Archive for category: Education

Information and stories on education.

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SOLA Ensures Education for Afghan Girls

Education for Afghan GirlsThe School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA) is the first and only Afghan-led boarding school for Afghan girls, founded in 2008. While initially established in Kabul, Afghanistan, since the Taliban takeover, the school now operates in Rwanda. SOLA prioritizes education for Afghan girls amid Afghanistan’s instability.

Girls’ Education in Afghanistan

Historically, girls and women in Afghanistan have faced barriers to accessing education. The problem first began in 1992, after the fall of the Communist regime in Afghanistan. The Taliban seized control and immediately began to cut back educational opportunities for women.

In 2001, a U.S.-led invasion overthrew the Taliban, removing the group from power. From 2001 to 2018, nearly every statistic pointed to an improved system. School enrollment rose from 1 million to 10 million students, the number of teachers rose by almost 60% and the female literacy rate increased almost twofold from 17% to 30%. In particular, the number of girls in primary school increased from “almost zero in 2001 to 2.5 million in 2018,” UNESCO says. Furthermore, the number of Afghan girls enrolled in higher education rose from about 5,000 in 2001 to around 90,000 in 2018.

Before the Taliban seized power for a second time, the outlook for educational opportunities for girls was a positive one. As the Taliban did when it first came to power, the group began to reduce educational opportunities for women once again. According to UNESCO, 30% of Afghan girls have never taken part in primary education. In December 2022, the Taliban suspended women’s tertiary education, impacting more than 100,000 girls and women.

How SOLA Makes an Impact

The School of Leadership, Afghanistan welcomed its first inaugural class of girls in 2016. SOLA and its founder Shabana Basij-Rasikh continue to pave the way for the education of Afghan girls despite the seemingly grim outlook. According to SOLA’s website, it took merely four days for the school to move from Kabul to Rwanda after the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban.

Classes continued and Afghan girls from around the world come to SOLA to learn with a student population totaling well over 100 girls between 6th and 12th grades. While SOLA is only a small school, it is making a significant impact on the education of Afghan girls. SOLA is a beacon of hope for young Afghan women hoping to access education.

SOLA covers a variety of curricula for its students. All main classes are taught in English, which allows students to develop their language skills while learning geography, math, science and history. The school also teaches courses on the Quran, ensuring that the girls can maintain their religious background and beliefs while developing a secular education. SOLA even makes some sports, like swimming, available to the students.

The importance of formal education for Afghan girls cannot be understated. For Afghan girls who cannot come to SOLA, SOLA’s website says, “we will find opportunities to bring SOLA to them. We will work to build a global network of sisterhood between these girls and our SOLA students and alumnae and we will nurture and support the members of this sisterhood who will be well-prepared to return to Afghanistan and rebuild their homeland.”

Moving Forward

SOLA’s vision is to “educate Afghan girls: to create a leadership generation of women who will one day return home to Afghanistan and rebuild all that the Taliban have destroyed. What began in Kabul continues now in Rwanda,” its website says.

The history of educational opportunities for Afghan women is complex. SOLA aims to ensure that young Afghan girls have a chance at a bright future by continuing their education outside of war-torn Afghanistan.

– Ezra Bernstein
Photo: Flickr

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Poverty Reduction in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Poverty Reduction in the Democratic Republic of Congo
The largest country in Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is “among the five poorest nations in the world.” Political instability, humanitarian crises, and conflict have aided the fact that 64% of all Congolese lived under the poverty line in 2021. With the population growing, along with unemployment, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s government, joined with international aid, has been making efforts toward poverty reduction in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Socioeconomic Issues

According to data from the Democratic Republic of Congo’s government and the International Monetary Fund’s country reports, unemployment impacts 30% of young citizens, which the COVID-19 crisis has only impacted more. Within the workforce, there is a gap between genders. In 2021, Congolese women only made up 23% of the government, 14% of the parliament and 24% of communal councils. Unemployment is higher among women, at 10.2% juxtaposed to 9% for men.

The country is one of the highest in sub-Saharan Africa in levels of morbidity and mortality, along with having a maternity mortality ratio of 378 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy for the Republic of Congo report. When it comes to education, the Democratic Republic of Congo has seen a shortage of qualified teachers, a high student-to-teacher ratio and poor school infrastructure.

