Ending Extreme Poverty through Education Your Impact Report, Fall 2024
What Is Our Opportunity? 2023–2025 EDUCATION FINANCE STRATEGIC VISION To reach an additional 8 million children with $135M in education loans disbursed annually in 27 high-need countries—getting more kids in better schools.1 To end extreme poverty tomorrow, we must educate children today.
Primary school students in a low-cost, non-state school in Uganda
Education is a main factor in whether someone will be able to break the generational cycle of poverty—yet 617 million children are not receiving a quality education if they’re in school at all. There is a huge gap in funding and support for low-cost, non-state schools, which are critical to filling this education gap. Opportunity International’s response is clear and active: get more children in better schools. Our program breaks down two obstacles to education: access and quality. ► Access means getting more “seats” and more ways for children to safely attend school. We connect affordable non-state schools with financial institutions which provide school improvement loans for school facilities and resources, and we connect parents with financial institutions for school fee loans to send all their children to school, even when their family income is irregular. ► Quality means students have a safe, child-centered learning environment using best teaching practices so they can be successful. We work with schools to improve the quality of teaching and learning conditions for students through our Education Quality initiative.
ENABLING IMPACT and OUTCOMES Opportunity’s proven three-pronged model of training, access to financial resources, and group support ensures more children are learning from well-trained teachers, and schools are providing quality education led by passionate leaders in school facilities that are welcoming, safe, and equitable. The model blends the sustainability of Education Finance provision with locally driven Education Quality program for school leaders and teachers, offering a market-driven solution that ensures more children gain access to a quality education. Key outcomes—including financial resources, human capital, and thriving connections among school peers—pave the road for ultimate outcomes of resilience, individual agency, and the confident success of schools and students. 1
Updated September 2024
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