A Decade of Dreams
Reaching all children and youth with education
Celebrating 10 years of Partnership between Education Above All Foundation and UNICEF
NEW YORK, 13 September 2023 – The Education Above All (EAA) Foundation and UNICEF have a strong and longstanding partnership that has been instrumental in advancing education opportunities and access to quality education for children and youth, particularly the most marginalized, across the world. The partnership has not only helped more than five million of the hardest-to-reach children and youth worldwide to realize their right to a quality education but also has been influential at the global and country levels to advocate for the right to education, rallying partners and stakeholders to prioritize quality education for all children.
2023 marks the half-way point to the deadline set for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As the global community mobilizes to bring education back on track, there is a need for accelerating the scale-up of evidence-based solutions and innovations in education to reach the most marginalized children.
Over the years, the Education Above All Foundation, supported by the Qatar Fund for Development, and UNICEF have reached the most marginalized children in countries including Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chad, Colombia, the Comoros, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of Congo, Greece, Indonesia, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mali, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Palestine, Paraguay, South Sudan, Somalia, Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar, The Gambia and Yemen.
“A Decade of Dreams”, an exhibition and a photo book on the margins of the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, offers a glimpse into this transformative journey. Through compelling photographs, we invite you to step into the lives of children from some of these countries, children who now stand with the ability to dream of a better future. Their stories, just a snapshot of the impact, represent countless dreams ignited, and lives changed through the power of education. We invite you to explore these stories and resources in this collection and hope that they inspire you to incorporate the takeaways and best practices from our journey into your work.
EAA-UNICEF Partnerships
Educate a Child (EAC): EAC has worked with UNICEF to provide out-of-school children with access to education. The partnership has supported over 5 million out-of-school children to enrol in quality primary education in 17 countries. (Chad, Comoros, DRC, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Nigeria, Paraguay, South Sudan, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, The Gambia, Türkiye, Yemen and Zanzibar).
Reach Out To Asia (ROTA): ROTA, UNICEF and the Barcelona Foundation partnered to created educational opportunities for marginalized children in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Nepal, reaching 143,888 direct beneficiaries and 120,000 indirect beneficiaries.
Al Fakhoora: In 2015, Al Fakhoora partnered with UNICEF on the “Investing in Education and Building Resilience” school reconstruction and rehabilitation project. As a response to the 2014 conflict in Gaza, Al Fakhoora partnered with UNICEF to build back better and incorporate child-friendly elements in schools across the Gaza Strip. The project directly benefited over 114,000 students and educational staff, and left a lasting impact on the education system.
Protect Education in Insecurity and Conflict (PEIC): As a co-founding member of the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) formed in 2010, UNICEF works with PEIC, a member of the GCPEA Steering Group, to reinforce their respective mandates in addressing the global epidemic of attacks on education and military use of schools in countries facing armed conflict or insecurity.
For more information please contact:
Laila Ali, UNICEF Geneva, Tel; +41767846532 laali@unicef.org
About Education Above All Foundation
The Education Above All (EAA) Foundation is a global foundation established in 2012 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. EAA aims to change the world, one student at a time. We believe that education is the single most effective means of reducing poverty, creating peaceful and just societies, unlocking the full potential of every child and youth, and creating the right conditions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through our multi-sectoral approach, unique financing models, focus on innovation as a tool for social good, and partnerships, we aim to bringing hope and real opportunities to the lives of impoverished and marginalised boys and girls.
EAA is comprised of four programmes: Educate A Child (EAC), Al Fakhoora, Reach Out To Asia (ROTA), and Protect Education in Insecurity and Conflict (PEIC). In addition to providing equitable access to quality education for children worldwide, EAA advocates for the protection of education from all forms of attack.
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.
Follow UNICEF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
Last updated September 11, 2023