Poverty is the main issue within the country, as estimates have stated that the poverty rate rose between the years 2019 and 2020 by 4%, according to IMF. This is in large part due to the outbreak of COVID-19, which aggravated an economic recession and made it hard for Congolese people to afford rent, electricity and water bills, food and health care.

National Development Plan

The IMF report outlines the country’s National Development Plan 2022-2026. The goal of the plan is to “build a strong, diversified and resilient economy.” To do so, the government plans on focusing on agriculture, industry, tourism, real estate, technology and economic zones. This plan to regrow the economy comes with the prospect of an agreement with the IMF that could provide monetary aid.

Agriculture is an essential employer within the DRC, making it the first priority in the plan. By focusing on it, the country believes it can “fight effectively against unemployment, poverty, uncontrolled urbanization, the disarticulation of the national territory, food insecurity, and the foreign aid deficit.” The development of industry could bring modernization to the country and create jobs. In a similar vein, developing economic zones can create a “new national economy” and open them up to globalization. Tourism is a potential new market for the country to open up to, along with digitalization.

Following a visit to the DRC on February 15, 2023, the IMF released a statement reviewing the country’s recent economic data, saying that the agency “looks forward to continuing engagement in support of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

The World Bank

In 2022, the World Bank endorsed a Country Partnership Framework for the DRC that “promotes the stabilization and development of DRC, supporting strategic priorities and critical reforms to improve governance and deepen stabilization efforts.” The World Bank focuses on supporting the country’s developments in education, health and social protection.

As of June 2022, the World Bank aided poverty reduction in the Democratic Republic of Congo with $7.27 billion that financially supported 21 national projects and four regional projects. One of these projects is the Emergency Equity and System Strengthening in Education, which supports the country’s free primary education and lessens the burden of education costs on Congolese families. This project saw 2.5 million additional students enroll in school within 2021-2022 and allowed for around 60,000 teachers to receive regular salaries, the World Bank reports. The World Bank Urban Drinking Water Supply Project saw the installation of more than 450 community waterpoints, and the STEP-KIN project, launched in March 2021, is targeted to help 250,000 in its next phase.

The Human Rights Council

Recently, the United Nations Human Rights Council has been holding hearings with the Presidents of nations such as the DRC regarding peace plans. The speakers at this panel said that “human rights were at the centre of all global issues the world confronted today” and that “international financial institutions needed to undertake special measures to support developing countries in protecting basic rights to food, livelihood and a decent living.”

Félix-Antione Tshisekedi Tshilombo, the president of the DRC, spoke about political and military conflict within the country, a factor that can worsen poverty. The Human Rights Council and the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights recently addressed this conflict, reiterating a call for peace in Africa, along with assuring that “the U.N. Human Rights Office stands ready to continue our work to support the country in its efforts to overcome the human rights challenges that remain.”

As poverty reduction in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues, it is important to keep in mind how valuable foreign aid is to the rebuilding and restructuring of communities and countries.

– Audrey Gaines
Photo: Flickr

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Education and Digital Inclusion for Young People in Africa

Young People in Africa
The LIFE Program (Life Skills, ICT, Financial, Entrepreneurship), which Paradigm Initiative established, seeks to bridge the digital divide by providing young people in Africa with relevant ICT skills, such as coding, programming and digital marketing. Here is some information about Paradigm Initiative and the LIFE Program. 

About Paradigm Initiative

Paradigm Initiative is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to empower young people in Africa through digital inclusion and advocacy. The organization originated in Nigeria in 2007 and has since expanded to other African countries including Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.

The Paradigm Initiative’s main focus is on digital rights advocacy, digital inclusion and digital entrepreneurship. They work to promote policies and practices that protect and expand digital rights for individuals and communities, as well as to provide access to digital skills and technology for underprivileged youth. Additionally, the organization runs various programs and initiatives aimed at supporting the growth of digital entrepreneurship and innovation in Africa.

The LIFE Program

The LIFE Program, which Paradigm Initiative founded, equips young people with entrepreneurial and life skills to help them create and manage their own businesses successfully. By doing so, the program aims to empower young people to become self-sufficient and competitive in the job market.

The LIFE Program recognizes the importance of reaching young people where they are and as such, it has developed a range of innovative approaches to training, including mobile classrooms and online training platforms. The program also works closely with local communities and partners to ensure that training is relevant to local needs.

