In the News

Santina started studying four years ago in a primary school 2 km from her home. She is now in the fourth year of primary school and loves going to school. "I like writing and reading the most. I also like to play football with my friends, and my friends at school are all girls," she says. However, there are activities that she found difficult, especially those that require the use of both hands, such as manipulating a ruler.

Santina was identified by HI at school through the Education Cannot Wait - First Emergency Response project. Following an assessment, HI provided her with learning materials including books, pens, crayons, puzzles and games to improve her learning skills. She is supported by HI occupational therapists and physiotherapists who guide her in specific exercises to strengthen her limbs and work on supporting bilateral hand use. She will receive a slanting board to help her write at school.

"I am happy because my left hand was weak, but now I can use it," says Santina.

Education cannot wait - First Emergency Response (FER) est mis en œuvre par un consortium d'organisations locales et internationales dans les camps de réfugiés en Ouganda (Nakivale Settlement, Rhino Settlement, Palabek Settlement). Il est financé par Education Cannot Wait, un fonds mondial des Nations Unies pour l'éducation dans les situations d'urgence. HI apporte un soutien technique aux partenaires du consortium en matière d'éducation inclusive, de services de réadaptation physique et fonctionnelle pour les personnes handicapées et de séances de sensibilisation au soutien psychosocial dans les campements et les communautés d'accueil.

The devastating August 2022 flood severely impacted education in Pakistan, leading to the destruction of 30,389 schools, with many serving as shelters. The First Emergency Response (FER) 2022 Project, funded by Education Cannot Wait aims to support 82,480 children in some of the worst flood affected districts of Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

As the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises within the United Nations, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), is determined to work with all partners – UN agencies, civil society, Member States, Education Ministries, local communities, teachers, parents and school-aged children – to jointly turn this global education nightmare and its related crises of humanity around.

We are committed to the UN Secretary-General’s new system-wide United Nations Agenda for Protection. We continue to uphold the UN Charter and to defend the Sustainable Development Goals through SDG4 to ensure an inclusive, equitable and continued quality education for all children and adolescents left furthest behind in the darkest corners of the world.

Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait (ECW), highlighted the worsening trend of attacks on education globally, recalling that schools should be safe places. She shared examples of recent attacks on students and schools in Myanmar, Gaza and North-East Nigeria. “We cannot live in an international world order where attacking a school or abducting girl students have become the new norm,” she said. “I am hopeful that with political pressure we can reverse this trend.”

She also announced a US$500,000 grant to the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), to strengthen systems to better protect education from attack globally.

En outre, les États membres de l'UA peuvent collaborer avec des partenaires de la société civile, des organisations multilatérales telles que l'UNICEF, l'UNESCO, le PAM, le Partenariat mondial pour l'éducation (GPE) et Éducation Sans Delai, ainsi qu'avec des partenaires financiers multilatéraux ou bilatéraux, afin de mobiliser des ressources pour les programmes d'éducation dans les zones de conflit et les régions touchées par les déplacements et les catastrophes climatiques ; ils peuvent également plaider en faveur d'une attention et d'investissements accrus dans l'éducation en situation de crise lors des forums régionaux et mondiaux, tout en forgeant des partenariats avec les gouvernements, les ONG et les agences internationales afin d'amplifier l'impact et la portée. De nombreux exemples peuvent être tirés de l'ensemble du continent.
 

14 березня на сайті МОН з’явилася новина «Презентували Стратегічний план діяльності МОН Світовому банку та партнерам із розвитку». Цитуємо написане: «13 й 14 березня міністр освіти і науки України Оксен Лісовий та перший заступник міністра освіти і науки Євген Кудрявець зустрілися з партнерами з розвитку: Світовим банком, UNICEF, UNESCO, USAID, United Nations, UN Women Ukraine, Global Partnership for Education, Save the Children, Education Cannot Wait, представниками Японії, Фінляндії, Швеції, Німеччини, Канади, а також компаній Apple, Google та Microsoft». Для міжнародних партнерів ми представили «Стратегічний план діяльності Міністерства освіти і науки України до 2027 року»…»

Năm 2022, khi Taliban ban hành lệnh cấm giáo dục đại học đối với phụ nữ ở Afghanistan, đội chế tạo robot nữ của đất nước này phải đối mặt với những thách thức về an toàn và quyền được giáo dục. Trưởng đội Somaya Faruqi, hiện theo học ngành kỹ thuật ở Mỹ, là người tích cực lên tiếng, thay mặt cho 1,1 triệu bé gái và phụ nữ trẻ ở Afghanistan không được tiếp cận với giáo dục chính quy.

Là một trong những nhà vô địch toàn cầu của "Education Cannot Wait"- quỹ của Liên hợp quốc cho giáo dục trong các trường hợp khẩn cấp và khủng hoảng kéo dài, Somaya đang góp tiếng nói nâng cao nhận thức về việc đầu tư nhiều hơn vào giáo dục hòa nhập trực tuyến và các sáng kiến giáo dục dựa vào cộng đồng.

Operational and security challenges have also led to the closure of some 50 public schools, including eight technical and vocational education and training (TVET) public schools, affecting around 10,000 enrolled children. Additionally, 22 private schools are also closed, impacting another 10,000 children. On 21 March, the Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Fund announced a new grant of US$ 2.2 million for Lebanon, to provide girls and boys impacted by the ongoing crises with access to safe, inclusive learning environments. The 12-month grant will be implemented by UNICEF in collaboration with strategic local partners and the education sector.

The activity focuses on Ukrainian refugee children who are in Moldova, but also on those Moldovan minors coming from families with limited economic resources.
Initially conceived as a support alternative to address the refugee crisis in Moldova, the Ludobus travels to remote locations, bringing with it animators and psychologists and providing socio-educational support even in those villages that are otherwise difficult to reach by humanitarian aid.

A final meeting was recently held with all the partners who implemented the project (in addition to Ai.Bi, Plan International, UNICEF, Education Cannot Wait), to take stock of the activity carried out in the period May-December 2023. 

Hostilities in Southern Lebanon displaced tens of thousands of people late last year, compounding the challenges facing the nation as it works to respond to political turmoil, economic collapse and spillover from the crisis in Syria. In response to these challenges, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) announced today a new additional US$2.2 Million grant that will provide girls and boys impacted by these ongoing crises with access to safe, inclusive learning environments.

The AU Theme of the Year 2024 is dedicated to Education, and it presents a crucial opportunity for African Union Member States to collaborate with various stakeholders to enhance education delivery for children affected by conflicts, displacement and climate disasters.

Leveraging existing frameworks like the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 16-25), countries can embark on policy alignment, ensuring the alignment of national education policies, prioritizing inclusive and quality education for all, particularly in crisis-affected areas.

In addition, AU Member States can embark on work with civil society partners, multilateral organizations such as UNICEF, UNESCO, WFP, Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and Education Cannot Wait, and multilateral or bilateral funding partners, to mobilize resources for education programs in conflict zones and areas affected by displacement and climate disasters; and they can advocate for increased attention and investment in education in crisis settings at regional and global forums, while forging partnerships with governments, NGOs, and international agencies to amplify impact and reach. Many examples can be drawn, throughout the continent.