“No other investment has such a lasting effect as the education of children. Children who go to school are healthier, more self-assured and can more easily assume a profession. And education is the only effective "vaccine" against HIV/AIDS.”
Education transforms lives
For most of Africa's children, education represents the only way out of a life of entrenched poverty. Across the continent, millions of children currently subsist on less than EUR 1 a day. Only those who can read, write and do arithmetic can hope to get a better paid job when they grow up.
But school is about much more than just job skills. It's playing an increasingly vital role helping children protect themselves against the diseases that can ravage poor communities. Simple information on day-to-day hygiene and prevention saves lives and keeps families together.
UNICEF's schools also provide sustenance through the provision of school meals wherever possible. For many growing children, the meal they get at school is their only hot meal of the day.
Finally, school builds confidence, cohesiveness and community. Educated children are less likely to become victims of violence and abuse. They are more likely to invest in improving their community when they are grown. And the follow-on effects of even basic education quickly multiply, as children who have benefited from schooling themselves strive to secure even better opportunities for their own families.