Overall, the LIFE Program is an essential initiative that is contributing to digital inclusion and economic empowerment in Africa. By equipping young people with essential digital, life and business skills, the program is creating a generation of young Africans who are better prepared to take advantage of the opportunities of this new digital age.

The Reasons the LIFE Program is Necessary

According to the United Nations, “Africa has the youngest population in the world, with 70% of sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30.” This presents a significant opportunity for the development of the ICT sector in Africa, as young people are often early adopters of technology. Despite the growth of the ICT sector in Africa, there remains a significant skills gap in the region.

Overall, while there are significant opportunities for the development of the ICT sector in Africa, there are also challenges that need to be addressed, including the skills gap. The goal of the LIFE Program is to empower young Africans to become leaders in their communities and to create a more prosperous and profitable future for themselves and their families. By providing access to education and digital aid, the program is helping to build a more sustainable Africa.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plays a significant role in empowering youth in Africa. Here are some ways ICT can benefit young people in Africa.

Ways ICT Can Benefit African Youth

  • The improvement of access to education: ICT provides African youths with access to educational resources such as online courses, e-books and educational videos. This access to information allows them to learn about different subjects and improve their academic performance.
  • Improving employability: With ICT skills, African youths can increase their employability and competitiveness in the job market. Many companies require employees to be proficient in computer applications and the internet.
  • Empowering entrepreneurship: African youths can use ICT to start and run businesses and sell products and services online. This digital empowerment creates opportunities for them to become self-employed and create more job opportunities.
  • Enhancing communication and networking: The creation of ICT facilitates communication and networking between African youths and other people across the globe. This communication allows them to share ideas, collaborate on projects and develop partnerships.
  • Conjuring innovation: ICT enables African youths to develop innovative solutions to address societal problems.

Looking Ahead

In conclusion, ICT plays a crucial role in the lives of African youths. It has an impact on education, employment, entrepreneurship, communication, networking and innovation. Therefore, it is essential to invest in ICT infrastructure and NGOs like the Paradigm Initiative and its LIFE Program to empower African youths and support their development.

– Lauryn Defreitas
Photo: Flickr

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How Vocational Training Centers in Uganda are Helping Women and Girls

Vocational Training Centers in Uganda
Uganda is an east-African nation occupied by dozens of ethnic groups. Over the past few decades, the Ugandan government has made several efforts to improve the lives of its female citizens, who make up 50.71% of the population. In addition to government-level actions, the women’s movement in Uganda is also one of the most diverse and progressive across Africa. However, recent political developments in the country, such as the 2021 re-election of President Yoweri Museveni, have constricted human rights, especially the rights of women. Luckily, vocational training centers in Uganda are emerging to empower women and girls.

Women’s Rights in Uganda

International conventions act as the framework through which people understand women’s rights in Uganda. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) have both influenced the country’s 1995 constitution, the foundation of the country’s legislation.

Formally, the Ugandan government claims to oppose all laws and practices which violate women’s rights. In actuality, countless women and girls in Uganda, especially those in rural areas, do not have the same rights as their male counterparts.

Moreover, the lockdowns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the rights of women and girls in Uganda because the government was unable to support women facing violence at home. As a result, about 90,000 girls under the age of 18 became pregnant.

Education for Girls in Uganda

Women and girls aged over 15 in Uganda spend 14.6% of their time on unpaid care and domestic work, compared to 8.8% of the time spent by men. In addition, girls often lack the educational rights of men. In primary and pre-primary education young girls and boys attend schools at similar rates. However, once children reach secondary school age – between 13 and 18 – lower numbers of girls attend school compared to boys. At the university age, the ratio is skewed in the favor of boys even more.

For many young girls early marriage and motherhood mean an end to their education. Women aged 15-49 – the typical reproductive age range – frequently face barriers to reproductive health care and often lack access to sexual health education. Female genital mutilation is also still a major challenge for women and girls in Uganda. ​​Vocational training centers in Uganda could offer young women a different future.

Enabling Women’s Empowerment in Uganda

According to the U.N., equipping young women and girls in Uganda with practical skills could be transformative in giving them greater financial autonomy. In Uganda, 38.5% of women are below the international poverty line compared to 33.9% of men. While it is clear that more needs to support all genders, the empowerment of women is an integral part of reducing poverty in the country.

