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Educate A Child

A UNICEF partner since 2012

Catherine, 6, attends classes in a school in Maskana, in eastern rural Aleppo, Syrian Arab Republic.

UN0398889/Al-Issa

Educate A Child (EAC), a global programme of the Education Above All Foundation, aims to trigger significant breakthroughs and a material difference in the lives of children who have no access to primary education. EAC collaboration with UNICEF began in Sudan in 2012 to provide out-of-school children with access to education, and by 2023, has supported over 5 million out-of-school children to enroll in quality primary education in 17 countries.

The COVID-19 pandemic set back progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG4 on Education. It exacerbated the learning crisis that pre-existed and deepened inequalities that left marginalized children further behind. 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 proven solutions and innovations in education to reach the most marginalized children.

The partnership is driven at every level by the shared belief that all children have the right to a quality education, regardless of who they are, where they live or how much money their family has.

EAC-UNICEF projects enhance the quality of education by constructing new classrooms with gender-sensitive WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) and disability facilities, designating safe spaces, providing teacher training, distributing school materials and strengthening alternative learning programmes. We use innovative and location-appropriate measures to support children’s access to education and empowerment – for example, through cash transfers in Nigeria that offer parents the opportunity to develop sustainable income paths, and by working with communities and faith groups.

Celebrating a decade of dreams

EAA and UNICEF partnership, through programmes like Educate A Child, has helped more than five million of the hardest-to-reach children and youth to realize their right to a quality education across 17 countries. The partnership has contributed to global progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG4: ensuring quality and inclusive education for all.

To commemorate a decade of partnership in 2023, the "A Decade of Dreams" exhibition, which showcases the accomplishments of this collaboration, held alongside the 78th United Nations General Assembly at the Danny Kaye Visitors' Centre at UNICEF House on 13 September.

The photo book, crafted in parallel to celebrate the achievements of this collaboration, features images of children and young people along with narratives of their individual journeys. It vividly illustrates the transformative support provided by EAA and UNICEF in aiding children to achieve their potential and realise their aspirations.

Education Above All

Educate A Child and UNICEF partner to support out-of-school children by tackling poverty through cash transfers in Nigeria.

Key results

EAC and UNICEF collaborate at the global and country levels to advocate for the right to education, rallying partners and stakeholders to prioritize quality education for all children and to secure funding.
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).

Other EAA-UNICEF Partnerships

Reach Out To Asia (ROTA): ROTA has partnered with UNICEF for two phases: In Phase I, ROTA and UNICEF created educational opportunities for marginalized children in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Nepal, reaching 143,888 direct beneficiaries and 120,000 indirect beneficiaries. In Phase II, they created youth-friendly safe spaces and trained 7,040 youth in community engagement and 7,401 coaches in youth community mobilizing. This project was delivered in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Mexico, and Peru.
Al Fakhoora: Al Fakhoora partnered with UNICEF from February 2015 to February 2019 on the Investing in Education and Building Resilience project. This project was established in response to the 2014 conflict in Gaza and included the rehabilitation of Gaza’s educational infrastructure in partnership with the Palestinian Ministry of Education. It reached 4,909 vulnerable children. Working in partnership with NGOs in Gaza, Al Fakhoora also focuses on scholarship and empowerment programmes, reconstruction and rehabilitation of education facilities and providing psychosocial support.
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, both members 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.