Washington, D.C., February 9, 2016 -- The Global Partnership for Education provided $6.95 million in emergency support for education benefiting 8,500 children, both refugees and displaced, in the region of Lake Chad on the western border of Chad.
Chad is in the center of several major humanitarian crises in the region including those in Darfur, the Central African Republic, Libya and northeastern Nigeria. It has also been impacted by the Sahel food crisis and a financial crisis triggered by the decline in oil prices.
“It is at the core of the Global Partnership’s work to ensure that children’s education continues during emergencies and protracted crisis,” said Alice Albright, Chief Executive Officer at the Global Partnership for Education. “Learning time lost during crises is often lost forever. This is unacceptable. The Global Partnership’s operational model allows for quick emergency support if requested by partner countries.”
The funding will support the construction of more than 100 permanent and temporary classrooms in addition to wells, latrines and more than 60,000 textbooks and other school supplies for students and teachers. More than 8,500 children will benefit from school lunches and improved learning environments and more than 800 teachers will receive training. Micronutrients and parasite treatment will also be provided to students in the entire Lake Chad region. It is also planned to start training programs for more than 1,000 youths.
The Global Partnership deploys a progressive approach in fragile and conflict-affected countries providing flexibility to address challenges when a partner country faces a crisis. Support to inclusive sector planning that reinforces emergency readiness and planning are at the core of the Global Partnership’s work.
Chad first requested financial support from the Global Partnership in 2012 to support its transitional education sector plan. The $47.1 million grant funded the Basic Education Revitalization Project (PREBAT) which helped strengthen primary schools and improve the quality of primary education as well as non-formal education and adult literacy programs.
Chad is now preparing a new 10-year education sector strategy for 2017 to 2026.
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