Creating vocational training centers in Uganda will provide a brighter future for young women and girls. Grassroots and charity organizations such as Resilient Women Uganda are supporting women and girls by building these centers across Uganda.

Resilient Women Uganda

Resilient Women Uganda supports women and girls, who come from poor families and are between the ages of 10 and 20, through the provision of vocational training centers in Uganda. It works with those exposed to gender-based violence and at risk of school dropout. The projects conducted with Resilient Women Uganda aim to improve the socio-economic status of young women and girls by allowing them to develop marketable skills. These skills include tailoring and knitting, computer literacy, English lessons, hairdressing and more.

Resilient Women Uganda’s main priority is helping girls who have left education go back to school. The organization, which two women founded in 2016, relies on the commitment of a group of volunteers. So far the group has met 9,504 teenage girls and helped 359 women find jobs through vocational training centers.

A brighter future for young Ugandan women is within reach and could help alleviate poverty in the country by improving standards of living and increasing women’s rights.

– Florence Jones
Photo: Unsplash

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Madagascar’s Social Protection Programs

Madagascar’s Social Protection Programs
Although very little attention comes the way of Madagascar, recent U.N. aid has placed a much-needed spotlight on its problems. The small island nation off the east coast of Africa has one of the highest poverty rates in the world, with more than 75% of the population living on under $1.90 a day. Looking to address this issue within Madagascar’s institutions, the U.N. worked with local officials to create the ‘Fagnavotse’ social protection program. Fagnavotse provides a mix of health insurance, cash transfers and training services to the poorest Malagasies, reaching more than nine thousand households during its three-year existence. Here is some information about Madagascar’s social protection programs.

Drawbacks

A critical part of Fagnavotse is its emphasis on training and protection. Madagascar suffers from extremely low rates of human capital, meaning that despite its abundant natural resources, poor health, education and food access limit long-term growth. Meanwhile, pandemic shocks and the war in Ukraine have raised fuel prices and hampered growth. Madagascar’s social protection program educates farmers on proper practices, providing them with tools and equipping them for the country’s long drought periods. In addition, it offers women affected by gender-based violence and abuse counseling and community support. Over time, the U.N. hopes the program will boost the productivity of Madagascar’s poorest citizens.

Although Fagnavotse was a necessary step in the right direction, access to social protection programs continues to hamper economic growth. Originally conceived for Madagascar’s three most poverty-stricken communes, social protection programs like Fagnavotse only affect 6% of the population and take up around 1% of the budget, suggesting there is room for improvement. A World Bank Study in 2018 found that $50 cash transfers like those in Ethiopia could reduce the poverty rate by as much as 40%. Rather than a sign of defeat, the U.N. chose to treat this as an opportunity to expand its program.

Recent Developments

On February 6, 2023, the World Bank earmarked $250 million in loans for social protection programs in Madagascar. Over the next four years, the aid will target the 3 million poorest Malagasies, more than 13% of the population. The World Bank intends to merge many of the existing social protection programs into a more cohesive system, affecting more people more efficiently. As Marie-Chantal Unwanyiligara, the program’s country manager, stated, “We are very pleased to support a scale-up of Madagascar’s social protection programs … supported by a national social registry that other sectors will use to target the most vulnerable.”

Madagascar’s new social protection program, like Fagnavotse, focuses on immediate aid and long-term growth to reduce the country’s poverty count. The two key aspects of the new program are increased cash transfers to female heads of households and improved access to economic safety nets. This will provide immediate security to the many millions of Malagasies living in extreme poverty while working towards the U.N.’s goal of female empowerment. The World Bank hopes that these cash transfers will disperse themselves throughout the economy, multiplying their positive effect.

In addition, Madagascar’s new social protection program aims to spur growth and tackle the root of the country’s problems. Julia Ravelosa, an economist working with the World Bank, noted that one of the program’s primary objectives is to “encourage girls’ school attendance, promote access to reproductive and health care services, and encourage women’s participation in a package of accompanying measures including financial and economic inclusion.” Madagascar can significantly bolster the country’s overall productivity by improving women’s education and entry into the workforce.

