HH Sheikha Moza announces major milestone in educating 10 million out of school children

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HH Sheikha Moza announces major milestone in educating 10 million out of school children


New York, United States of America, 27 April 2018

In an Education Above All (EAA) event, co-organized with UNICEF, at the New York Public Library, Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of EAA, announced that 10 million of the most marginalized out of school children will receive quality, primary education through EAA’s Educate A Child (EAC) program.

Her Highness said, “We did not achieve this remarkable goal by snapping our fingers or by just writing checks.” In fact, EAC has worked with over 80 global partners to tackle the barriers to education and close the gap on the 63 million out of school children.

“I have watched as schools were built from scratch… I have listened to lessons taught under the shade of a tree,” Her Highness said in her opening address. “The desire to learn is one of the most powerful forces of human nature. And it is in every child. Helping children fulfill that innate desire is the responsibility of us all.”

In 2012, Her Highness made a promise to educate 10 million out of school children in some of the most challenging situations across the world. With a total of over $1.8 billion invested, a third of which came from the government of Qatar, and only six years of operations, EAC secured the necessary commitments to reach 10 million children, demonstrating that progress is possible even amid the worsening education crisis.

Her Highness also called redoubled efforts as “millions of children are still waiting and in desperate need of our help. Let’s work together to ensure a better future for all of them and for the world we share. Believe me, it is possible.”

The event gathered world leaders and high-level figures such as the UN Secretary-General, HE Mr. Antonio Guterres; the President of Ghana, HE Mr. Nana Akufo-Addo; HE Permanent Representative from Qatar to the UN, Sheikha Alia Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani; Executive Director of UNICEF, Ms. Henrietta H. Fore.