Charities and Global Education

There are a number of non-profit charity organizations that focus on bringing education to underdeveloped people groups and areas around the world. These organizations may be involved in activities such as purchasing school supplies for needy students, training teachers, or networking international schools together. Because education is hindered by significant problems such as poverty, hunger, war, and discrimination, many of these education-focused organizations work to remove barriers to education along with providing access to and resources for education. However, research has shown that, when successful, educational charities can vastly improve the health, safety, and economies of the communities with which they work.

Keywords Charity; Extreme Poverty; Higher Education; Non-Governmental Organization (NGO); Non-Profit Organization; Primary Education; Secondary Education; Underdeveloped Countries; Vocational Education

International Perspectives > Charities & Global Education

Overview

In his book, Bill Bryson's African Diary, Bryson (2002) tells the story of a group of CARE workers in Africa. The workers built water wells and pumps in various villages but they discovered that the villagers would automatically turn back to CARE when problems with the new equipment developed. Since CARE built the pumps and wells for the village, the villagers did not see the new equipment as something they owned. Eventually CARE workers changed their focus and instead helped villages to build their own wells and pumps. When they were included in the process, the villagers would take complete ownership of the new water-supply system and started running it as a business. CARE project officer Phillip Makutsa stated that, "It's amazing how long it took aid agencies to figure out that people really, really don't want dependency. They want to help themselves" (cited in Bryson, 2002, p. 45).

This response by CARE mirrors many charities worldwide today that understand giving a needy person food, shelter, or clothing is a temporary solution to a much greater problem. To truly be helped, people need to be equipped and given resources to make permanent, beneficial changes to their lives and environment. One of the best ways this can be accomplished is through education.

Lack of education lies at the heart of many global problems today. The uneducated and illiterate are open to exploitation and are largely powerless to better themselves and their surroundings. Education is one of the few equalizers attainable by almost all. It can reduce prejudiced behavior, provide alternatives to war, overcome disease and famine, and link together people in a way that few other forces can. Education can answer many of the catastrophes plaguing the world today, particularly health-related tragedies. Education and health are intimately linked – educational opportunities lead to lower child mortality and better nutrition for children and adults. The World Bank has stated that "Education may be the single most effective preventative weapon against HIV/AIDS" (World Bank, 2007).

Barriers to Global Education

Sadly, there are a number of challenging barriers to education throughout the world, and these challenges must be met in order to bring education to all people. Education-based charities and non-profit organizations must cope with and overcome many difficult circumstances as they seek to spread education to different parts of the world.

Women & Education

In particular, education is extremely important for females. Better educated women tend to have few children and lower rates of maternal mortality. Educated women are better able to care for their children and are also usually healthier than women with multiple children. Education leads to more employment opportunities for women and less stigma against their gender (World Bank, 2007).

Gender discrimination also plays a role in education. Traditionally and culturally, women have often been barred from education and even today, illiterate women outnumber illiterate men two to one ("World Literacy", 2005). Girls in particular face barriers to education as they are more likely to be employed than boys, particularly in domestic situations, and therefore have less time to devote to education ("Global Task Force," 2007). Because of this, some organizations and charities, such as CAMFED, are focused on the specific challenges girls face in their pursuit of education.

Poverty

Poverty, particularly extreme poverty, is quite possibly the greatest barrier to education. The World Bank defines extreme poverty as the state of people living on less than one US dollar a day and being unable to meet their basic needs. In 2004, this accounted for about 1 billion of the world's population (World Bank, 2007). Those who suffer from poverty, particularly extreme poverty, have few resources with which to survive the present day, much less plan for the next; poverty forces one to live in the moment whereas education demands long-term focus and planning. The problem of poverty often forces children into labor in order to support their families, which takes time away from their educational pursuits. The poor also are generally located in more rural areas and consequently do not have much access to education or technology.

Environmental Challenges

Environmental factors also play a role in education. War and natural disasters destroy educational facilities, separate students from teachers, use up or destroy valuable resources, and make it difficult for students to continue pursuing education. Disease and famine disable and kill students and teachers alike. Additionally, it can be a challenge to move teaching resources and technology to people in rural and remote areas. An unstable environment is a severe hindrance to education.

Lack of Educational Resources

Education is also hindered by lack of resources or instructors. A teacher or resource shortage significantly impacts the learning experience. The United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has projected that 18 million new teachers will be needed in the next decade in order for everyone in the world to have access to a primary education by 2015 (Teacher Shortage, 2002). Presently, teachers in different parts of the world sometimes have large numbers of students they are responsible for instructing, which hinders the educational experience. Teacher education is a significant issue; some teachers have little training and are in desperate need of further pedagogical instruction. Teachers and students alike also often face a severe lack of basic resources such as paper, textbooks, or school desks.

The Role of International Charities

Thankfully, there are a number of international charities that are specifically focused on creating educational opportunities for people in different regions and social structures. These types of organizations are concerned with

• Providing school-related funding for disadvantaged students,

• Establishing new educational facilities,

• Providing resources for existing facilities, and

• Creating educational opportunities for students, both children and adults.

Many of these charities are focused on a specific region of the world; others are concerned with a particular segment of society, such as the female population or the physically handicapped.

A great number of international charities are concerned both with providing educational opportunities and overcoming the many barriers to education. Education may be a major focus for a particular international charity while another charity organization is centered on improving education along with overcoming gender discrimination or distributing food to the hungry. A charity often works in cooperation with another charity, so that all the needs of a people group or region can be met, which helps education be furthered.