The Road Ahead

Madagascar’s social protection programs still face the challenge of their implementation. For a struggling nation like Madagascar, these reforms are pivotal in reducing extreme poverty and present the quickest opportunity for growth. In the past, low funds and reach hindered the full implementation of these programs, but the World Bank’s support comes as a positive sign in a country that desperately needs one.

– Samuel Bowles
Photo: Pixabay

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Violence in Haiti Impacts Education

Violence in Haiti
In February 2023, UNICEF reported a ninefold increase in acts of violence against schools in Haiti over the period of 12 months. Schools have been the locus of attacks and violence by armed groups and this has a direct impact on one of the most fundamental human rights of children: education. Education is not only the pillar of a welfare state but is also fundamental for the development of social capital in the country. Violence in Haiti stands as a barrier to the progression of children’s education.

Violence in Numbers

According to reports by UNICEF partners, armed gangs targeted 72 educational institutions in Haiti in the first four months of the scholastic year (October to February) compared to eight during the same time the year prior. In particular, armed groups attacked a minimum of 13 school facilities, set a school on fire, murdered one pupil and kidnapped a minimum of two school staff workers.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that armed factions rule 60% of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. Gangs targeting schools also steal critical educational supplies, such as desks, blackboards and computers. Along with cafeteria equipment, gangs steal vital supplies of “rice, dough and maize” used to provide school lunches, which are sometimes the only meals Haitian children eat in a day.

Impacts of Escalating Violence in Haiti

Due to the rising violence in metropolitan areas, 30 schools closed their doors in just the first six days of February 2023 and more than 25% of schools have stayed closed since October 2022, a decision that principals took to protect staff and students. Students missed an average of one and a half school days per week in January 2023 due to the risk of violence. By the end of June 2023, according to UNICEF, pupils could miss out on 36 days of education if no one took action to safeguard schools from violence. Despite the risk, the Haitian Ministry of Education has pushed for schools to reopen. As a result, three out of four schools reopened by December 2022, up from fewer than one in 10 reopenings in October.

Taking Action

A UNICEF report for the period July to November 2022 highlights the organization’s efforts to safeguard children’s rights to education. In Haiti, during the summer vacation, UNICEF funded a summer children’s camp in Lycee National de la Saline, providing 803 Haitian children with “a safe space for children to express themselves through plays and other activities.” UNICEF also gave cash transfers to 1,200 impoverished families with school-age children in Port-au-Prince and areas that the most recent earthquake affected. UNICEF is also providing support for the renovation of three educational facilities in Cité Soleil along with the supply of school furniture and learning materials.

UNICEF urges the Haitian government to make sure that schools are secure and to prosecute organizations and people who endanger or hurt children while attending school. The U.N. praises education for not only imparting knowledge and skills but also for transforming lives and propelling growth for individuals, groups and nations, saying that schools “must be places of learning, safety and harmony.”

Overall, the U.N. urges all nations to sign the Safe Schools Declaration, “an inter-governmental political commitment to protect students, teachers, schools and universities, from the worst effects of armed conflict.” This declaration has received support from 111 nations so far and lays out specific actions that governments can take to safeguard educational institutions. In line with this, U.N. head António Guterres said at a virtual event in September 2021, “We urge Member States to go beyond their obligations under international law and implement national policies and laws that safeguard schools and learners.” The loss stemming from education disruptions is significant. By upholding children’s rights to education, the international community safeguards the future.

– Carmen Corrales Alonso
Photo: Flickr

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Government Apps Encouraging Online Education in India

Online Education in India
UNICEF says, “the Indian education system is one of the largest in the world with more than 1.5 million schools, 8.5 million teachers and 250 million children.” However, a lack of access to quality education has pronounced India’s literacy gap. According to the World Bank, India’s literacy rate stood at 82% among adult men in 2018 while, among women, it stood at just 66%. A 2013-2014 survey said, at the time, around 20 million children in India did not attend preschool and about half of teenagers did not finish high school. Bridging the digital divide between the rural and urban and shifting to online education in India has the potential to expand education access in the country. In the last few years, India has launched several online platforms to ensure access to education for children of all backgrounds.

Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds

SWAYAM, a Hindi word for self, stands for Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds. The government program aims to improve education equity, access and quality. “The objective of this effort is to take the best teaching learning resources to all, including the most disadvantaged. SWAYAM seeks to bridge the digital divide for students who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy,” the SWAYAM website says.

