Latest news with #EducationCannotWait
Forbes
3 days ago
- Politics
- Forbes
The Power Of The Human Spirit Comes Alive In Peru
When Nicole and her family left their home in Venezuela, she thought all hope was lost. Through the support of a UNICEF program delivered with funding from Education Cannot Wait, Nicole is back in school and thriving in Peru. After immigrating from Venezuela with her family, 15-year-old Nicole is thriving at school in Lima, Peru, with support from integrated services delivered by UNICEF with funding from Education Cannot Wait (ECW). © UNICEF/UNI790498/Rafahela Garcia. All rights reserved. By Gregory Benchwick Fifteen-year-old Nicole is a portrait of the indomitable power of the human spirit. She is just one of the more than 7.9 million refugees, migrants and asylum seekers who have fled violence, poverty and chaos in Venezuela. The journey hasn't been easy. It took 15 days for Nicole and her family to reach Lima, Peru. For many others, it will be months before they make it to their final destination, traveling in dangerous conditions and with minimal support. While she's grateful she could continue her studies at her new school in Peru, Nicole has faced bullying, isolation and other challenges. The culture and customs are far different from where she grew up, and at first Nicole struggled to adjust to her new school. Learning to adapt to a new school in a new country was difficult at first for Nicole, seen her at age 13 in 2023. She experienced bullying and discrimination. An innovative program delivered by UNICEF with funding from Education Cannot Wait (ECW) promoting respect and cultural sensitivity has benefitted all students at her school, not just newcomers. © UNICEF/UNI516966/Angel Fonseca. All rights reserved. With the support of an innovative education program delivered by UNICEF with funding from Education Cannot Wait (ECW), Nicole has truly found herself — and her place — in her new classroom. The program promotes respect, non-discrimination and sensitivity through a quality education. 'I have adapted more, integrated more and my classmates know me more now," Nicole says. "Before, I isolated myself a lot. But now I feel better, more sure of myself and proud of all I have accomplished and what is to come." ECW has invested $15.3 million in Peru since 2017. The programs have been delivered by a wide consortium of local and international partners, including UNICEF, in coordination with Peru's Ministry of Education. Over the years, these investments have reached nearly 50,000 children with quality, holistic education supports, provided training for 14,000 teachers, and issued cash transfers to more than 5,700 students to ensure continued access to education. A teacher helps Nicole, left, and a classmate at their desks in 2023. The sign on the wall says, "I want it, I can do it and I deserve it." © UNICEF/UNI517079/Angel Fonseca. All rights reserved. With guided interventions from the program, tailored psychosocial support and other integrated initiatives, Nicole is making new friends and hitting her stride in a new country, a new home and a new life — including an upcoming school trip to Cusco with her friends. She is now in her final year of secondary school, and was elected to the student council. 'I want to study law in the university. I also like cosmetology and dentistry, so I'd like to have at least two majors,' Nicole says. Nicole, left, and a classmate study together in 2025. © UNICEF/UNI790491/Rafahela Garcia. All rights reserved. In the Lima and Trujillo areas, a total of 132 schools benefited from the +Diversidad Program delivered by UNICEF from 2021 to 2024. The multi-year resilience program is now in its second phase with RET International as the lead organization. 'In the context of the +Diversidad Program, UNICEF and its partners have been working with the schools, with the teachers and with all the members of the education community to approach these cases of bullying and violence against adolescent migrants and refugees,' says Fernando Bolaños, Education Officer for UNICEF Peru. 'This collective work has resulted in reduced cases of discrimination, abuse and bullying in the schools that we accompany.' Similar programs are being delivered with funding from ECW in response to the Venezuelan regional refugee crisis in Colombia and Ecuador. Together, these programs form a lifeline to support the safety and well-being of refugee and migrant children who are confronted with enormous challenges. Fleeing violence, hunger and poverty in Venezuela, they face a number of truly terrifying human rights violations en route, including sexual trafficking, rape, recruitment into armed groups and other unimaginable attacks on their humanity. 'Nicole's story shows us an adolescent girl with many strengths and capacity even in the face of adversity,' says Maritza Caycho, a representative for Alternativa, the local implementing partner. 'There are many Venezuelan migrant and refugee girls and boys who have arrived in our country who have these same stories and who also need a school that is truly inclusive; a school that is accommodating and that recognizes diversity.' It hasn't always been easy, but Nicole is feeling more at home in her new community in Peru, with support from UNICEF and Education Cannot Wait (ECW). © UNICEF/UNI790545/Rafahela Garcia. All rights reserved. Nicole has learned to speak out and to stand up for herself. 