COVID 19 DONATIONS
Deep budget cuts to education and rising poverty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could force at least 9.7 million children out of school forever by the end of this year, with millions more falling behind in learning, Compassion for Kids warns in a news report launched today.
Girls are likely to be much worse affected than boys, with many forced into early marriage. As the impacts of the recession triggered by COVID-19 hits families, many children may be forced out of school and into labour markets.
In its report, Compassion for Kids is calling for governments and donors to respond to this global education emergency by urgently investing in education as schools begin to reopen after months of lockdown.
The agency is also urging commercial creditors to suspend debt repayments by low-income countries a move that could free up $14bn for investment in education.
“It would be unconscionable to allow resources that are so desperately needed to keep alive the hope that comes with education to be diverted into debt repayments,” CEO of Compassion for Kid. The agency calls for governments to use their budgets to ensure children have access to distance learning whilst lockdown measures remain; and to support children who have fallen behind.
HELP A CHILD GET QUALITY EDUCATION
Millions of children are being robbed of an education simply because of who they are or where they live. Deprived of learning because they are caught up in emergencies, face extreme poverty, or are discriminated against because of their gender, disability or ethnicity. The world's most vulnerable and excluded children are missing out on education.
Today, nearly 400 million children of primary school age cannot read or write
More than half of all three to six year olds have no access to pre-primary education
About 10 million refugee children risk having their learning interrupted after being forced to flee their homes
25 million children will never enroll in school – and two-thirds of them are girls
Without a quality basic education, children are less likely to escape the cycle of poverty and may never have the opportunity to fulfill their potential.
HELP A CHILD IN CRISIS
In times of crisis, when children are at their most vulnerable, Compassion for Kids is there. We are always among the first organisations to deliver life-saving support for children and their families. We partner with local organisations wherever possible to ensure our responses are locally driven, allowing us to build trust and gain access to hard to reach communities.
To strengthen our collective capacity to handle emergencies, our Humanitarian curriculum provides quality-assured humanitarian learning for everyone.
We stand side by side with children in the world's toughest places.
Compassion for Kids was founded to protect children caught up in conflict, and we continue this work today. In 2019, we responded to 130 humanitarian emergencies in 64 countries.
In a humanitarian emergency, we provide safe spaces for children so they can feel safe, play and learn. We help children that have been separated from their families, ensuring they are taken care of through safe, secure legal systems, and reunite them with their families, whenever possible. We also provide emergency relief and healthcare, psychosocial support, temporary schools and cash grants to help families rebuild their lives. Together with our local partners, we are ready to mobilise within hours of natural disasters like droughts, earthquakes, or tsunamis, to help families access food, clean water, and shelter.
In humanitarian settings, safeguarding risks diversify and multiply – and affected children and adults are at increased risk of neglect, abuse, and sexual exploitation, including harm perpetrated by NGO workers.
HELP SUPPORT OUR ADVOCACY AND CAMPAIGN FOR LITTLE KIDS IN NEED OF HELP
In the space of a generation, the world has made incredible progress for children but this progress has not been spread equally or fairly. Millions of children around the world continue to miss out on education, die from preventable causes or experience violence and abuse, simply because of who they are or where they live.
We campaign with children to remove the barriers that prevent children from surviving, learning and being protected, so that every child can reach their full potential.
Compassion for Kids campaigns for Governments to take action to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable development goals and ultimately the realisation of the all children's rights as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, with a focus on children left behind. In response to the coronavirus and its devastating impact on children, we are advocating #liveshelpinglives supported by the global campaign Save Our Education.
REACH OUT TO US
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