Getting ready to go back to school!
Children in Canada and across the globe are getting ready to head back to the school classroom. They are eager to see old friends and make new ones; to be creative and use their imagination; and to learn.
All children have the right to access quality education. However, many children experience disruptions to their learning due to poverty, discrimination, conflict, or climate disasters. Save the Children is working to ensure equal access to education for all children. We operate learning centres, deliver education programs, provide alternative learning methods, and train teachers, to ensure children everywhere can learn and thrive.
Meet three children from around the world who are determined and excited to be in school, no matter what!
Ghinwa* knows her right to an education
“If I study and focus hard, I can achieve anything I want,” says 13-year-old Ghinwa. She attends an education centre supported by Save the Children in a refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon. Before attending the education centre, she was not able to read or write. Now Ghinwa has hope for a brighter future.
When Ghinwa was five years old, she and her family fled the violence in Syria to settle in the camp. At the education centre she made a lot of friends and learned about her rights. Now, she is eager to speak up for other child refugees and dreams about becoming a lawyer to defend child rights.
The impact of the education centre on Ghinwa cannot be underestimated. “It has changed my whole life,” she says.
Hassan* learns his ABC’s
Hassan is a strong-willed and playful four-year-old who loves to eat yummy ice cream! He attends an education centre supported by Save the Children in Egypt, where he learns his alphabet and numbers.
“Education is important for my children in every way,” says Hassan’s mother, Iman. Hassan’s older brother Mohammad also attends the education centre and is preparing for the next level of his education.
Hassan is super excited to learn and enjoys making friends. As soon as he gets home, he tells his mom everything about his day. On the weekends, Iman further supports her children’s learning with colouring activities and counting in English and Arabic.
Nothing will stop Jok* from learning
Twelve-year-old Jok lives in South Sudan where a series of floods destroyed homes, ruined crops, and forced local schools to close.
“We used to attend our classes under the trees. When the flood took over the school, we were forced to do our tests early and we were all sent home,” says Jok.
Jok now attends a child-friendly space run by Save the Children. It is a safe place in his community to continue learning and meet friends.
The floods also affected access to food, which left Jok hungry. It is difficult to learn when you have an empty stomach. “At some points, we felt so hungry,” he says. “I used to go to school even though I used to have low concentration.” Save the Children also provided Jok’s family with cash transfers to buy food.
You can support a child’s education with Save the Children’s Gifts of Joy. For example, you can help a girl like Ghiwan attend school with the Educate a Girl product. When a girl stays in school, she can avoid working or early marriage. You can also provide a month of School Lunches for children like Jok or Hassan. When a child has enough to eat, they can better focus on their learning!
Education holds immense power for children and plays a crucial role in their personal development, giving them the chance to reach their dreams. It also benefits their families, communities, and whole society. Education creates future leaders and change-makers ready to take on the world.
*Names changed for privacy