QFFD signs MoU with Sudan to provide education for out-of-school children through EAA’s project
The project will focus on the improvement of learning environments, capacity-building to ensure the provision of quality education for children deprived of education, in addition to increasing community participation and awareness of the importance of access to primary education.
The MoU was signed remotely by His Excellency Mr Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Kuwari, Director General of Qatar Fund For Development, His Excellency Abdul Rahim Al-Siddig Mohammed, Ambassador of the Republic of Sudan to the State of Qatar, and a representative of the Minister of Education of the Republic of Sudan, His Excellency Mr Mohammed El-Amin Ahmed El-Tom.
The virtual signing ceremony was attended by the Minister of Education of the Republic of Sudan, Mr Mohammed El-Amin Ahmed El-Tom, who delivered the opening speech, Mr Fahad bin Hamad Al-Sulaiti, CEO of Education Above All Foundation and members of the Embassy of Qatar in Khartoum.
The project will ensure the education of 50,000 out-of-school children who are not receiving formal education. The project aims to enhance the educational environment, capacity-building to ensure qualitative education for children deprived of education, in addition to increasing community participation and awareness of the importance of enrollment in primary education.
His Excellency Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Kuwari, Director General of Qatar Fund For Development, said: “This support comes as part of the State of Qatar’s commitment towards the brothers and sisters in the Republic of Sudan, and builds on a number of current development and relief projects between the two countries, which cover several areas in various states.”
He added: “The MoU between Qatar Fund For Development and the Sudanese Ministry of Education aims to provide quality education opportunities for OOSC, reaching the largest possible number of children, and developing schools and facilities to support these efforts. This project will be implemented in cooperation with our strategic partner, Education Above All Foundation through its Educate a Child programme."
His Excellency Mr Mohammed El-Amin Ahmed El-Tom, Minister of Education of the Republic of Sudan, expressed their gratitude and appreciation to the State of Qatar for its permanent support to the Republic of Sudan in all fields, especially education, and His Excellency spoke about the efforts Sudan is undertaking to advance education.
Mr Fahad bin Hamad Al-Sulaiti, CEO of Education Above All Foundation, about this support provided by the Qatar Fund for Development to implement the education project in the Republic of Sudan, saying:
"EAA has provided quality education in several countries, including the Republic of Sudan, through its partnerships with international institutions such as UNICEF and UNHCR, to implement five projects, in which it sought to enrol more than 600,000 out of school children. And with the partnership between UNICEF and the Education Above All Foundation, the project will target the enrolment of an additional 50,000 children without primary education, including children in rural areas, Bedouin communities, children affected by conflict and children with disabilities".
According to the latest statistics by UNICEF, Sudan has one of the highest numbers of OOSC in the Middle East and North Africa region. It is estimated that more than three million children, aged between 5-13 years old, do not go to school.