SWAYAM is a Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) portal that also comes with a mobile application to boost online education in India. The All India Council For Technical Education, an Indian regulatory body, created SWAYAM in 2016 with the goal of combining education courses in one platform accessible to everyone, anywhere and at any time. SWAYAM covers all courses and subjects from class 9 to the post-graduation level through the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL).

SWAYAM courses are free, but students can only obtain a course completion certificate after writing the final exam, which comes at a fee of about $12. Learning on SWAYAM is easy and convenient. Students can learn from the pre-recorded video lectures with subtitles, perform free self-assessment tasks and download free study materials. So far, more than 20 million students have enrolled in SWAYAM and more than 1.5 million students successfully completed their courses.

DIKSHA Platform

DIKSHA, short for Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing, is a platform for online education in India functioning in almost every state and union territory. The Indian Ministry of Education launched DIKSHA in September 2017 as a National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) initiative to empower and train teachers in imparting education in creative ways. However, in 2020, the app extended its services to students when the pandemic forced the government to shut down schools and colleges across the country.

The DIKSHA app operates in 36 Indian languages and can be accessed anywhere in the country. It issues free e-textbooks, training courses and virtual lab activities, and also renders access to TV-based classroom lessons. DIKSHA also accommodates students with special needs with the provision of audiobooks, sign language videos and special dictionaries.

E-PG Pathshala

E-PG Pathshala is another application fostering online education in India, launched with the objective to provide high-quality online content in 70 subjects. It also provides more than 700 e-books and video lectures for all postgraduate courses through its ebooks portal. Along with this, e-PG Pathshala also hosts online MOOC courses in postgraduate subjects through the portal of SWAYAM.

Operating under the skills and expertise of 3,200 professionals, the app is a virtual library with more than 20,000 e-textbooks and 19,000 videos along with animations, simulations and virtual labs. It also includes quizzes and assignments for creative self-learning. Developed in 2014 under the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology, the University Grants Commission implements this national portal.

Shortcomings in India’s Digital Education System

Every path has its puddle and the system of online education in India also has its own shortcomings. While online education in India became the only source of learning amid the lockdowns during the pandemic, many teachers complained that the online classes alienated students and prevented teachers and students from forming an emotional bond that could only be created in an in-person classroom.

Additionally, according to the Azim Premji University study on “Myths of Online Education” in 2020, almost 60% of children in India do not have access to online learning because of the lack of smartphones, multiple siblings sharing the same phone and lack of internet.

A survey conducted in August 2021 across 15 states and union territories assessed the impact of the pandemic on education in India, revealing a significant tech divide. The survey discloses that 37% of rural poor children did not engage in education at all and only 8% of rural children attended online classes routinely.

Looking Ahead

The Indian government launched the PM e-Vidya scheme in 2020 with the objective to unify all initiatives related to online education in India, providing access to various online portals all in one place. The scheme aims to benefit 250 million school-going children.

The Indian government has also made sufficient efforts to boost the implementation of the modified BharatNet initiative under which all the government schools and gram panchayats (village councils) in rural areas receive free internet connectivity to decrease the digital divide. The government has allocated more than a trillion rupees, the highest ever allocation, to India’s education sector in the Union Budget 2023-24. It has also planned to set up a national digital library in India to increase access to educational books.

Overall, these government apps look to improve the accessibility and quality of education through online learning.

– Aanchal Mishra
Photo: Pixabay

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Funding for Education in Somaliland

Funding for Education in Somaliland
Since its declaration of independence from Somalia in 1991, Somaliland has carved out its own destiny as an autonomous region in East Africa. While no country recognizes Somaliland as a sovereign state, Somaliland has an independent government overseeing more than 3.5 million people living in the northwest of Somalia. East Africa is facing one of the worst droughts on record with crop failure and famine threatening a full-blown humanitarian crisis. The crisis most harshly affects Somali children who endure malnourishment, displacement and lack of access to education. Through funding for education in Somaliland, education access can increase.

Education in Somalia

USAID reports that Somalia has the largest out-of-school population globally — about 3 million out of 5 million school-age children are not attending school, owing in large part to the displacement that the ongoing civil war caused. This educational crisis reached a head between November 2016 to August 2017 when mass displacement prevented up to 50,000 children from attending school.

