Humanity First believes that every child has a right to education. We aim to eliminate disparities in education and create equal educational opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds.
Before we built Bilal Primary School, our first school in Mali, only one woman in the remote village of Soruntiguila had had an education — and only through sixth grade. Now, the school has hundreds of children enrolled from surrounding villages, and many of our students have gone on to attend middle and high school.
Before we built Bilal Primary School, our first school in Mali, only one woman in the remote village of Soruntiguila had had an education — and only through sixth grade. Now, the school has hundreds of children enrolled from surrounding villages, and many of our students have gone on to attend middle and high school.
The State of Global Education
The opportunity for education is still far from universal. According to UNESCO, 244 million children, adolescents and youth worldwide are out of school. The majority of these children are in Central and Southern Asia and in Sub-Saharan Africa. Regional differences in girls’ education still exist, and two-thirds of adults without basic literacy skills are women.
Based on the availability and quality of education around the globe, it is estimated that by 2030, almost a billion children will not have learned the skills they need to build a livelihood.
How Humanity First is Helping
OUR APPROACH – SCHOOLS
Humanity First brings primary and secondary education to remote and underserved communities. We work with governments and local communities to build and operate schools that provide a safe learning environment and inclusive, quality education for children of all backgrounds. The all-local school staff and educator team are trained in tools and techniques to help students succeed. We support all children in Humanity First schools to attain foundational skills and progress to proficiency in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) subjects.
OUR APPROACH – VOCATIONAL TRAINING
Students seek Humanity First vocational centers for technical training that fits the local labor market, for entrepreneurial skills, and for career planning. Over 500 students are currently enrolled in classes for marketable skills in sewing, language, IT, catering, tailoring, electrical, and driving. They join a network of over 1,000 alumni in Mali, Liberia, Burkina Faso, and Guyana.
THE EDUCATION PROJECT (TEP-USA)
The Education Project provides one-on-one tutoring for underserved students to support their academic success and offers mentorship to facilitate pathways for college and career readiness. TEP was launched to counter the impact of COVID-19 on the education of children in America. Students have received 50,000 hours of support from trained volunteer tutors. In 2021, 83.3% of surveyed parents saw a marked improvement in student academic performance.
“I had started our English-focused tutoring sessions with short story writing (something I used to do as a child)... about her day, her favorite activities, holidays, etc. By the end of the semester, her parents sent me a PDF of a short chapter book she had been writing outside our sessions because she found she enjoyed writing much more than she used to. I would like to think I helped a little bit in encouraging this passion of hers!” ~A TEP tutor working with a 2nd-grade WA student
25 ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS BY 2025
By 2025, Humanity First will educate over 15,000 students each year by establishing 25 additional schools. This 3-year campaign will result in 48 total schools providing quality education collaboratively with local communities in 7 countries.
Education is a gift that enables children to turn their natural curiosity into the foundation of a better future and helps adults build that future for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Projects
Opening our first school in Mali was a major milestone for Humanity First USA. But for the children of Soruntiguila and the surrounding villages, Bilal Primary School was much more….
