14 September 2023 (New York, USA) – A special exhibition took place today alongside the 78th United Nations General Assembly, celebrating the ten-year partnership between Education Above All Foundation (EAA) and UNICEF.
Called A Decade of Dreams, the event took place at the Danny Kaye Visitors’ Centre at UNICEF House, New York, celebrating more than five million out-of-school children and youth gaining access to quality education.
The exhibition was unveiled by EAA CEO and the Global Director, Education and Adolescent Development at UNICEF and also UNICEF Ambassador Ms Sofia Carson. They welcomed a series of high-level government officials and policymakers, representatives from United Nations agencies, the private sector, education organisations, ambassadors and other partners of the EAA Foundation.
The exhibition features installations of photos and videos of children and youth sharing their personal journeys. The images vividly illustrate the transformative support provided by UNICEF and EAA Foundation in helping these children reach their potential and realise their dreams.
UNICEF has worked with EAA Foundation across several programs. This includes the Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) Program, reaching nearly 265,000 beneficiaries in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Nepal and establishing youth centres across nine countries, supporting thousands of young people trained in community engagement, along with thousands of educators.
Meanwhile UNICEF in partnership with EAA Foundation’s Al Fakhoora Program response to the 2014 Gaza conflicts, directly assisting nearly 5,000 young people. UNICEF also supported its PEIC Program, contributing to “Education Under Attack”, a global survey by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA). With PEIC’s involvement, GCPEA championed the Safe Schools Declaration in 2015, now endorsed by 118 states.
Education Above All Foundation (EAA), CEO said: “EAA and UNICEF have worked together in diverse countries, enabling vulnerable children, whether fleeing conflict or stricken by poverty, to learn and thereby take up a path to a brighter future. Those children raise their communities through the power of education, which brings greater prosperity, better health, and the ability to overcome challenges.”
“Education is an entryway to meet the many needs of children, especially when they are facing multiple deprivations. Children cannot learn when they are hungry, when they feel unsafe or grappling with trauma. Together, UNICEF and EAA will continue to turn the page on the future of millions of children and support quality education and the necessary services for the learning journey,” said Deputy Executive Director of Programmes at UNICEF.
About the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation
The Education Above All (EAA) Foundation is a global foundation established in 2012 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. EAA aims to transform lives through education. We believe that education is the single most effective means of reducing poverty, creating peaceful and just societies, unlocking the full potential of every child and youth, and creating the right conditions to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Through our multi-sectoral approach, unique financing models, focus on innovation as a tool for social good, and partnerships, we aim to bring hope and real opportunities to the lives of impoverished and marginalised boys and girls.
EAA Foundation is comprised of the following programs: Educate A Child (EAC), Al Fakhoora, Reach Out To Asia (ROTA), Protect Education in Insecurity and Conflict (PEIC), Innovation Development (ID) and Together project.