While setting the stage for the topic of this blog post, Education Governance, I considered the frequent use of the terms “sunset” and “new era” to describe the transition away from the MDGs and the undertaking of the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals. I wondered what exactly we are leaving behind in the sunset and what exactly has changed in this new era.
In April and May 2015, two earthquakes of magnitudes 7.8 and 7.2 respectively devastated much of Nepal. The sudden loss of family members and homes shattered countless people’s lives. The sudden loss of thousands of schools, while understandably not people’s immediate focus of concern, made itself felt as the weeks passed and the desire to get “back to normal” strengthened.
Education in emergencies more often than not is focused on building safe places, structure, and strong programs for children working through trauma and grief and without any other options due to overloaded government systems and limited educational resources.
What is lacking, however, is effective programming for teenagers in emergencies. We hear a lot about child-friendly spaces, and see activities taking place for those ages six to twelve, but once they hit their teenage years, the number of programs available drop drastically.
Education is a human right. More than that, it is a lifesaving humanitarian response. School provides stability, structure and routine that children need to cope with loss, fear, stress and violence. Being in school can keep children safe and protected from risks, including gender-based violence, recruitment into armed groups, child labor, and early marriage. In periods of crisis, parents and children identify education as one of their highest priority needs.
Despite significant progress made in achieving the second Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of universal primary education, an estimated 63 million adolescents remain out of school. Barriers to education disproportionately affect girls and include poverty, gender-based violence, child marriage, and pregnancy. WomenOne and the Global Campaign for Education-US (GCE-US) are dedicated to ensuring the provision of quality education to all children. Recently, WomenOne focused our efforts on improving quality of education for a small community in rural Haiti.
In times of crisis, there are always people running towards the problem – not away from it. These are the people who inspire hope in others. And that hope, in turn, is terror’s greatest enemy. This has never been more relevant than today, as the world faces down the largest refugee crisis since World War II, with more than 51 million refugees displaced from their homes by terror attacks and political strife.
It’s hard to believe that only seven months have passed since the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal. Since then, there have been another 7.2-magnitude quake and numerous aftershocks (some quite powerful), countless mudslides and landslides, washed-out bridges and roads, and more recently the serious fuel shortage affecting transportation and people’s ability to heat their homes and cook their food.
Even with so much working against them, the Nepali villagers whom Educate the Children (ETC) is proud to serve are firmly committed to building healthier and better lives for themselves and their families.
"The only thing my father left me with was this advice before he died: 'I don't have anything to give you, but I ask you to continue with your education. Education will be your mother and father when I am no longer there,” says Charles, 21, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo now living in Malawi’s Dzaleka refugee camp.
"On the evening of April 25, 2015, a 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal. It took thousands of lives, destructed homes, depleted essential resources, and stole all senses of safety. This was the worst disaster in Nepal's modern history but we were determined to recover and recover better."
With tears in my eyes and chills running down my spine, I read about the horrific earthquake. Nepal is a small and beautiful country neighboring India, and being a developing nation, I could only imagine how hard hit its people and resources might have been.
