In the News

“The future of the human race hangs in the balance. With science and technology far outpacing the capacity of most humans to keep up, we must arm our future scientists and future leaders with the knowledge, skills, and critical thinking abilities they need to survive and thrive in the brave new world of the 21st century,” says Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Executive Director Yasmine Sherif.

“Today, we also recognize the power and potential of an entire generation of future scientists. Brave leaders such as ECW Global Champion Somaya Faruqi, who led the Afghan Girls Robotics Team in Kabul and built a ventilator out of car parts. Together with ECW and our strategic partners, strong visionaries like them inspire our global charge to ensure girls have access to STEM education from an early age, and women can break through the glass ceiling to find their rightful place in universities, labs, and research facilities across the globe.”

For instance, in Chad, through ECW investments delivered by UNICEF and partners, Khadidja is learning about science, math, and mechanics in a classroom designed to provide non-formal education to children that have been impacted by the various crises facing the nation.

On another continent, “Nadejda, a Ukrainian refugee in Moldova, is building up her digital skills and even learning to develop a website thanks to support at an ECW-funded EDUTech lab in her new school.

Meanwhile, Faruqi uses her platform as an ECW global champion to amplify the voices of those left behind through the #AfghanGirlsVoices Campaign.

Somaya Faruqi, former captain of the Afghan Girls Robotics Team – known as the Afghan Dreamers – and now an Education Cannot Wait Global Champion, gained international recognition for her engineering achievements before being forced to flee her homeland when the Taliban took power in 2021.

Today, we also recognize the power and potential of an entire generation of future scientists. Brave leaders such as ECW Global Champion Somaya Faruqi, who led the Afghan Girls' Robotics Team in Kabul and built a ventilator out of car parts.

Together with ECW and our strategic partners, strong visionaries like them inspire our global charge to ensure girls have access to STEM education from an early age, and women can break through the glass ceiling to find their rightful place in universities, labs and research facilities across the globe.

It is possible to change all that. In Chad, through ECW investments delivered by UNICEF and partners, Khadidja is learning about science, math and mechanics in a classroom designed to provide non-formal education to children that have been impacted by the various crises facing the nation. Nadejda, a Ukrainian refugee in Moldova, is building up her digital skills and even learning to develop a website thanks to support at an ECW-funded EDUTech lab in her new school.

The session included presentations by Yasmine Sherif, the Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait, a global fund for education in emergencies, and Aya Mouallem, the Founder of All Girls Code, a program that empowers young girls in high schools and higher education to learn the foundational skills of coding for various jobs.

As part of efforts to ensure effective implementation and sustainability of the Education Cannot Wait – First Emergency Response (ECW-FER) project, the Country Director of GOALPrime Organisation Nigeria, Professor Christopher Chinedumuije, led a monitoring and engagement visit to Musawa Local Government Area (LGA) in Katsina State.

GOALPrime is implementing the ECW-FER project in Northwest Nigeria in partnership with Save the Children Nigeria, focusing on ensuring access to quality education in emergencies while building community resilience to mitigate the impact of disasters on education.

As part of efforts to ensure effective implementation and sustainability of the Education Cannot Wait – First Emergency Response (ECW-FER) project, the Country Director of GOALPrime Organisation Nigeria, Professor Christopher Chinedumuije, led a monitoring and engagement visit to Musawa Local Government Area (LGA) in Katsina State.

GOALPrime is implementing the ECW-FER project in Northwest Nigeria in partnership with Save the Children Nigeria, focusing on ensuring access to quality education in emergencies while building community resilience to mitigate the impact of disasters on education.

The GOALPrime Organization Nigeria has assured residents of Musawa Local Government Area (LGA) in Katsina State that the Education Cannot Wait – First Emergency Response (ECW-FER) project, will leave a lasting impact by ensuring that communities are equipped to protect education during emergencies and continue to thrive beyond the duration of the project.

GOALPrime is implementing the ECW-FER project in Northwest Nigeria in partnership with Save the Children Nigeria, focusing on ensuring access to quality education in emergencies while building community resilience to mitigate the impact of disasters on education.

The GOALPrime Organization Nigeria has assured residents of Musawa Local Government Area (LGA) in Katsina State that the Education Cannot Wait – First Emergency Response (ECW-FER) project, will leave a lasting impact by ensuring that communities are equipped to protect education during emergencies and continue to thrive beyond the duration of the project.

GOALPrime is implementing the ECW-FER project in Northwest Nigeria in partnership with Save the Children Nigeria, focusing on ensuring access to quality education in emergencies while building community resilience to mitigate the impact of disasters on education.

By leveraging community involvement, GOALPrime aims to ensure that investments in education and disaster preparedness continue to benefit the region, even beyond the duration of the ECW-FER project.

A global advocacy campaign for Education Cannot Wait (part of UNICEF).

According to the UN Education Cannot Wait Fund, the number of children in immediate need of education assistance has been estimated at 35mn children over the past three years, reaching 234mn by the end of 2024. The UN fund indicated that the escalation of conflicts and the impact of climate change increased the number of children in need of assistance in the field of education.

In Cameroon, UN Volunteer Mino De Diana Randrianatoandro serves as an Education Officer and the focal point for the "Education Cannot Wait" initiative. Her work with UNICEF focuses on supporting vulnerable and crisis-affected children through educational programs. Mino plays a key role in planning and distributing educational kits, alleviating financial burdens for parents who cannot afford them.

Organisations like Education Cannot Wait do amazing work delivering education in emergencies through their multi-year resilience programmes and aid that supports them would help plug the $97 billion financing gap for education in low-income nations.