"Rewrite the Future" is the name of a new education campaign currently being launched by Save the Children. The aim is to ensure schooling for eight million children in around 20 countries affected by war and conflict. Both the Norwegian government and Hydro are making a special contribution.
The Norwegian branch of Save the Children (Redd Barna) has initiated the campaign, along with the international Save the Children alliance. When the programme was presented on Tuesday, it was also announced that the Government is to contribute NOK 100 million.
Hydro has a permanent agreement on cooperation with Save the Children, and is donating an additional NOK 1 million, earmarked for the education campaign.
Want more regular donors
"Around 3,000 of Hydro’s employees are currently regular donors to Save the Children, through our monthly salary gift campaign. We want to make it simple for as many employees as possible to contribute, and we are therefore initiating a separate campaign for this. Having more permanent donors in Hydro will give children in the countries where Save the Children operates the chance of a better life. Additional income will in the first instance be earmarked for "Rewrite the Future"," Morten Grusd, responsible for Hydro’s sponsorship commitments, explains.
In poor, war-torn countries, four out of ten children have no opportunity for schooling. Save the Children’s new international campaign aims to provide schooling for millions of children affected by war and conflict.
"Education saves lives. It gives children protection, and essential knowledge for avoiding poverty, keeping healthy, and maintaining hope for the future," says Gro Brækken, Secretary General of Norway’s branch of Save the Children, Redd Barna.
Global challenge
A new report issued by Redd Barna, called "ABC saves lives – Education for children in countries affected by armed conflict", shows that 115 million children around the world have no schooling. This represents almost one fifth of the world’s childen. A large proportion of the children without schooling live in poor countries ravaged by war and conflict.
Schooling for all by 2015 is one of the UN’s eight millennium development goals. Save the Children’s report shows that not enough is being done to achieve the goal of schooling for children whose lives have been ruined by armed conflict.
A better future
"We in Save the Children will do what we can to ensure schooling for as many of these children as possible. We want to show the international community that it is possible to give them hope for the future. The right to have schooling applies to all children. Education for all means education for all," Brækken says.
The education campaign "Rewrite the Future" aims to ensure schooling for eight million children in around 20 countries affected by war and conflict.