The Global Partnership for Education hosted the second installment of “Raise Your Hand LIVE!” on Tuesday, February 3. The show brings together changemakers from around the world who understand that education is key to building a better future. 

In this episode, Global Partnership for Education Youth Champion, Mohamed Sidibay, spoke with Karina Gould, Canada’s Minister of International Development, and Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, about the importance of education for refugees and how to ensure that education in emergencies remains a priority as we deal with economic and social impacts of COVID-19.  

Throughout the event, Minister Gould and Commissioner Grandi underscored the importance of refugee education. They pointed out that the average time spent in a refugee camp has climbed to seventeen years, so if twelve of those years are supposed to be spent getting an education, then we could lose an entire generation. COVID-19 has exacerbated education access challenges, especially for girls. Half of refugee girls that went to school before the lockdown are currently projected to not return. 

Sidibay reiterated the impact that everyone can have by sharing a memory from when he was a child soldier in Sierra Leone. He spoke about how he remembers fifth graders in Canada fundraising, so that he had books and a uniform to be able to attend school. Minister Gould was almost moved to tears because the story was so close to her heart.  

You can be like those Canadian fifth graders and be proud to #RaiseYourHand for education, like Mohamad, Minister Gould, and Commissioner Grandi!  

Please see https://raiseyourhand.globalpartnership.org/ for more information on how you can take action to support the Global Partnership for Education’s replenishment campaign! 

Click here to watch the event.