'If they are going to say something bad about you or bully you, never remain silent," she says. "We always need to be united together to become better people and to be able to learn a little more.' Worldwide, there are more than 234 million girls and boys like Nicole whose education has been disrupted by the converging challenges of conflict, forced displacement and climate child has the right to the safety, hope and opportunity that only a quality education can provide. Join ECW and UNICEF today to #KeepHopeAlive. Your contribution to UNICEF is more important than ever. Please donate. Right now, the lives of the most vulnerable children hang in the balance as conflicts and crises jeopardize the care and protection that they deserve. Dependable, uninterrupted and effective foreign aid is critical to the well-being of millions of children. Please contact your members of Congress and urge them to support ongoing U.S. investments in foreign assistance.
Scoop
5 days ago
- General
- Scoop
Ukraine: Air Raid Sirens Halted One In Every Five Lessons This School Year
Air raid sirens forced children in Ukraine to miss an average of one in every five school lessons during the past academic year that ends this week with pupils preparing the third consecutive summer under war, Save the Children said. In some regions, pupils missed over half of their classes during the 2024-2025 academic year due to air raid sirens, according to a Save the Children analysis of publicly available data [2] about the frequency of air raid alerts and impact on education from 2 September 2024 to 11 May 2025. Save the Children's analysis, using methodology developed this year, [2] found if students had five lessons in a typical day, on average they would miss one due to air raid sirens. This sustained disruption is putting an entire generation's learning and development at risk, and chipping away at children's mental wellbeing. The most significant disruptions to the education process occurred in the northern and central regions of Ukraine - those closest to the frontline of fighting. Children in the Sumy region were the most impacted, missing an estimated 85% of all scheduled lessons, equivalent to about 700 out of 830 lessons. Kharkiv and Donetsk regions had visibly higher losses than most other regions, with students missing over two thirds of lessons over the year. For the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, territories located near active hostilities, students missed out on over 40% of lessons. The analysis is released in the same week as the 10th anniversary of the Safe Schools Declaration , [1] the inter-governmental political commitment to protect schools, students and teachers during armed conflict. It is based on methodology developed by the Center for Education in Emergencies Research as part of the 2024-2026 Multi-Year Resilience Programme (MYRP Ukraine), funded by the global fund Education Cannot Wait. Across Ukraine, children live in constant fear of potential attacks that frequently keep them home from school, as air raid sirens often start in the morning and persist throughout the school day. Since February 2022, more than 4,000 educational institutions have been damaged or destroyed, including 229 schools, 110 kindergartens, and 97 universities. Air raid sirens in Ukraine are only activated in case of a real threat or emergency. When a siren sounds, teachers must immediately stop the lesson and escort children to a shelter. Classes can only resume if the shelter is properly equipped as a temporary learning space which is rarely the case. Even in schools operating online due to security concerns or a lack of shelters, lessons are interrupted as children must still seek shelter during alerts. Students must remain in a safe place until the threat has passed. With the escalation of conflict coming just a year after schools re-opened following the COVID-19 pandemic, the toll of lost learning has been immense. UNESCO data shows that schools in Ukraine were fully closed for 125 learning days [3] during the pandemic and partially closed for a further 95. A quarter of children - 24% - are still restricted to online learning only, due to lack of shelters in schools and other security issues. Halyna-, a mother and a teacher from Mykolaiv, who teaches in person, said: "Our children have been through such a distressing experience. They constantly read news channels, they understand what ballistics are, how missiles are launched, their potential trajectory, and the different types of explosions. They know what it means when a missile is launched and when it hits. They understand all of it. But understanding doesn't take away the fear. The psychological stress they're under is immense." Sonia Khush, Country Director for Save the Children in Ukraine, said: "Children in Ukraine, especially those who live in the East and near the frontline, are under constant stress because of air raid sirens both day and night. "Due to bombs and drones, school is no longer a safe space. All parties to the conflict must protect education - schools, kindergartens, universities - in line with the commitments of the