Nobel Laurate, Malala Yousafzai and Nigerian activist Philip Obaji are among eight education advocates named by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) as champions.
The young activists join a group of global education advocates, adding their voices to support the GPE’s work in almost 60 low-income countries to ensure every child receives a quality, basic education.
As GPE Champions, Malala, Obaji and other advocates will be speaking up for the rights of children, to an education – and urging governments, business and civil society to work together to fulfill the long-standing pledge of delivering education for all.
Malala – who last year became the youngest ever Nobel Prize Winner – said on GPE website: “Education is the right of every girl, every human being. I’m proud to be a champion for the Global Partnership for Education. I believe all countries can do more, rich countries must do their part and keep their promises, and developing countries must give more of their own budgets to education.”
Malala added: “Every student knows what it is like to take an exam. I hope world leaders will pass their own test and resolve to keep their promises every day, in every country, in every classroom.”
Obaji – who won The Future Africa Awards Prize in Education last year – said on GPE website: “As a children’s rights activist, I’ve worked with the most violated, traumatised and forgotten children in northern Nigeria. I have seen children physically and mentally tortured, forcibly conscripted into armed groups, and forced to leave their homes. But I have also witnessed the transformative power of education.”
Obaji added: “The Global Partnership for Education has helped many developing countries, including Nigeria, take the right path in their education systems. As a result, millions of children are back in school, and funding is increasing for education in many places.”
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10”]
A World At School co-founder, Chernor Bah, Dutch Youth Representative to UNESCO, Frits Brouwer, UNICEF Australia Young Ambassador, Hayley McQuire, Canadian advocate and President of OneChild, Cheryl Perera, President of Leonard Cheshire Young Voices, Guyana, Leroy Philips, and Cameroonian advocate and Member of the United Nations Global Education First Initiative Youth Advocacy Group, Bertheline Nina Tchangoue are other young advocates championing the GPE cause.