Somaliland has a disproportionately low attendance rate compared with other regions, such as neighboring Puntland. A staggering 44% of girls and 31% of boys have never attended school in Somaliland compared with 36% and 26% respectively in Puntland, a 2012 article by Peter Moyi highlights.

In recent years, the aid response from the international community has been lackluster. Funding for education in Somaliland was largely reserved for individual benefactors, such as former U.S. hedge-fund manager, Jonathan Starr, who built his own boarding school in Somaliland.

Inevitably, however, institutions like Starr’s Abaarso School of Science and Technology can accept only a select few of the nation’s brightest and offer scholarships to colleges abroad rather than those in East Africa. To increase student enrolment across the board, organizational funding is necessary to build new schools and train and employ staff.

An October 2022 article by the Somali Dispatch says, due to a lack of educational facilities, 400 students in the Saraar region were studying in the city’s market, working with impractical spaces donated by the city’s traders. Evidently, there is a keen awareness of the importance of education in much of Somaliland but a dire lack of facilities.

The Good News

Funding for education in Somaliland from larger organizations provides hope to students. A recent partnership between Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and UNICEF led to the launch of a multi-year program in July 2019 with the aim of increasing quality educational opportunities for young people in Somaliland who face crises like famine and drought. ECW allocated an initial grant of $6.7 million toward a target of $64 million for a three-year education program to provide a comprehensive, forward-thinking response.

The ECW’s overall investments in Somalia have led to the construction or renovation of 7,874 classrooms. Furthermore, 1,306 classrooms have received learning supplies to foster an environment conducive to learning. On top of this, more than 1,900 educators and administrators have received training from ECW. Of almost a quarter of a million children targeted by the scheme, the EWC has reached more than 170,000 as of June 2022.

Student enrollment has increased, not only because of the new infrastructure that ECW’s considerable funding for education in Somaliland introduced but also due to a gradual shift in local attitudes that new educators encouraged. The chairman of the Somaliland school Community Education Committee (ECE), Saeed Hassan, praised the partnership for educating local leaders on the importance of “mobilizing [parents] to enroll their children who missed school” owing to displacement.

Ultimately, the need to garner funding for education in Somaliland is as relevant now as ever. The work that the ECW and UNICEF partnership carried out is only possible with continued financial support. In November 2022, the ECW announced a $5 million First Emergency Response grant to prevent as many as 900,000 students from dropping out due to the impacts of the extreme climatic events in the region.

To ensure the brightest possible future for vulnerable youth in the region, funding for education in Somaliland must continue to grow. 

– Max Edmund
Photo: Flickr

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How The Avido Foundation is Aiding Kibera

Aiding Kibera
David Avido, the creator of the Lookslike Avido clothing brand and The Avido Foundation, has made a remarkable impact within Nigeria and globally. Avido has overseen operations and provided leadership for sustainable program implementation. The Avido Foundation has placed these programs to inspire youths to live a life free of crime and idleness. Through this, households are able to generate income, further giving back to theie community. Here is how The Avido Foundation and Lookslike Avido are aiding Kibera. 

The Avido Foundation

Avido had the desire to create an NGO that would bring additional aid to Kibera locals who are in need of a brighter future. A group of committed, young individuals who are hungry to make a difference in developing communities by creating innovative ways to end the cycle of poverty established the organization in 2021. Lookslike Avido expresses David Avido’s message through the crafting of beautiful handmade pieces in Kibera. Here is how Looklikes Avido is aiding Kibera.

5 Ways Looklikes Avido is Giving Back to Kibera

  • Creating Jobs: Looklikes Avido employs 12 local tailors on a project-by-project basis. As the clothing brand expands, its objective is to generate long-term employment for people.
  • Upholding the Community: Looklikes Avido has created 74 school uniforms and funded tuition for 10 students. Along with mentoring young people, it also organizes cleaning activities.
  • Eliminating Fabric Waste: All of the organization’s unused materials help create free COVID-19 masks for the people of Kibera or shopping bags or it donates them to local tailoring classes.
  • Investing: The organization reinvests 20% of its profits into localizing the value chain. It does this in Kibera and includes investments in product photo shoots, artist collaborations and item tailoring.
  • COVID-19 Initiative: In 2020, approximately 600 food distributions and 23,000 free face masks were provided to the residents of Kibera in collaboration with the Uweza Foundation. 