Safe Schools Declaration. While Ukraine has been forced to get used to a new normal, children's rights must be guaranteed. We call on the international community, governments, and all parties to the conflict to ensure the safety of schools and uphold children's right to learn in peace". May 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the Safe Schools Declaration. A total of 121 states have committed to taking concrete steps to prevent attacks on education, avoid the use of schools for military purposes, and safeguard the right to learn even in times of crisis. As the Declaration states, " Every boy and girl have the right to an education without fear of violence or attack. Every school should be a protected space for students to learn, and fulfill their potential, even during war." Save the Children has been working in Ukraine since 2014. Since 24 February 2022, the children's rights agency has dramatically scaled up its operations and now has a team of 250 staff based in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Dnipro, Donetsk and Chernivtsi. Working with more than 25 partners, the organisation has provided essential support and reached more than 3.44 million people, including around 1.4 million children. Notes: [1] In November 2019, Ukraine became the 100th country to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration. [2] Save the Children broadly followed the methodology adopted in this Center of Excellence of Education study to estimate lessons lost due to air raid alerts that occurred on school days and during school hours, using a publicly accessible database of air raid alerts available here. Only oblast level alerts were considered. Since the length of the school day and the number and length of lessons varies by grade, we took averages to work out estimates across school children of all ages. Given that an alert is likely to lead to learning disruption longer than just the length of the alert, following Vox Ukraine's methodology, we considered any alert in secondary school of between 5 and 59 minutes as leading to the loss of an entire lesson, while for primary students a lesson was considered lost as a result of any alert lasting between 5 and 54 minutes since primary school lessons are shorter. School holidays vary between schools; however, we followed announcements in local news articles to guide identification of holiday days which with weekends and public holidays were not counted in the calculations.
Malaysian Reserve
25-05-2025
- General
- Malaysian Reserve
The World Must Respond to Africa's Forgotten Crises
Education is a humanitarian lifeline for the world's most vulnerable children. Our investment in their education today is an investment in global security, economic stability and continued growth in the 21st century. The following content is by Yasmine Sherif, Education Cannot Wait Executive Director NEW YORK, May 25, 2025 /CNW/ –The challenges facing many parts of the African continent today are vast and immense. From the surge in violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to all-out-war in Sudan, years of progress are being obliterated by bombs, killings and other grave violations of international law. The single best investment we can make in addressing these multiplying humanitarian crises is an investment in the vast potential and talents of Africa's younger generations. By investing in their education, we empower them to prevent conflicts, end extreme poverty and ensure economic development, peace and stability. Without investing in education as part of this broader vision, none of these imperatives will be materialized. The returns on investment are significant. As noted by the World Bank, foundational learning has the potential to double the GDP per capita in sub-Saharan Africa by 2050. Responding to the education funding gap Many traditional donor countries have dramatically reduced humanitarian aid in the past year, with recent analysis from UNESCO revealing a concerning drop of 14% in global aid to education. Yet, we all want to see a stable and prosperous Africa – a continent that deserves no less. Still, Africa is falling even further behind. Estimates from UNESCO indicate that, worldwide, there is a US$100 billion funding gap to reach the goal for universal education as outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with US$70 billion of this gap found in sub-Saharan Africa. Learning poverty is a concerning global trend. Nowhere is this more pressing than across Africa. Around four out of five African children cannot read or understand a simple text by age 10, according to UNESCO, and many struggle with basic numeracy skills. Compounding challenges like conflict, climate change and forced displacement are derailing development gains and impeding access to life-saving education in humanitarian crises – an investment that is indispensable to achieve peace and economic prosperity. According to the recent global estimates study by Education Cannot Wait (ECW), about half of the world's 234 million crisis-impacted school-aged children reside in sub-Saharan Africa. An entire generation is being left behind. 