Education Cannot Wait's Mission in Ethiopia Calls for Urgent Financing Solutions for Millions of Out-of-School Children

Urgent Need for Innovative Financing in Ethiopian Education

In a recent high-level mission in Ethiopia, key stakeholders from Education Cannot Wait (ECW) spotlighted the dire educational crisis affecting millions of children. Led by Nicolai Wammen, Denmark's Minister of Finance and ECW Global Champion, the team emphasized the need for innovative financing strategies to ensure quality education for the estimated 9 million children currently out of school due to ongoing violence and climate-related disasters.

Alarming Statistics

The situation in Ethiopia is alarming, with current figures indicating a staggering threefold rise in out-of-school children since 2022. Nearly 18% of the nation’s schools have been either destroyed or damaged amidst the ongoing unrest, making education increasingly inaccessible. Furthermore, Ethiopia is now home to the third-largest refugee population in Africa, leading to significant strain on an already burdened educational system, highlighted by the arrival of over 200,000 refugees from Sudan and Somalia within just two years.

Impact on the Tigray Region

During the mission, the delegation visited the Tigray region, which has been largely affected by a three-year conflict that halted educational activities entirely. They observed firsthand the positive effects of ECW-supported programs in schools and engaged with students, parents, and educators. Remarkably, one school reported a 20% increase in enrollment last year, attributed to comprehensive interventions funded by ECW, demonstrating the potential impact of targeted support.

Yasmine Sherif, ECW's Executive Director, described the educational crisis in Ethiopia as one of the largest silent emergencies globally. “The evident passion for learning among all children who were met during our visit underscores a crucial need for urgent financial support from strategic donor partners,” she stated.

New Funding Initiatives

During this mission, Sherif announced a newly initiated $5 million First Emergency Response (FER) grant, which will increase ECW's total investments in the country to over $93 million since 2017. This new grant, primarily directed by UNICEF and the local partner organization Imagine1Day, aims to respond to urgent educational needs that have worsened due to ongoing conflicts and natural disasters in regions like Oromia and Afar.

This new allocation builds upon a recently announced $24 million Multi-Year Resilience Program focused on the Amhara, Somali, and Tigray provinces, aiming to create a more sustainable educational environment.

Participants' Perspectives

Witnessing the transformative potential of education in the most challenging environments, Nicolai Wammen remarked, “I encountered strong and resilient youth ready to learn and thrive, thanks to ECW's initiatives. Yet, the challenges posed by conflict and climate change continue to exclude millions from education.” He called on private sector partners to actively participate in filling the mounting financial gap, stating, “Business as usual will not suffice to face these critical challenges.”

Moreover, UNICEF representatives and local partners have expressed deep gratitude towards ECW for its unwavering support, noting that children should belong in classrooms, where they can learn and engage in safe environments. They emphasized that this new funding will ensure that over 13,000 previously out-of-school children in the Afar region, many of whom are girls or children with disabilities, can access suitable learning spaces.

The concerted effort from ECW aligns with Ethiopia's Humanitarian Response Plan and Education Sector Development Program VI, aiming to bridge a whopping $64 million funding gap for addressing acute educational needs identified for 2024.

In conclusion, the high-level mission undertaken by Education Cannot Wait clearly highlights the urgent call for innovative financing and collaborative efforts from the global community to guarantee access to quality education for Ethiopia's vulnerable out-of-school children.