About the Avido Foundation

The Avido Foundation itself is a non-governmental organization based in Kibera. The majority of their initiatives serve to specifically target mothers and children who live in the Kibera slum. The number of Nigerians living in poverty stands at more than 133 million, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), and that figure represents 63% of the nation’s population. Avido’s efforts focus on eradicating poverty by educating children and empowering the people affected with tailoring and fashion design skills. Here are four programs that the Avido Foundation provides that are aiding Kibera.

4 of The Avido Foundation’s Programs

  1. Vocational Training: Tailors at Lookslike Avido provide training to the deaf community and young women in tailoring. The course lasts approximately six months. At the end of the program, individuals gain the skills necessary to improve their finances and decrease their dependency on family members.
  2. Helping Students: The Avido Organization identifies pupils who may drop out because of unpaid school fees in cooperation with Kibera’s primary schools. Numerous Kibera families cannot afford to put their children in school due to high unemployment rates within Kibera and Nigeria. The Avido Foundation assists and supports children throughout their whole academic careers.
  3. Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy: The Avido Foundation has provided a safe place as well as exercises including yoga for youths living in Kibera. This ensures that they can express their emotions and share their hardships openly. Avido’s goal is to assist in eliminating the stigma associated with discussing mental health.
  4. Emergency Relief: The Avido Foundation has invested itself in organizing fundraising campaigns for emergency relief, such as extinguishing fires, combating flooding and addressing food distribution issues that have consistently affected Kibera.

Building imaginative futures and empowering the people of Kibera are the primary motivations behind The Avido Foundation and the global fashion brand LooksLike Avido. The Avido Foundation is one of the many NGOs that are changing the world.

– Lauryn Defreitas
Photo: Flickr

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How Grian is Aiding Education in Ghana

Education in Ghana
Education in Ghana is a consistent challenge, particularly in rural areas with “poor classroom conditions, inadequate textbooks and teaching materials and a high rate of female dropout after primary level.” The overall quality of education is low, with a child who has completed nearly 12 years of school having only learned the equivalent of fewer than six years of schooling. According to Cross Catholic Outreach, “nearly a third of students don’t complete primary school and only 47% complete secondary school.” Access to education aids the fight against poverty because receiving a high-quality education improves the likelihood of success for young children. Gender inequality is another issue for education in Ghana; child marriages, labor and the overarching stereotype that a female’s education is “less valuable” than a male’s.

Who is Grian?

Grian is a content creator, primarily publishing Minecraft videos on YouTube. Most known for being a prominent member of Minecraft’s Hermitcraft series, Grian has more than 8 million subscribers on YouTube meaning that he has the ability to reach and potentially influence a wide audience from all over the world. Over the course of 2021, Grian and his viewers worked on raising money to build a primary school in Ghana. Through various online events, they raised a total of more than £27,000 (almost $37,000), surpassing the sum needed to finish the project. While Grian raised this amount of money, credit also has to go to Nana A. Bonin III, Queen Mother of Denyase Traditional Area in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. She is the sole founder of this school and has worked to raise money since the project began in 2017.

The Denyaseman Village Pre-School

The Denyaseman Village Pre-School is located in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. In July 2022, the “official ceremony to commission the school took place.” In addition to the financial support from Grian’s efforts, there were demonstrations of generosity from the community, with a local tailor offering to “make the school uniforms if the parents provided fabric.” This project reflects the need for educational development in rural areas of Ghana. The Denyaseman Village Pre-School is just one example of work people do to boost education in Ghana.

The completion of Grian’s project will undoubtedly increase the quality of life of local children, both now and in the future. When looking at education in Ghana, the statistics are telling enough that work is necessary to boost accessibility to learning resources. The education system faces “a fragmented and overloaded curriculum, unequal access and weak and incoherent administrative control.” In Ghana, it is common for students to “miss educational milestones” and drop out of school early and particularly for girls, educational outcomes beyond the secondary level are low, according to Cross Catholic Outreach.

The work of Grian is a prime example of someone utilizing their platform to advocate for the less fortunate. With more attention moving to the subject matter of extreme poverty, more influential figures could help the fight and aim to reduce poverty.

– Ruby Wallace
Photo: Flickr