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Children love to learn. If they are denied access to knowledge, we also deny them the opportunity to change their lives for the better.

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Experiences Implementing Inclusive Education in West Africa and Madagascar: Case Study Report

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To garner insights into successes and challenges in building inclusive education approaches in sub-Saharan Africa, this EAC case study examines the experiences with regard to implementing a project aimed at improving educational opportunities for children with disabilities and other vulnerable children.
Experiences Implementing Inclusive Education in West Africa and Madagascar

Educate A Child (EAC), a global programme of the Education Above All Foundation, has a particular focus on enabling the hardest-to-reach children to fulfil their fundamental right to education. In many places today, children with disabilities and other vulnerabilities continue to be denied an education due to misconceptions and beliefs that can lead to severe stigmatisation, harmful practices and even concealment of the children. When the existence of these children is hidden, there is little question regarding their ability to access the services or education that can provide them with the skills needed to have agency over their lives and contribute to society in meaningful ways.

In 2016, Humanity & Inclusion (HI) partnered with EAC to implement the Towards a Universal Access of Vulnerable Girls and Boys to a Quality Primary Education project, a ten-country inclusive education programme aimed at improving the access, enrolment and retention of some of the African continent's most marginalised girls and boys in quality primary education, particularly those with disabilities. The project drew on 18 years of experience that Humanity & Inclusion has in implementing inclusive education programmes and worked to bring children out of the shadows, helping them gain the skills and competencies needed to be change agents in their own lives.

Our partnership with HI reflects EAC’s principle of building on existing work and taking it to scale. This project expanded HI’s regional West Africa Inclusive Education programme to new countries and regions within those countries. With the support of EAC, HI was able to pilot new and creative strategies to address the needs of children with disabilities and other vulnerable children while also replicating innovative approaches in new countries. This case study allows us to examine the impact and effectiveness of these strategies and reflect on the lessons learned.

Impact

"Humanity will not overcome the immense challenges we face unless we ensure that children get the quality education that equips them to play their part in the modern world." -- HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser

Surpassing

19 million

beneficiaries across all programmes of Education Above All Foundation

10,687

Scholarships

90%

retention rate

2.6 million+

Skills training provided to teachers, school staff, and community members

1 million+

Youth Empowered