The Challenge of Children Education

INTRODUCTION

"617 million young adults in the world lack basic arithmetic skills and have a minimum level of literacy."

Education is one of the main pillars to achieve sustainable development in societies. Improving education can help create innovative solutions to major global problems, and significantly improve the quality of life for people throughout the world. However, despite the importance of education, the United Nations reported that there are currently more than 265 million children without access to school, 22% of whom are under the age of 10.
There are different barriers that prevent children and young adults access to education. First, it is important to consider the high degree of civil war and gang violence that take place in these children’s home countries. In these unsustainable situations, families are forced to flee their homes, and children, to abandon their studies. In fact, one of the main signs of safety and stability is children’s school attendance. Another factor that limits the quality and access to education is poverty. Sometimes poverty is linked to inadequate education financing policies, an excessive ratio of students to teachers, or inadequate training.
Read More

OUR STORY

Océano Solidario was founded by Ocean Infrastructures Management (now under Ocean Capital Partners group) in 2016 with the aim to help children and youth in poverty or at risk of social exclusion have the opportunity for a quality education.

This mission stems from the belief that education is a fundamental and necessary pillar that serves as a tool for the development of all children. Océano Solidario’s projects are made possible by our collaborators, many of whom are teachers, and our team, who are dedicated to make a difference in the lives of these children.
Our first project took place in Myanmar, where a local guide showed us the limited access to education children in rural areas had. We decided to join forces with the Twante population and build a school in the area, providing children access to a high quality education. Ever since, we have also supported centers in Spain and in Senegal by contributing to projects which have missions that are similar to ours. Despite the fact that our projects have focused on education for children and young people, as part of our growth strategy we also focus on contributing to the empowerment of women. In many developing countries women are single mothers, heads of households, and the primary caretakers for their children; we truly believe that providing women with the tools necessary to improve their quality of life in turn provides children with the opportunity for education.

PROJECTS

Myanmar's Secondary School

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, better known as myanmar or Burma, is located in Southeast Asia and has an area of more than 670,000 km2. Myanmar has a population of more than 53.7 million people and a GDP per capita of almost $1,330 (World Bank, 2018), indicating the low economic and social development in the country. In fact, within Myanmar’s education system, children are only legally obligated to attend primary school.
This causes the majority of its children to complete only the basic education requirements. After a comprehensive review of the education system at the national level, the ministry of Education drew up a National Strategic Plan for Education (2016-2021). Among other objects, this plan sought to pass a bill which made access to high quality, upper-level education legal and mandatory.

Despite the reforms and increased investment in public education (from 0.8% to 2% of GDP from 2011-2018), many children and young people still do not have access to education. This is due to the low level of school infrastructure and teacher qualifications that constitute the country’s educational system.

Everything started with a trip to Myanmar in 2016, when Ko Ye, a local guide told us about the problems the children of Ngakhommasan, a small town of  Twante in the Province of Ragun, faced regarding their access to education.  The town only had one primary school, which was composed of approximately 140 enrolled students. The school was organized in only six classes, composed of children ranging from 3 to 9 years old. Through Ko Ye we learned that the school would be able to offer high school classes if an additional building was constructed. Therefore, we made the decision to lead this initiative in order to contribute to the education and well being of the children from Ngakhommasan.

In July 2017 and thanks to the support of our volunteers, we started the construction project. Through a collaborative  and participative construction approach, we were able to work closely with the different families from Ngakhommasan, who actively contributed to the project as well. In order to maximize the available resources, we used local materials and human capital, coordinating a supervising the project from Madrid.

Our team was incredibly involved from the beginning of this project, working on the design and construction of the building. Furthermore, we decided to include, as part of the project, the adequation of the rest of the available terrain to build a children’s park. At the end of 2019 we contributed to the creation of a school library: donating the necessary furniture in order to make the place amicable for the children.