'Although 75 million more African children are enrolled in school today compared to 2015, the number of out-of-school children has increased by 13.2 million to over 100 million during the same period,' according to the 2025 Transforming Learning and Skills Development in Africa report. You cannot have sustainable economic growth without stability. And you cannot achieve stability without education. Africa is a continent on the move, a continent of forced displacement as a consequence of armed and violent conflicts, as well as climate change. 'In 2020, 21 million Africans were living in another African country. Since 1990, the number of African migrants living outside of the region has more than doubled, with the growth in Europe most pronounced. In 2020, most African-born migrants living outside the region were residing in Europe (11 million), Asia (nearly 5 million) and North America (around 3 million),' according to the World Migration Report. Our collective failure to respond to this pressing education crisis will have dire global consequences. The situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo Just look at the terrifying situation unravelling in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This region has been plagued by violence for decades, but it's gotten much, much worse in recent months. In all, there are an estimated 3.5 million forcibly displaced children in DRC today. Millions risk unimaginable violations of their human rights, including killing, maiming, abduction and forced recruitment into armed groups. There are also unconscionable accounts of sexual violence against girls. In eastern DRC, a child is reported raped every half an hour, according to UNICEF. How can we tolerate the magnitude and depth of young girls and boys being systematically raped and killed? 'More than 79 million girls and women – over 1 in 5 – across sub-Saharan Africa have experienced rape or sexual assault before turning 18,' according to UNICEF. Let's put that number in perspective. That's more than the total population of Australia and Spain combined. For the children living in the midst of this chaos and fear, the options are limited. For girls, it's a future as a child bride, continued poverty and early pregnancies. For boys, it might look like forced recruitment into terrorist organizations and other armed groups, forced labour or migration. For the world, this means growing forced displacement and migration, deeper and more widespread insecurity across the Global South, unstable markets, unstable populations and unstable futures. The consequences of the war in Sudan The situation in Sudan is soul-shattering and must end now. Recent estimates indicate that 30 million people require humanitarian assistance, including 16 million children. More than 12 million people have been displaced inside and outside Sudan since April 2023, straining education systems, budgets and capacity in neighbouring countries. In all, the conflict and continuing challenges – including forced displacement, climate change, poverty and other factors – have left about 16.5 million children out of school in Sudan. Education is the solutionAs the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises in the United Nations, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and its strategic partners are making a value proposition to increase humanitarian funding for education in Africa and beyond. In doing so, we contribute to joint programming on education, hence the broader goal of peace, stability and economic development. There is a strong economic argument to be made. Africa is the youngest, fastest growing continent on earth – 6 out of 10 people are under the age of 25. Within all that youth and energy lies opportunity. According to the World Bank, there is a 10% increase in hourly earnings for every extra year of schooling. At the same time, taken at a macro-economic level, the opportunity costs are unprecedented. 'This generation of students now risks losing a combined total of US$21 trillion in lifetime earnings in present value, or the equivalent of 17% of today's global GDP – a sharp rise from the 2021 estimate of a US$17 trillion loss.' The returns on investment in sub-Saharan Africa may be even more substantial, with some analyses indicating that every US$1 invested in tripling pre-primary education enrolment can generate up to US$33 in returns. A lasting legacyEducation – as a transformative, immediate, life-saving and long-term investment –breaks cycles of poverty, displacement and conflict. Only then can we achieve peace, stability and economic development. Deep inside us, we all agree that we can do better as a global community. We all know, instinctively, that the world would be a better place if we reduced global military spending – topping US$2.7 trillion – and instead invested in education, health, governance, infrastructure and livelihoods. We do know that we can be creative and turn vision into practical results. All it takes is investing just 0.02% (US$600 million) of this into education – and similar amounts into other sectors – which, together, provide the transformational power to build stability, spread peace and generate significant economic returns. This is not just logic. This is a legacy worth living.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The World Must Respond to Africa's Forgotten Crises
