A Sykomal Girls ' Middle Schooler smiles while working on a lesson in her Ishkashim, Afghanistan, class.
many years in villages, talking with women, elders and children, I am convinced that the most powerful force of change, and the best investment one can make is girls’ education.
As far back as 1959, the UN General Assembly’ s Declaration of The Rights of The Child stated that,“ The child is entitled to receive education, which shall be free and compulsory. He shall be given an education, which will promote his general culture and enable him, on a basis of equal opportunity, to develop his abilities, his individual judgment, and his sense of moral and social responsibility, and to become a useful member of society.”
In 2000, the global development community proposed eight goals to be implemented over 15 years called the Millennium Development Goals. In education, the goal was to eradicate illiteracy and provide universal education to every child. Thirteen years later, the Millennium Goal in education has mostly fallen far short of the objectives. In 2012, according to UNESCO, there were 121 million
If you educate a boy, you educate an individual, but if you educate a girl, you educate a community.
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children not in school including 65 million girls.
The World Literacy Foundation reported in 2012 that 796 million people on the planet are illiterate, including 510 million women, and estimated that the economic loss of having so many illiterate people is a staggering $ 1.19 trillion.
The costs associated with and implications of illiteracy are profound. Without the ability to read and write, people cannot read directions, ballots, medicine and food labels, letters, or newspapers. They have difficulty using a bank, understanding government policy, using computers and cell phones, helping their children with homework, and much more.
As a child growing up in Tanzania, I learned a quote:“ If you educate a boy, you educate an individual, but if you educate a girl, you educate a community.” In simple terms, this is what causes the“ ripple effect.” A single educated boy might leave his village. But an educated mother is more likely to stay and encourage her children to go to school. This is why both boys’ and girls’ education is important.
Over the years, I learned a term in military parlance called“ force multiplier.” What it means is that when a capability, tool, or means is added to a combat force, the probability of a successful mission outcome is significantly increased. A force multiplier can bring profound change, and often change the tide of a battle or a war. In today’ s war on poverty, amid natural disasters, crippled economies, environmental degradation, and
46 | Journey of Hope C E N T R A L A S I A I N S T I T U T E