miss out on the chance to go to school and the hope for a better future.”

In addition to working together on education in the target countries, EAC and DFID will collaborate on global advocacy, financing and delivering education programmes, conducting research, and coordinating organisational capacity and professional development programmes.