Worldwide, 128 million children go without education due to war, emergencies, and other crises.
The humanitarian emergency unfolding around the war in Ukraine once again highlights the importance of supporting children’s learning in crises contexts. Every child has a right to education – no matter where they live.
The Jacobs Foundation has joined the Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies to support children’s learning and education in these challenging contexts. The Hub’s focus includes all crisis-affected children and youth, regardless of their status – refugee, host community, internally displaced children and youth, as well as those affected by conflict, violence, disasters and epidemics.
In addition, the Jacobs Foundation has made a grant of CHF 1 million to War Child Holland, the recipient of the 2017 Klaus J. Jacobs Best Practice Prize. This grant, as well as funding from other partner foundations, will help War Child Holland support the Ukrainian Ministry of Education in providing remote learning to children in Ukraine and those displaced by the conflict. Can’t Wait To Learn (CWTL) is a set of offline self-paced educational games accessible on tablets that guide children through government-approved curricula in math and reading. The CWTL program was originally designed for children on the move and for situations where there are no or not enough teachers in overcrowded classrooms, no adequate educational materials, or safe spaces to learn. The Ukrainian Ministry of Education has recognized this solution as its official long-term response for grades 1-4.
In line with our continued support to partners throughout the COVID-related disruptions, these new commitments continue to reinforce our commitment to embracing the needs of every child and supporting learning ecosystems across all contexts.