To better understand the value of education, we must think about how it makes one feel to be educated. Education is not about how competent a person is or how many elements on the periodic table someone can name; it is about the liberty and inclusion that comes from knowledge. It is about the boundaries it crosses and unites the east with the west. It is the voice of the oppressed. An educated person is a free person. This year, celebrate the freedom of rights as we come together for the International Day of Education on January 24th, 2023.   

According to UNESCO, 258 million children worldwide, including four thousand refugees, still do not attend school, 617 million adolescents and children are illiterate, and less than 40% of girls in the Sub-Saharan regions complete secondary education. These statistics are a mere snapshot of this crisis which requires the world’s attention. The United Nations recognizes the urgency of working towards changing these odds. Through education, the children and youth in our societies can help change the global economic climate and make lifelong contributions toward the stability and reformation of some of the most deserving communities in our world. Giving these people access to their fundamental right to education is our responsibility so that they can get the encouragement and support they need to write their futures.  

Helping Hand USA believes in fighting poverty through education. For over 17 years, we have advocated for quality education for refugee children and orphans. HHRD’s Education Support Program (ESP) was established to provide help and support to needy children through scholarships so that they receive similar opportunities to those of other children their age. This program also furthers the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal of Quality Education to ensure equal and inclusive education for all by 2030. 

HHRD runs various programs to help these children maintain somewhat of a regular school routine by offering classes from elementary through secondary level of education. In 2021 alone, 17,904 children benefited from our Education Support Program. Our Higher Education Support Program allows high-school graduates to fulfill their dreams of earning a college degree so that they can gain the opportunity of shaping their lives themselves. The program enables donors to choose the most convenient payment plan for either 12-monthly payments of $60 or a one-time annual sponsorship of $720. Along with these sponsorship programs that help these children go to school, HHRD also has Mobile Learning Centers in Jordan serving refugees from Syria, Palestine, and other areas. These centers provide refugee children in remote areas with the encouragement and ability to continue their education without falling behind until they can resume formal education. Children can get basic English and Arabic education and work on mathematical skills. They are also given training and taught basic life skills and learning through play to help them sustain life after they leave their refugee camps. 

Help us in our mission and experience the beauty of sending a child to school. Your generous contributions will not only promote education for one child but could potentially change an entire generation of children who could help reshape the future of their communities. Donate today at hhrd.org/ESP and give a child the gift of education. 

About the Author: Hiba Khan is the Marketing Content Lead for Helping Hand USA.