Education Cannot Wait (ECW) on Tuesday announced US$17.7 million in catalytic seed funding to roll out a first-ever Multi-Year Resilience Programme in Sudan, a press statement said.
The catalytic grant will be delivered in partnership with Save the Children and UNICEF. The grant seeks to catalyze an additional US$60 million in funding for the multi-year programme while, at the same time, calling international attention to the pressing humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
According to ECW, the initial seed-funding investment will support access to quality life-sustaining education programmes for at least 100,000 displaced, conflict-affected and vulnerable children and adolescents in Sudan. To reach the most vulnerable and marginalized, 60% of beneficiaries are girls and 10% are children with disabilities.
The investment will be implemented by a Save the Children-led consortium (US$14.7 million grant) – which includes the Norwegian Refugee Council, International Aid Services and Global Aid Hand – and UNICEF (US$3 million grant).
“Conflict, COVID-19, climate change and a deepening economic crisis are derailing efforts to build peace, unity and sustainable development in Sudan,” said Yasmine Sherif, Director of Education Cannot Wait, the UN’s global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises.
She added: “Without an education, girls and boys face increased risk of child marriage, early pregnancy, exploitation, abuse, recruitment into armed groups and child labour. Our investment in education is an investment in the future of Sudan. It’s an investment in ending poverty and hunger. It’s an investment in peace.”
Arshad Malik, the Save the Children Sudan Country Director, said for the past several years, education has been severely disrupted for millions of children in Sudan, with conflict-affected children, girls, and children living with a disability most impacted.
“Save the Children, along with its consortium partners, is delighted to partake in the Education Cannot Wait Multi-Year Resilience Programme to deliver lifesaving and life-sustaining education opportunities for the most vulnerable children in Sudan,” Malik said.
Mandeep O’Brien, UNICEF Sudan Representative said the children of Sudan need education support now more than ever.
“This Multi-Year Resilience Programme will provide inclusive, quality and protective learning environments to vulnerable girls and boys living in very difficult circumstances,” O’Brien said. “It safeguards their right to develop and thrive. With this investment, we have a chance to ensure that no child in Sudan is left behind, no matter their circumstances and where they come from because education can’t wait.”
According to ECW, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, an estimated 4.3 million children were out of school in Sudan, with another 9.6 million experiencing prolonged absences during 2020. Schools are overcrowded and ill-equipped, teachers are underpaid and undertrained, and few children and adolescents are able to access remote learning opportunities.