Being a parent really brings home the importance of education for children and you no doubt want your kids to get the best possible schooling. Fortunately, most youngsters in the UK have access to decent schooling, but the same can’t be said for children everywhere. Millions of kids growing up in war-torn countries around the world are prevented from attending classes on a regular basis because it’s too dangerous to do so or because the schools simply aren’t available.
Highlighting the scale of this problem, a report released recently by the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR suggested that more than half of the six million school-aged refugee children under its mandate (many of whom are displaced by war) don’t go to school. It revealed that around 1.75 million refugee children aren’t in primary school, while nearly two million adolescents aren’t in secondary school. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees described this lack of education as a “crisis”.
Given the size of the problem and the fact that many of the children affected are located so far away, you might feel powerless to help. However, there are things you can do to make a difference to kids who are being deprived of this basic human right.
Donate to a good cause
One of the simplest ways to do your bit is to donate to a good cause. There are a wide range of charity initiatives that focus on providing youngsters with access to schooling. For example, the organisation Human Appeal runs a range of projects to supply school supplies and education funds. In Syria, the charity has provided tens of thousands of back to school kits and it’s also refurbished classrooms. In addition, it’s helped to fund professional psychological support for youngsters affected by the conflict.
By doing some research online, you should be able to find charity initiatives like this that you can donate to. You might want to set up regular payments to an organisation, or give a one-off sum to a particular project. Whether you can afford to give a little or a lot, your financial assistance will make an important difference to vulnerable children who are being denied a proper education because of war.
Help to raise awareness
Another way to bring about positive change is to spread the word about the projects being run. Many people simply don’t appreciate the scale of this problem, and so by talking to your family, friends and colleagues about the issue, you can raise awareness and potentially encourage more people to donate. As well as discussing the issue in person, you could use your social media accounts to draw attention to this problem.
Give up some of your free time to support a charity
- If you have any space in your schedule, why not give some of your free time too? You might want to organise or help out at fundraising events. You could also get involved in collections at schools, universities or other local institutions. As well as generating extra money for this worthwhile cause, volunteering can be a great opportunity to meet new people and develop new skills.
The scale of the educational difficulties facing children in war-torn countries can seem overwhelming, but by following advice like this, you can make a real difference to youngsters around the world.
