Friday wrapped up our first week back to school. It’s been a return to old and new routines, schedules, earlier bed times, and stricter diets. My oldest returned to his private school and my youngest started kindergarten after sitting out a year due to illness.
The last 18 months haven’t only been a whirlwind of travel but also struggle and ultimately perseverance. At the end of the day, even with all that we’ve been through, we know that we are blessed. Whether it’s public or private school, our kids have an opportunity to go to school. There are a few things that we know.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT EDUCATION
- We know that our kids have a chance to make a life for themselves with having an education.
- We know that the world has been more open to us with our education.
- We know that not everyone has an opportunity to get an education in other parts of the world.
EDUCATION ISSUES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Just like our grandparents knew, Opportunity International knows that education is a pathway out of poverty. Unfortunately, in some of the poorest parts of the world, like Sub-Saharan Africa, the cycle of poverty perpetuates because public education is not free. Public schools have costs to them – fees, uniforms, books, food, shoes, even teachers’ payments, and more.
· A staggering 130 million children around the world are not in school—70% are girls.
· A girl with an extra year of education can earn 20% more as an adult. (World Bank)
· Educated mothers are more than twice as likely to send their children to school.(UNICEF)
OPPORTUNITY INTERNATIONAL’S EDUCATION INITIATIVE
Opportunity International is working to raise funds to support its education finance initiative, which helps send children to school. Studies how shown that the number one reason that African families do not send their children to school is lack of financial resources. Opportunity International is working to ensure all children have access to an education through school fee loans. With the assistance of loans, parents are able to afford their children’s tuition and thus change their future.
It’s a shame and unimaginable that a parent must take out a loan for a child’s education as young as 5 or 6 but it’s a reality. On average, it costs a parent $240 a year to pay for one child to attend school. That’s a significant amount of money for some families in underdeveloped communities.
OUR GLOBAL ROLE
Opportunity International is working to raise funds to support its education finance initiative, which helps send children to school.
- Through this campaign, people can help send a child to school for $1 a day.
- A $240 donation is a representative amount families borrow from Opportunity International to pay for a year of school for one child.
- Through the contributions of two generous donors, all donations to Invest in One Child will be matched dollar for dollar up to $35,000. This match encourages others to give likewise but is not contingent on additional gifts being received.
We can help to invest in one child through Opportunity International’s Back to School Campaign: https://opportunity.org/give/project/child
Education is a pathway out of poverty, we give them an opportunity and we give them the world.
*Photos courtesy of Opportunity International.
