The Director General of the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD), Dr. Waleed Al Wohaib, launched a joint Program with Education Above All Foundation (EAA) to partner on the development of shared intellectual work on out of school children in Mali, Nigeria and Pakistan with a potential for expansion to other countries.
The announcement to launch a joint program came during the ISFD-EAA Seminar on “Financing for Out Of School Children” at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 28 September 2018. The seminar was attended by Ms. Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director General for Education, UNESCO, Hon. Marie Bibeau, Minister of International Development in Canada and Prof. Abinou Témé, Minister of Education in Republic of Mali along with other high dignitaries.
In his speech during the seminar, the Director General stated that this joint program is anchored on three principles that is leveraging innovative joint financing to avail additional concessional resources, broadening the participation of non-state actors in educational service delivery to build national capacity and finally focusing on inclusive and quality educational outcomes.
He added, as ISFD is committed to focus on education and youth empowerment, it will continue to support EAA in all its efforts to promote access to quality education for marginalized children across the globe and restoring a sense of normalcy to their lives as well as giving them hope for a better future.
Moreover, being closely aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals, the ISFD-EAA Out of School Children Program will focus on promoting inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for 2.4 Million out-of-school children to be enrolled and retained in school and 245 thousand teachers to be trained by the end of the program.
However, this program is not only a product of partnership between ISFD and EAA, but also with 18 national and international NGOs and UN Agencies engaged as implementing partners.
Commenting on it, Dr. Waleed Al Wohaib, said, “ISFD to achieve its goal believe in joining forces with others and building strategic partnerships worldwide. We aim to specifically identify new partners that are qualified, passionate and share the goal of enhancing human dignity.”
ISFD ambition is to create a global alliance for out of school children that will spread beyond its current target of 2.4 million to reach the remaining 60 million.