The educational sector is considered to be one the most integral institutions necessary in forging sustainable communities. During these challenging times, the importance of being educated has come to the forefront even more, with the growing need to continuously gain and evaluate correct information in order to know how to adapt to the new normal.
However, the pandemic continues to be an especially difficult burden for children who need and want to learn about subjects beyond the scope of the virus. Schools can no longer function like they used to, because the majority of governments have mandated no face-to-face interactions to mitigate the spread of the virus, limiting children’s learning opportunities. Thankfully, there are numerous organizations out there working to overcome the new barriers to education faced by children, and we are elated to have the chance to highlight and support their programs throughout these trying times.
Today, we would like to shine a light on the determination of our partner organization COREDA.
COREDA’s Passion for Education
COREDA’s educational program was born from a passion to create educational opportunities for orphans, vulnerable, and internally displaced children. With this vision and the help of numerous people with generous hearts, COREDA was able to successfully erect a school building to provide more educational opportunities in Cameroon.
When the government announced the date for resumption of classes on October 6, 2020, COREDA was able to get everything organized so the school could fully operate as a primary school for grades Nursery 1&2 to Class 1 to 6, with eight teachers and one administrator. COREDA expected the enrollment of 250 students, but the inability of some students to afford the school fees resulted in the final number of enrollees being just 109 students.
Addressing All Aspects of Accessibility
As it is COREDA’s vision to enable more students to access education through their programs, COREDA opted to offer a 50% scholarship to those who would like to enroll. Unfortunately, even with the scholarship, the school fees still seem to be a problem for many families.
They believe by sponsoring these displaced, vulnerable children, it will enable them to get back to school. Therefore, COREDA has identified over 30 students who are in desperate need of assistance to get back to school. Their basic needs include school uniforms, bags, books, and the remaining 50% portion of tuition, which is $45 per child.
In addition to encouraging sponsorship of the remaining students struggling to enroll, COREDA also strives to improve the facilities of the school site, where there is still no source for safe drinking water or functional toilets. They are also continuing to raise funding to provide more instructional materials, such as textbooks, in order to facilitate more efficient learning.
Overcoming Obstacles to Education
COVID-19 has added a great burden to many families who have children in need of affordable, accessible education, but our partners are working hard to create programs that bring education to vulnerable children every day. Together with our partners, we believe creating an accessible, conducive learning environment for all children is possible if we work together. We may not be able to solve all the obstacles faced by the world in a post-pandemic world, but focusing on education is a great place to start.