In the News

As the world responds to the war in Ukraine, a UNICEF program delivered with funding from Education Cannot Wait is providing refugee girls and boys with remote learning, safe spaces and a new chance at hope.

The program was made possible with a fast-acting First Emergency Response grant from Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises in the UN.

Darya’s first step back to learning happened at the Licurici Puppet Theater, which organized non-formal education activities as part of ECW-funded programming in Moldova, delivered by UNICEF in coordination with partners like the Norwegian Refugee Council and national partners like Step-by-Step Moldova.

Millions of children have been impacted by the war in Ukraine. More than 2,000 refugee learners are enrolled in the Moldovan National Education system with collaborative support from ECW, UNICEF and other partners during the project implementation period. ECW is calling on world leaders to provide an additional $600 million in funding to support the 250 million crisis-impacted children worldwide whose education has been disrupted by wars, climate change and other protracted crises.

There is a programme called Education Cannot Wait, which makes sure that refugees or internally displaced persons can get access to education. In the northeast of Nigeria, where we have a high number of these internally displaced persons, this programme is helping the children in the refugee camps to get an education.

This global education crisis will have vast impacts on our global society, and our quest for social justice. I think of the brave women of the Afghan Girls Robotics Team, including our own ECW Global Champion Somaya Faruqi, who broke gender norms on their quest to learn more about science, technology, engineering and math. Coming out next month, their story will be told in the inspiring movie Rule Breakers. But, much more needs to be done. Social justice does not exist for the women and girls of Afghanistan today, nor in many other parts of the world torn apart by brutal conflicts, forced displacement, climate change or oppressive societal norms.

Since ECW was founded just a few years ago, this global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, together with all our strategic donor partners and implementing partners, have reached a total of 11.4 million children with quality education. With increased funding support, we can provide millions more with access to quality education, and contribute to social justice.

This global education crisis will have vast impacts on our global society, and our quest for social justice. I think of the brave women of the Afghan Girls Robotics Team, including our own ECW Global Champion Somaya Faruqi, who broke gender norms on their quest to learn more about science, technology, engineering and math. Coming out next month, their story will be told in the inspiring movie Rule Breakers. But, much more needs to be done. Social justice does not exist for the women and girls of Afghanistan today, nor in many other parts of the world torn apart by brutal conflicts, forced displacement, climate change or oppressive societal norms.

Since ECW was founded just a few years ago, this global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, together with all our strategic donor partners and implementing partners, have reached a total of 11.4 million children with quality education. With increased funding support, we can provide millions more with access to quality education, and contribute to social justice.

Більш як 19 000 девайсів будуть передані в Україну завдяки Багаторічній програмі стійкості (#MYRPUA) за фінансової підтримки Education Cannot Wait та співпраці Finn Church Aid та Міністерства освіти і науки України.

"Понад 19 000 девайсів – це частина багаторічної програми підтримки на $21 мільйонів, яку ми підписали рік тому разом з Education Cannot Wait. Загалом програма зараз активно працює і передбачається, що зможе надати пряму допомогу понад 41 000 дітям. Ця підтримка є частиною стратегії відновлення української освіти. Вдячний ECW та імплементаційним партнерам, зокрема міжнародній організації Finn Church Aid за тривалу підтримку України», – зазначив перший заступник міністра освіти і науки України Євген Кудрявець."

This narrow view of education underestimates its potential to build climate resilience, create eco-minded leaders, and stimulate innovation. That is why Education Cannot Wait, the Global Partnership for Education, Save the Children, UNICEF, UNESCO, and other organizations are calling for more climate finance to be channeled to education in emergencies.

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.

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.

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.

Over the past three years, the number of crisis-impacted school-aged children in need of urgent quality education support has grown by an alarming 35 million, according to Education Cannot Wait’s new Global Estimates Report. The recently published report offers a stark and brutal alert.

Yasmine Sherif, executive director of Education Cannot Wait, released a statement on Feb. 11, 2025, saying, “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. To achieve these goals, we must empower an entire generation of girls in crises to receive the education, training and resources they need to improve their knowledge and skills base in [STEM]”. Sherif specifically pointed out the women and girls living in areas of conflict.

“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.