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Meeting the Promise of Universal Children’s Day   
Nov. 17, 2006—Imagine if every classroom in the United States disappeared and children could no longer get an education. Not only would it end the dreams of millions of youth, but it would be a national disaster that would severely cripple the nation’s economic and social progress. On Universal Children’s Day (Nov. 20), nearly 115 million school-aged children worldwide will not be in school—more than the total number of children who live in the United States today. Girls are the majority of children who do not receive a basic education. Yet, educating girls is the key to ensuring the next generation receives an education, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Mothers who received basic education are more likely to send their own children to school than those without an education. Meeting the education challenge is great, particularly in areas where poverty, ill health and political instability compel families to keep girls out of school to care for sick relatives, take care of household chores or contribute to family income. In southern Africa, HIV/AIDS is an added threat. In the 1980s, countries including Lesotho and Swaziland were well on their way to universal primary education. Now, teacher deaths and increased household demands on children living in families with sick and dying family members have severely curtailed educational advancements. Girls’ enrollment in Lesotho, for example, has fallen 25 percent in the last ten years. Without access to education, children in southern Africa have been excluded from the knowledge and skills that could help them make informed decisions, live lives free from poverty and become the future productive workforce for their country. In response to these needs, CEDPA recently launched its community-based, non-formal education program in three countries in southern Africa: Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland. The program will boost primary school enrollment and retention for girls at risk of dropping out of primary school, and assist in their transition to secondary schools. It includes an integrated framework of life skills education that builds self esteem in young people through supportive peer relationships, skills in decision-making, problem-solving and negotiating, and information to support personal health and well-being. The program also builds family and community support for girls’ education. CEDPA will work hand-in-hand with local partners to run the program, building the capacity of communities to meet the educational challenge of their next generation of leaders. Learn more about CEDPA’s work to advance girls’ education and youth development. |
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