The Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, in conjunction with Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and Silatech, has unveiled a pioneering collaboration focused on enhancing access to education, tackling climate change, and fostering employment prospects in Africa and Asia. This innovative partnership, supported by a financial pledge of up to US$70 million, aims to tackle the obstacles encountered by more than 280,000 children and youth who are out of school while also generating employment opportunities for 150,000 young individuals across 25 countries within the next five years.
Fahad AL Sulaiti, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Education Above All Foundation (EAA), expressed his vision for the partnership, stating, "We firmly believe that every child should be given the opportunity to realize their right to education. Together through this partnership, we are taking a significant leap towards ensuring quality primary education for many more of the most marginalised out-of-school children. Together, we will contribute to a world where every child can learn, grow, and fulfill their dreams".
Hassan Al Mulla, CEO of Silatech, emphasized the importance of empowering youth through employment opportunities, noting, "As we join forces in this transformative collaboration, Silatech is honoured to play a vital role in empowering youth globally through employment opportunities. Through innovative and effective solutions, we are committed to addressing the pressing challenge of youth unemployment, enabling young people to unleash their true potential and fulfill their aspirations".
Marie-Hélène Loison, deputy CEO of AFD for her part, stated, “I am very pleased today to sign this tripartite Framework Agreement with EAA and Silatech. It concretely sets concessional co-financing objectives for the countries, which need it most, on two pressing issues for developing countries: access to education and youth employment".
This agreement highlights the significance of collaborative efforts involving multiple stakeholders in aiding developing nations and advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with a specific focus on SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
Through this collaboration, the EAA Foundation, Silatech, and AFD will facilitate financial opportunities to enhance access to quality primary education for children who are out of school, advocate globally for the safeguarding of education against attacks, promote education on climate change, and support youth employment or self-employment through job placements and fostering enterprise development in developing countries spanning three continents. Targeted countries for this initiative include Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iraq, Gambia, Guinea, Haiti, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritania, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo, Tunisia, and Uganda.
