Page 14 - 10X GOOD Issue 17 October

EDUCATION
CANNOT WAIT:
A Lifeline for 8
Million Kids
Education Cannot Wait Announces US$24 Million Catalytic Multi-
Year Resilience Programme Grant in Ethiopia, Total ECW Funding in
Ethiopia Tops US$88 Million
ducation Cannot Wait (ECW) and its
strategic partners has announced a US$24
million catalytic grant to scale-up the
impact of the Fund’s Multi-Year Resilience
E Programme in Ethiopia, which has already
reached close to half a million children.
Total ECW funding in Ethiopia now tops US$88
million, and ECW called on donors to significantly
expand funding for education in Ethiopia and across
the Horn of Africa.
“Ethiopia is facing a humanitarian crisis caused
by conflict, climate change, forced displacement
and economic stresses. The humanitarian funding
gap for education is significant and, as a result, 8
million children are out of school. Without access
to an education, they risk child marriage, forced
recruitment, killing and maiming. This is the very
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reason we today announce an additional $24 million
catalytic investment. However, our investment alone
does not meet the needs of 8 million crisis-affected
girls and boys and thus we call for the public sector
and private sector to contribute with financial
resources to this well-coordinated and holistic
multi-year education programmme,” said Yasmine
Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait,
the global fund for education in emergencies and
protracted crises in the United Nations.
These compounding challenges are deepening the
humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia and across the Horn
of Africa. In all, approximately 21.4 million people
urgently need humanitarian support in Ethiopia
alone.
Prior to this most-recent contribution by ECW
and its strategic donor partners, only 12% of the
US$101 million required for the education response The grant will increase access and retention of
out-of-school girls and boys – including internally
was funded, according to the 2024 Humanitarian
displaced people, returnees, host community,
Response Plan.
refugee, and children with disabilities – into non-
The three-year ECW grant seeks to crowd-in more formal education, improve the quality of foundational
learning, support girls and boys to transition from
resources from donors, the private sector and
philanthropic foundations to reach over 170,000
non-formal accelerated programmes to formal
crisis-impacted girls and boys in Ethiopia’s hard-hit
across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
Amhara, Somali and Tigray regions. education, and improve coordination mechanisms
Built in coordination with the Government of ECW and its strategic partners are racing to mobilize
US$600 million in additional resources to reach the
Ethiopia, the grant will be led by Save the Children targets outlined in the Fund’s four-year strategic
with a consortium of international and local partners, plan. By crowding-in resources, this continued
support will accelerate the United Nations’ efforts
including the Norwegian Refugee Council, Humanity
and Inclusion, Development Expertise Committee, to deliver on the promise of universal, equitable
OWS-DF, Tigray Development Association, and education as outlined in the 2030 Agenda for
Forum for African Women Educationalist. In Sustainable Development.
building on the commitments outlined in the Grand
Bargain Agreement, local organizations will receive Education Cannot Wait (ECW) is the global fund for
approximately 50% of the total budget. education in emergencies and protracted crises in
the United Nations. We support quality education
“Save the Children is committed to working with outcomes for refugee, internally displaced and
the Ministry of Education in Ethiopia, our partners other crisis-affected girls, and boys, so no one is
and other stakeholders to address both conflict and left behind. ECW works through the multilateral
climate-induced challenges and other stressors, system to both increase the speed of responses
which are disrupting access to education for in crises and connect immediate relief and longer-
millions of girls and boys. We are jointly working term interventions through multi-year programming.
to strengthen coordination and collaboration at all ECW works in close partnership with governments,
levels and ensure coherent, aligned responses for public and private donors, UN agencies, civil
children that get them back to learning in flexible, society organizations, and other humanitarian and
appropriate, and safe learning environments. development aid actors to increase efficiencies
Closing gaps in financing of education is a matter of and end siloed responses. ECW urgently appeals
urgency, and we strongly call upon the support of all to public and private sector donors for expanded
stakeholders,” said Dragana Strinic, Country Director support to reach even more vulnerable children and
at Save the Children Ethiopia. youth.
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