The achievement was celebrated at a major event "Aluno Presente" (Present Student) recently at Bayt Qatar, Qatar’s Olympic Committee house in Rio. The other partners in the ground-breaking initiative are Association Apprentice School City (Aprendiz) and the Municipal Secretary of Education of Rio de Janeiro.
"Life can be very difficult for the population of the favelas (slums) in Rio. Life expectancy is just 48, there is high unemployment and violence is rife. For the thousands of children growing up there, gaining an education can be the only life line out of poverty," a statement issued by the foundation said.
In partnership with EAC, Aprendiz is expanding the Department of Education’s Schools of Tomorrow programme in Brazil to ensure quality basic education for the children of Rio de Janeiro’s favelas. Some of the boys and girls who have benefitted from this programme attended the event, took part in art, music and dance activities to highlight how the different cultural identities of Qatar and Brazil are working together to provide them with a chance of a better future. EAC's ability to forge positive and constructive relationships with these partners has been key to successfully delivering for some of Brazil’s poorest children.
The success of the programme is based on three key strands: 1)A data system that enables the staff to identify and collate information on the most effective support for out of school children; 2) A field team with trained managers and professionals skilled in dealing with some of the social problems faced by children growing up in poverty;3) Working with local partners and municipal governments to help children and their families access their basic rights.
Given the success of this model, EAC and its partners have set a new target of reintegrating almost 5,000 more children and adolescents into education by the end of 2016. That would bring the total to 21,000 – a significant achievement in such a short timeframe.
Following the event, Fahad al-Sulaiti, Chief Executive of the Education Above All Foundation said:
“The Aluno Presente was a fantastic event which highlighted the important way education offers a future to children in Brazil, and across the world.
“This was also an exciting opportunity to showcase our successful partnership with the Association Apprentice School City in Rio de Janeiro and the important role played by the Municipal Secretary of Education in supporting the efforts of this project which aims to reintegrate 21,000 out of school children and adolescents by the end of 2016."
Education Above All (EAA) is a global initiative founded in 2012 by HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser .
EAA’s aim is to build a global movement that contributes to human, social and economic development through quality education and other welfare programmes and initiatives. EAA is the umbrella organisation overseeing three core programmes: Educate A Child, Al Fakhoora and Protect Education in Insecurity and Conflict (PEIC), as well as one special project, the Kakuma Project.
Launched in 2012, EAC aims to trigger significant breakthroughs in providing quality primary education to the 58 mn children who currently have no access to schooling. Through EAC supported programming, children overcome barriers to educational access and retention.
A view of the favelas (slums) in Rio de Janeiro
Educate A Child (EAC), a programme of the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation in partnership with government and other entities, has successfully enrolled 16,239 children living in slums in the heart of Rio de Janeiro into primary school in under two years.