From the Fundación Oceáno Solidario we always work to maximize the reach of all of our actions. Far beyond promoting the educational development of children and young adults, we always look for ways in which we can sustainably contribute to the growth of the local economy.

Ademo Foundation

The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes the value of inclusive education: “..Guarantee inclusive, equitable and quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for everyone” (SDG 4).
The Spanish Disability Strategy and its 2014-2020 Action Plan constitute the national benchmark for public policies in this area. Its main objective is to reduce the dropout rate and increase the percentage of people with disabilities in higher education by supporting education centers in the process towards inclusion and awareness of the educational community.

According to data from the State Disability Observatory (OED), during the 2017-2018 academic year there were 219, 720 students with special education needs, and 16.6% of them were enrolled in the Special Education modality. One of these centers is the ADEMO Foundation Special Education College. The ADEMO Foundation, based in Madrid, is dedicated to supporting and giving opportunities to people with intellectual disabilities and promoting their full inclusion into society. The Foundation currently manages an Early Childhood Care center (serving children from birth to 3 years old), a Special Education Center (offering adapted teaching to students ages four to 21), two Occupational Centers (where adults with disabilities carry out paid work), a Shelter (where adults with disabilities live independently in small groups, supervised by professionals from the Foundation), and a Service Group (which provides entertainment for users of all ages).

Currently, the Special Education Center serves 75 students with mental disabilities and serious developmental disorders. The school facilities receive basic support form the Administration and donations from various entities and companies. Among other items, the Special Education Center receives equipment for the proper care of students.

Aware of this situation, in February 2017 the collaboration between the two Foundations began by supplying special school furniture adapted to student needs for the dining room. This made a significant difference in the day to day life of their children because, due to the particular characteristics of their physical and psychic disorders, they needed specially manufactured adapted material.

To continue our contribution, Oceano Solidario has provided the School with a special relaxation room to treat students with TGC (Serious Conduct Disorder) during the crises that they occasionally have which disrupt the normal dynamics of teaching activities. This room was inaugurated in January 2021.

We hope to continue collaborating to support the present and future of this group of children.

Senegal

Senegal is a former French colony in West Africa that borders the Atlantic Ocean, Mauritania in the north, Mali to the east, and Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south. It has a total area of 196,722 km2 and owes its name to the Senegal River, which marks the eastern and northern borders of the country.
With a GDP of 24.13 billion USD and a population of 15.8 million, it is classified as a lower-middle-income country, according to the World Bank. UNESCO reported school enrollment at the primary level at 81% in 2018, indicating a slight decrease from 2017 (when enrollment was 85.6%). School enrollment among women is higher than among men, with 86% of women enrolled, compared to 76% of men.
According to the United Nations, “more than half of children who are not enrolled in school live in sub-Saharan Africa.” This is due to the lack of qualified teachers and the poor school conditions. These factors are further aggravated in rural areas, where it is necessary to take the differences opportunities boys and girls have into account.

After learning about Yakaar Africa, an association dedicated to different fields such as health and hygiene, orchards and farms, education and culture, and local industries, Océano Solidario began its collaboration in Senegal.

At Océano Solidario we hope that in the near future we will be able to provide university scholarships to young, motivated students in developing countries yearning to further their education.

The possibility of collaborating in Senegal comes after meeting Yakaar Africa, an association that has been working in the country since 2006 in different fields: health and hygiene, orchards and farms, educationand culture and local industries.

At Oceano Solidario we hope that in the near future, we will be able to provide college scholarships to young people from developing countries who have great interest in learning but few resources.

Collaborate

Join the Solidarity Wave

If you liked our projects and want to know more information, you can subscribe to our Newsletter. We will inform you of the new projects that we are working on and follow up on the ones that we have carried out. You can also follow us on our social networks, or if you prefer, collaborate with us by making a donation to the Foundation. Every donation counts!
CONTACT US
©2023 OCP – All rights reserved.
Drag
Acceso clientes