Education Changes the World

Reinvesting in education

Did you know that, according to UNESCO, 244 million children aged between 6 and 18 in the world still do not go to school? That 617 million children are not able to read or count?  And, in addition, that the percentage of girls who go on to secondary school after primary school is significantly lower than that of boys?  These boys and girls represent so many missed opportunities and talents that will never be fully expressed.  Access to quality education is not just a fundamental human right, it is the key to building a fair and sustainable world, because it gives young people the chance to escape poverty and insecurity; to look beyond borders and fulfil their dreams.

At VIA Don Bosco, we have been working to sustain the education of young people for more than fifty years.  We support and finance technical and vocational schools throughout the world.  Working hand in hand with our partners in the field, we support young people so that they can develop the first-class technical and life skills that they need to integrate into society and the world of work.  We are currently working in fifteen countries, including Belgium, where we are running projects to educate young people about global citizenship.

Quality education not only benefits the young people who receive it, it also brings about positive changes in their families, their children and society at large.  It provides opportunities for young people and is a major driving force in reducing poverty and responding to the challenges of today’s world.  As we say at VIA Don Bosco, “Education changes the world.”  And it gives results: every year, we manage to give access to quality education to more than 25,000 young people.