Too many children are not gaining the education they need. Around 124 million are not enrolled in school*. For those that are, 38% leave primary school without learning to read and write*.
Our school improvement programmes have benefitted more than 25,000 children, giving them greater access to a quality education.
* UNICEF: The State of the World’s Children, 2016
BETTER SCHOOLS
Children do not all get equal opportunities in education. Research shows that chances of getting a quality education are lower if children come from poor families, if they live in remote rural areas, or if they are girls. Young children are often denied an education because their family expects them to work instead. Others are keen to attend school but inadequate facilities hamper their success.
Without access to a good quality education, children don’t get a fair chance in life. Good schools and teaching can open the doors to fulfilling, productive and well paid employment, helping to break the cycle of poverty.
On average, each additional year of education a child receives increases future earnings by around 10%. Each additional year a country manages to keep its children in school can reduce that country’s poverty rate by 9%, leading to a transformation in society and the national economy (Unicef, 2016). Camps International has has built and renovated more than 45 schools and kindergartens, giving more children a chance for proper schooling in a safe learning environment. Child sponsorship has enabled more than 100 children to continue on to secondary education and we support several teachers with their professional training and development.
A GOOD EDUCATION STARTS EARLY
In Borneo, children start school at seven years old without any previous education and most are not able to read or write. In rural communities of Ecuador and Peru men usually work away from the family home for weeks at a time. Women work either as domestic staff or as farm workers, also resulting in long hours away from the family home. This family dynamic is having a detrimental impact on the development and welfare of young children and is discouraging women from working, as there are very limited childcare options available to them.
Camps International has built a number of kindergartens and day care centres to provide a safe and productive learning space for young children, freeing parents up to work and earn extra income for their families.
SPORT: A POWERFUL TOOL FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
Sports development can play a crucial role in developing young people physically, socially and emotionally by improving health and fitness, problem solving, boosting self-esteem, fostering social competence and supporting academic achievement. At the moment rural schools do not receive any funding for teaching sports and girls are usually left out of any sporting activities. Camps International's Sports Development programme has provided 12 schools in Kenya and Tanzania with sports kits and enabled 3,500 children to receive sports coaching. Many thousands more are now benefitting from new and improved sports facilities.