Education is a humanitarian lifeline for the world's most vulnerable children. Our investment in their education today is an investment in global security, economic stability and continued growth in the 21st century. The following content is by Yasmine Sherif, Education Cannot Wait Executive Director NEW YORK, May 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --The challenges facing many parts of the African continent today are vast and immense. From the surge in violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to all-out-war in Sudan, years of progress are being obliterated by bombs, killings and other grave violations of international law. The single best investment we can make in addressing these multiplying humanitarian crises is an investment in the vast potential and talents of Africa's younger generations. By investing in their education, we empower them to prevent conflicts, end extreme poverty and ensure economic development, peace and stability. Without investing in education as part of this broader vision, none of these imperatives will be materialized. The returns on investment are significant. As noted by the World Bank, foundational learning has the potential to double the GDP per capita in sub-Saharan Africa by 2050. Responding to the education funding gap Many traditional donor countries have dramatically reduced humanitarian aid in the past year, with recent analysis from UNESCO revealing a concerning drop of 14% in global aid to education. Yet, we all want to see a stable and prosperous Africa – a continent that deserves no less. Still, Africa is falling even further behind. Estimates from UNESCO indicate that, worldwide, there is a US$100 billion funding gap to reach the goal for universal education as outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with US$70 billion of this gap found in sub-Saharan Africa. Learning poverty is a concerning global trend. Nowhere is this more pressing than across Africa. Around four out of five African children cannot read or understand a simple text by age 10, according to UNESCO, and many struggle with basic numeracy skills. Compounding challenges like conflict, climate change and forced displacement are derailing development gains and impeding access to life-saving education in humanitarian crises – an investment that is indispensable to achieve peace and economic prosperity. According to the recent global estimates study by Education Cannot Wait (ECW), about half of the world's 234 million crisis-impacted school-aged children reside in sub-Saharan Africa. An entire generation is being left behind. "Although 75 million more African children are enrolled in school today compared to 2015, the number of out-of-school children has increased by 13.2 million to over 100 million during the same period," according to the 2025 Transforming Learning and Skills Development in Africa report. You cannot have sustainable economic growth without stability. And you cannot achieve stability without education. Africa is a continent on the move, a continent of forced displacement as a consequence of armed and violent conflicts, as well as climate change. "In 2020, 21 million Africans were living in another African country. Since 1990, the number of African migrants living outside of the region has more than doubled, with the growth in Europe most pronounced. In 2020, most African-born migrants living outside the region were residing in Europe (11 million), Asia (nearly 5 million) and North America (around 3 million)," according to the World Migration Report. Our collective failure to respond to this pressing education crisis will have dire global consequences. The situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo Just look at the terrifying situation unravelling in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This region has been plagued by violence for decades, but it's gotten much, much worse in recent months. In all, there are an estimated 3.5 million forcibly displaced children in DRC today. Millions risk unimaginable violations of their human rights, including killing, maiming, abduction and forced recruitment into armed groups. There are also unconscionable accounts of sexual violence against girls. In eastern DRC, a child is reported raped every half an hour, according to UNICEF. How can we tolerate the magnitude and depth of young girls and boys being systematically raped and killed? "More than 79 million girls and women – over 1 in 5 – across sub-Saharan Africa have experienced rape or sexual assault before turning 18," according to UNICEF. Let's put that number in perspective. That's more than the total population of Australia and Spain combined. For the children living in the midst of this chaos and fear, the options are limited. For girls, it's a future as a child bride, continued poverty and early pregnancies. For boys, it might look like forced recruitment into terrorist organizations and other armed groups, forced labour or migration. For the world, this means growing forced displacement and migration, deeper and more widespread insecurity across the Global South, unstable markets, unstable populations and unstable futures. The consequences of the war in Sudan The situation in Sudan is soul-shattering and must end now. Recent estimates indicate that 30 million