Basic education

Freedom through literacy

Reading, writing, arithmetic…these basic skills are still lacking in almost 800 million adults, of whom two-thirds are women and 104 million are children living in Sub-Saharan Africa and South and West Asia. Despite the progress made in developing countries over the past decade, education and basic schooling remain unattainable dreams for many marginalized groups: displaced populations; minority groups; people living in isolated regions; and those caught in conflict zones.

Basic education is the most effective way of preventing poverty and illness, and of improving people's quality of life. Educated people are better able to acquire information, carry out various projects, and secure their children's future. However, many obstacles stand in the way: there are not enough schools, too few qualified teachers, and the learning materials are often severely deficient.

Gender-based biases hinder women and girls at all levels and limit their chances for becoming self-sufficient and attaining a better quality of life. However, it has been shown that the education of women effectively reduces child and maternal mortality rates and improves the health and nutrition of families. According to the Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, no lasting decrease in poverty is possible as long as girls are deprived of the quality education that is their right.

Projects in Africa and Asia

We support projects in basic education in many Western African countries and in Vietnam.

In Africa and Asia: Increase accessibility and reduce disparities

• In Ghana, our projects aim to increase the number of girls attending school. We also contribute to the development of educational materials for students and teachers.
• In Niger , we concentrate on the improvement of non-formal education and equal access for men and women to literacy programs.
• In Senegal , we develop post-literacy activities to allow students to make use of the skills they have acquired. We also support training and networking programs in the fields of education and professional training.
• In Vietnam , our projects build on the educational reforms introduced by government. We are working to increase the participation of girls and ethnic minorities in school and we are active in professional training programs for teachers and education administrators. An example of project. (Video) >>