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“Sport has given me a lot of friends. I used to feel lonely, but sport helped me live a better life.”

Educate A Child, a global programme of the Education Above All Foundation, and UNICEF bring opportunity through education access and school-based management committees (SBMC) training. By working together and in collaboration with government authorities in the north-west Nigerian States of Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara, they are helping SBMCs to track out of school children (OOSC) and encourage their caregivers to send them to school.

Education Above All (EAA) Foundation’s ‘Educate A Child’ program and the World Bank signed on 8 June 2021, a partnership agreement to enrol up to 35,000 out-of-school children in Djibouti.

Today, Qatar Fund For Development (QFFD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Djibouti in support of an Education Above All (EAA) Foundation– World Bank project, aimed at enrolling 35,000 out of school children (OOSC) in Djibouti.

When students across Nigeria were sent home until further notice, many raced there with glee at the prospect of having a few days of respite from the daily routine. They had no idea what was in store, the longest break they’ve ever had. Months later, with the stay-at-home order still in place, students eagerly anticipate a return to the classroom.

Education Above All Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, expand their partnership with projects in Ethiopia and Kenya. The projects aim to reach over half a million of the most marginalised people over the next two years.

His Excellency Dr Mohammed Bin Abdelwahid Al Hamadi, Minister of Education and Higher Education, praised the agreement concluded between the Education Above All Foundation, Qatar Fund For Development (QFFD) and the Ministry of Education in the Republic of Kenya, which will be implemented by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Today, the Qatar Fund For Development (QFFD) and the Ministry of Education in the Republic of Kenya signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in support of equitable access to quality primary education for out of school children (OOSC) in Kenya, which will be delivered by UNICEF.

Against the backdrop of COVID-19 and its impact on education, especially for the most vulnerable out of school children (OOSC), the policy-making community and development actors should renew their commitment towards poverty reduction vis-à-vis the right to education.

In light of the pandemic, not only do we celebrate the tireless work of doctors and nurses but also the extraordinary work of our partners who are working around the clock to ensure continuity of education and learning for the most vulnerable children.

At a moment when COVID-19 has spared not a single aspect of our lives, we all would do well to think critically and creatively about what sustainability means in terms of development over the long haul. Simply put, we need to be resilient and build better to be stronger for longer. Though absolutely essential, it is unwise to rest on the provision of cash transfers, school feeding, distance education and social safety nets, and wait for the day when things get back to normal.

The side-event highlighted strong financial commitments from ODAs, Development Banks and NGOs for out of school children.

COVID-19 is double jeopardy for the hardest-to-reach out of school children.

EDUCATE A CHILD PROGRAMME CONTINUES TO BUILD SUPPORT FOR ITS COMMITMENT TO EDUCATE MILLIONS OUT OF SCHOOL CHILDREN.

Although we are at the beginning of this saga and no one can be certain what toll COVID-19 will ultimately bring to bear, what must be asserted by those working to secure a more sustainable future for the world’s children, is that now, more than ever, our focus has to remain trained on that prospect.