people require humanitarian assistance, including 16 million children. More than 12 million people have been displaced inside and outside Sudan since April 2023, straining education systems, budgets and capacity in neighbouring countries. In all, the conflict and continuing challenges – including forced displacement, climate change, poverty and other factors – have left about 16.5 million children out of school in Sudan. Education is the solutionAs the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises in the United Nations, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and its strategic partners are making a value proposition to increase humanitarian funding for education in Africa and beyond. In doing so, we contribute to joint programming on education, hence the broader goal of peace, stability and economic development. There is a strong economic argument to be made. Africa is the youngest, fastest growing continent on earth – 6 out of 10 people are under the age of 25. Within all that youth and energy lies opportunity. According to the World Bank, there is a 10% increase in hourly earnings for every extra year of schooling. At the same time, taken at a macro-economic level, the opportunity costs are unprecedented. "This generation of students now risks losing a combined total of US$21 trillion in lifetime earnings in present value, or the equivalent of 17% of today's global GDP – a sharp rise from the 2021 estimate of a US$17 trillion loss." The returns on investment in sub-Saharan Africa may be even more substantial, with some analyses indicating that every US$1 invested in tripling pre-primary education enrolment can generate up to US$33 in returns. A lasting legacyEducation – as a transformative, immediate, life-saving and long-term investment –breaks cycles of poverty, displacement and conflict. Only then can we achieve peace, stability and economic development. Deep inside us, we all agree that we can do better as a global community. We all know, instinctively, that the world would be a better place if we reduced global military spending – topping US$2.7 trillion – and instead invested in education, health, governance, infrastructure and livelihoods. We do know that we can be creative and turn vision into practical results. All it takes is investing just 0.02% (US$600 million) of this into education – and similar amounts into other sectors – which, together, provide the transformational power to build stability, spread peace and generate significant economic returns. This is not just logic. This is a legacy worth living. SOURCE Education Cannot Wait Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Cision Canada
25-05-2025
- General
- Cision Canada
The World Must Respond to Africa's Forgotten Crises
Education is a humanitarian lifeline for the world's most vulnerable children. Our investment in their education today is an investment in global security, economic stability and continued growth in the 21 st century. The following content is by Yasmine Sherif, Education Cannot Wait Executive Director NEW YORK, May 25, 2025 /CNW/ --The challenges facing many parts of the African continent today are vast and immense. From the surge in violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to all-out-war in Sudan, years of progress are being obliterated by bombs, killings and other grave violations of international law. The single best investment we can make in addressing these multiplying humanitarian crises is an investment in the vast potential and talents of Africa's younger generations. By investing in their education, we empower them to prevent conflicts, end extreme poverty and ensure economic development, peace and stability. Without investing in education as part of this broader vision, none of these imperatives will be materialized. The returns on investment are significant. As noted by the World Bank, foundational learning has the potential to double the GDP per capita in sub-Saharan Africa by 2050. Many traditional donor countries have dramatically reduced humanitarian aid in the past year, with recent analysis from UNESCO revealing a concerning drop of 14% in global aid to education. Yet, we all want to see a stable and prosperous Africa – a continent that deserves no less. Still, Africa is falling even further behind. Estimates from UNESCO indicate that, worldwide, there is a US$100 billion funding gap to reach the goal for universal education as outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with US$70 billion of this gap found in sub-Saharan Africa. Learning poverty is a concerning global trend. Nowhere is this more pressing than across Africa. Around four out of five African children cannot read or understand a simple text by age 10, according to UNESCO, and many struggle with basic numeracy skills. Compounding challenges like conflict, climate change and forced displacement are derailing development gains and impeding access to life-saving education in humanitarian crises – an investment that is indispensable to achieve peace and economic prosperity. According to the recent global estimates study by Education Cannot Wait (ECW), about half of the world's 234 million crisis-impacted school-aged children reside in sub-Saharan Africa. An entire generation is being left