Government of Ukraine and Education Cannot Wait Announce Grant for Education Funding for Girls and Boys Impacted by Conflict

Education Cannot Wait and Government of Ukraine announce education funding for youth © UNICEF/Ashley Gilbertson VII Photo

Government of Ukraine and Education Cannot Wait Announce Grant for Education Funding for Girls and Boys Impacted by Conflict

As the conflict in Ukraine continues into its third year, the Government of Ukraine and Education Cannot Wait (ECW) announced $18 million in catalytic grant funding for a new Multi-Year Resilience Programme that will benefit over 150,000 children across 10 of Ukraine’s most impacted areas.

The new catalytic grant builds on ECW’s $6.5 million in previous investments in Ukraine, which have already reached more than 360,000 children and youth—65 percent of whom are girls—with quality education support. ECW investments in Ukraine now total $24.5 million. This new investment benefits from ECW’s pooled funding, including €10 million ($12.6 million) in contributions from Germany. The Government of Japan has also committed an additional $3 million towards the multi-year investment.

The new ECW grant was announced by Ukraine’s Minister of Education and Science, Oksen Lisovyi, and Education Cannot Wait Executive Director Yasmine Sherif at the United Nations in New York. During the launch, Lisovyi and Sherif called on donors to urgently mobilize an additional $17 million to fully fund the two-year programme.

“Ukraine has the desire and resources not only to survive but to develop,” Lisovyi said. “That's why we perceive the expenditure on education as an investment in human capital. Building democracy and a strong, resilient state. The role of education here is crucial, so our efforts are currently focused on restoring access to education for every child. I am incredibly grateful to Education Cannot Wait and all the partners for their shared vision and support. Thank you for not only helping Ukraine respond to the challenges of war but also supporting the long-term development of the Ukrainian education system.”

This is the largest humanitarian crisis Europe has experienced in decades.

The United Nations has registered significant human, economic and social losses, which have created ripple effects across the globe. Children located in the most intense conflict-affected areas live in fear and often lack basic needs and services, including access to quality learning environments.

Hundreds of educational institutions have been damaged or destroyed during the conflict. Recent estimates indicate more than 3,500 educational institutions have been damaged, including over 340 destroyed.

“The conflict has taken thousands of lives and impacted the education of children and adolescents,” Sherif noted. “By investing in education for girls and boys who have lost so much, we are investing in their hope, their development and their future. We need donors to step up to support Education Cannot Wait and our strategic global partners in delivering on our promise of education for all: our funding gap is just $600 million. With that, we will have $1.5 billion in total funding and can reach 20 million children worldwide with quality education support including for Ukraine.”

The Government of Ukraine, with support from ECW, donors, UN agencies and other partners, is making efforts to expand online learning and other holistic educational opportunities. Approximately 80 percent of education is conducted online, but many families—especially families who have been displaced by the conflict—lack access to technology and networks to ensure consistent access to online learning.

Recent data indicate that at least 1.5 million internally displaced people are children, about 225,000 of whom are school-aged. About three out of four of these children have witnessed bombing and shelling firsthand. Teachers have been equally impacted, with an estimated 43,000 teachers displaced by the conflict.

The two-year investment will be delivered by the Kyiv School of Economics Institute and Finn Church Aid, in collaboration with the Government of Ukraine, and national organizations. To build gender equality and deliver on the Grand Bargain Agreement targets for localization, seven of ten local organizations are led by women and are represented by female experts in the education sector.

Along with the 41,000 girls and boys targeted through the investment, at least 150,000 children are expected to indirectly benefit from the investment, especially with renovated schools and learning spaces. The programme will work to ensure safe and accessible physical learning environments, improve learning outcomes by training teachers, expanding digital learning initiatives, and providing alternative education opportunities, and working to ensure gender equity and inclusion. To address the challenges facing the girls and boys who are living through this ongoing conflict, there is also a strong focus on mental health and psychosocial support.