Education has a long-term impact on our lives. Would you be the person you are today without going to school, or would you be in the job you are in now?
At African Adventures, we’re on a mission to support thousands of children in Africa during their education, and to help provide them with more opportunities in life. By partnering with schools in Ghana, Kenya and Zanzibar, we aim to impact the lives of many generations to come.
Here are our reasons why education is so important in Africa.
Helps to reduce poverty
Quality education is the fourth UN Sustainable Development Goal and is a sustainable means to reduce poverty and bring lasting change. By attending school, children are taught the skills they need to progress and find employment.
Economic growth
By going to school, children can learn the skills that are needed for the workplace.
This means they’re more likely to get a job in future, earn an income, and support a family.
The country benefits too; having a more skilled workforce drives economic growth as educated workers are paid more and work more efficiently.
Higher employment rate
Good employment opportunities, especially early on in a career, are often reserved for those with a good education, which helps build a strong CV. By being able to go to school and receive an education, students leave school with a higher chance of getting a job.
Many of our partner schools are free to attend, making it accessible for more children to receive an education. With more people being educated, productivity across different industries can increase as there are more people with the right skills to do those jobs and to a higher standard.
Improves gender equality
To ensure that there are equal opportunities for everyone regardless of gender or class, equal access to education is needed. By providing equal opportunities for both girls and boys to receive an education at our partner schools, this will play a vital part in improving gender equality.
Improves health
Studies show that education also directly correlates to improved health. As discussed in our previous points, being educated provides more job opportunities and therefore better pay. With more disposable income, people have greater access to medical treatment, better living conditions and food. Education also gives people a sense of empowerment and self-belief, aiding them in making better life choices.
Improves social cohesion
For those who are living in poverty, they are at a higher risk of being involved in illegal activity. Studies show that completing a full high school education lowers criminality. and incarceration. In turn, lower crime rates help to improve social cohesion and well-being.
Greater self-determination and dignity
Education enables young people to achieve things that they couldn’t do before. It may start with something as simple as counting to ten or reading a chapter in a book, but these vital first steps pave the way for a bright future.
As students continue their education, they develop the skills they need for later life, which can help shape the career path they take and enable them to achieve other goals they set themselves; for example becoming a nurse or a teacher.
Credit: https://www.africanadventures.co.uk/news/why-is-education-so-important-in-africa/