behind. "Although 75 million more African children are enrolled in school today compared to 2015, the number of out-of-school children has increased by 13.2 million to over 100 million during the same period," according to the 2025 Transforming Learning and Skills Development in Africa report. You cannot have sustainable economic growth without stability. And you cannot achieve stability without education. Africa is a continent on the move, a continent of forced displacement as a consequence of armed and violent conflicts, as well as climate change. "In 2020, 21 million Africans were living in another African country. Since 1990, the number of African migrants living outside of the region has more than doubled, with the growth in Europe most pronounced. In 2020, most African-born migrants living outside the region were residing in Europe (11 million), Asia (nearly 5 million) and North America (around 3 million)," according to the World Migration Report. Our collective failure to respond to this pressing education crisis will have dire global consequences. The situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo Just look at the terrifying situation unravelling in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This region has been plagued by violence for decades, but it's gotten much, much worse in recent months. In all, there are an estimated 3.5 million forcibly displaced children in DRC today. Millions risk unimaginable violations of their human rights, including killing, maiming, abduction and forced recruitment into armed groups. There are also unconscionable accounts of sexual violence against girls. In eastern DRC, a child is reported raped every half an hour, according to UNICEF. How can we tolerate the magnitude and depth of young girls and boys being systematically raped and killed? "More than 79 million girls and women – over 1 in 5 – across sub-Saharan Africa have experienced rape or sexual assault before turning 18," according to UNICEF. Let's put that number in perspective. That's more than the total population of Australia and Spain combined. For the children living in the midst of this chaos and fear, the options are limited. For girls, it's a future as a child bride, continued poverty and early pregnancies. For boys, it might look like forced recruitment into terrorist organizations and other armed groups, forced labour or migration. For the world, this means growing forced displacement and migration, deeper and more widespread insecurity across the Global South, unstable markets, unstable populations and unstable futures. The consequences of the war in Sudan The situation in Sudan is soul-shattering and must end now. Recent estimates indicate that 30 million people require humanitarian assistance, including 16 million children. More than 12 million people have been displaced inside and outside Sudan since April 2023, straining education systems, budgets and capacity in neighbouring countries. In all, the conflict and continuing challenges – including forced displacement, climate change, poverty and other factors – have left about 16.5 million children out of school in Sudan. Education is the solution As the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises in the United Nations, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and its strategic partners are making a value proposition to increase humanitarian funding for education in Africa and beyond. In doing so, we contribute to joint programming on education, hence the broader goal of peace, stability and economic development. There is a strong economic argument to be made. Africa is the youngest, fastest growing continent on earth – 6 out of 10 people are under the age of 25. Within all that youth and energy lies opportunity. According to the World Bank, there is a 10% increase in hourly earnings for every extra year of schooling. At the same time, taken at a macro-economic level, the opportunity costs are unprecedented. "This generation of students now risks losing a combined total of US$21 trillion in lifetime earnings in present value, or the equivalent of 17% of today's global GDP – a sharp rise from the 2021 estimate of a US$17 trillion loss." The returns on investment in sub-Saharan Africa may be even more substantial, with some analyses indicating that every US$1 invested in tripling pre-primary education enrolment can generate up to US$33 in returns. A lasting legacy Education – as a transformative, immediate, life-saving and long-term investment –breaks cycles of poverty, displacement and conflict. Only then can we achieve peace, stability and economic development. Deep inside us, we all agree that we can do better as a global community. We all know, instinctively, that the world would be a better place if we reduced global military spending – topping US$2.7 trillion – and instead invested in education, health, governance, infrastructure and livelihoods. We do know that we can be creative and turn vision into practical results. All it takes is investing just 0.02% (US$600 million) of this into education – and similar amounts into other sectors – which, together, provide the transformational power to build stability, spread peace and generate significant economic returns. This is not just logic. This is a legacy worth living.