In fact, almost all international charities are involved with the process of education at some level, and education is not confined to children and the typical classroom setting. While some charities concentrate on improving education for primary and secondary students, other charities focus on vocational education, education and literacy for adults, and what may be termed "life education" (environmental, economic, social, cultural education). Education does not stop with primary, secondary, or vocational training. Some charities are involved with higher education, helping fund the college educations of people in disadvantaged areas and promoting academic freedom and opportunity within international universities.

Direct Work & Networking Charities

While the work performed by different education-focused charities is quite broad, it can be split into two broad categories: direct work and networking/information sharing work. Some education-focused non-profit organizations are involved with direct "on the ground" activities such as distributing school supplies and training international educators. The other non-profit education-focused groups tend to be involved with networking and linking school systems and educators together in order to disseminate knowledge and improve the learning experience. These networking organizations may also help fund international students and educators in order that these people can further strengthen their abilities and talents.

Religious Affiliations

A final note is that education-focused charities and non-profit organizations are either religious-based or non-religious based. Anheir and Toepler (1999) stated that foundations are one of the oldest forms of social organizations known. During the Middle Ages, foundations were primarily founded and supported by religious institutes, and these foundations were focused on education along with health care and serving the poor. However, towards the end of the Middle Ages, guilds and trades started forming their own social support systems which were concerned with issues such as vocational training, paving the way for non-religious focused charity groups (p. 6-7). Today there are charities such as the Foundation for Cross Cultural Education (FCE) that have the purpose of both improving education in other countries and spreading a religious message (FCE, 2005). Yet there are also a number of secular non-profit organizations that focus on improving education around the world.

Further Insights

A Sampling of Global Education Charities

UNESCO

A discussion of international charities and education must begin with UNESCO, the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. This massive organization has the overall goal of seeing every person, child or adult, in the world have access to a primary education by 2015. To accomplish this, UNESCO is part of an almost limitless number of different organizations, agendas, networking partnerships, and social groups, involving everything from soil conservation to vocational training to gender parity.

CAMFED

As mentioned previously, some charities focus directly on education, specifically classroom-type education. The Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) International is one such organization. Its goal is helping girls in rural African countries achieve a primary and secondary education so that they may both improve their opportunities and create more opportunities and positive changes within their communities. In particular, CAMFED's aim is helping girls become educated so that poverty and AIDS can be eradicated in different areas and communities. 300,900 children received educational support from CAMFED in 2006 (CAMFED 2005).

ACCESO International

ACCESO International is another education-focused international charity. It main role is providing funds and school resources for students, mothers of students, teachers, and educational facilities in Latin America and the Caribbean. In particular, ACCESO tackles educational disparity, working to overcome problems such as transportation issues, tuition costs, and school supplies. Since 1996, this charity has helped fund primary and secondary students' tuitions, improve libraries and learning centers, and worked with summer camps, among other activities (ACCESO ).

Education Action International

Education Action International works with people in the Middle East and Africa who have seen their lives torn apart by war; it uses education as a way of rebuilding lives and communities. On a more immediate level, Education Action helps schools continue to operate during conflict. After war has devastated an area, the charity helps the community rebuild the educational system and get it working again. Finally, the charity seeks to help people rebuild their lives and empower themselves in order that they may positively change situations in their lives (What We Do, 2007).

Global Connections Foundation

The Global Connections Foundation (2006) is a worldwide non-profit organization which links together educational institutes around the world. Widmer (2004) said that the organization is not focused on budget issues, organization, or structure issues, rather "Global Connections believes in the importance of delving deeply into a preselected theme, or subject matter, that would be of obviously common concern to any head of school, anywhere in the world" (p. 51). The foundation works by hosting seminars in which educators from around the world gather to share ideas and collaborate together.

Institute of International Education

Some charities also focus on education opportunities for adult learners and people who want to improve their education beyond a primary or secondary education. The Institute of International Education is one such charity. Focusing on teachers and professors, undergraduate and graduate students, and professionals and technical trainees, IEE helps link academic institutes together and overcome struggles scholars and teachers sometimes face. Every year, 18,000 men and women from 175 countries are assisted by IEE (About IEE )

Other Non-Profit Organizations

There are other non-profit organizations devoted to spreading and improving education at the college level. The International Association of Universities (2006) is a UNESCO-based association which links together higher education institutes throughout the world.

Education Associates International is another non-profit networking organization devoted to improving education at all levels, primary to college level and serving students, instructors, and professors. It is involved with such activities as textbook development, assessment, and teacher training (Education Associates International, 2002).

Outside the traditional classroom, many non-profit organizations focus on vocational education and instruction. TeachAManToFish is a charity that takes its name from the well-know Chinese proverb "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day: teach a man to fish, and you feed him for life." This organization works directly with agricultural schools, spreading knowledge about innovative agricultural techniques and helping farmers maximize their yields and improve their agricultural businesses ("Creating Livelihoods", 2005-2006). This is one of many charities focused on vocational education.

In perspective, there are a multitude of different education-focused non-profit organizations that work around the world. They are involved with everything from helping students pay their tuition to providing seminars for instructors. They not only provide educational experience but also help eradicate barriers to education such as poverty and gender discrimination. These organizations provide invaluable assistance to areas and people that need it desperately.

Viewpoints

Education Funding

Education is costly. As education becomes an increasing focus and more and more people have access to education, the cost of educating these new students rises. Nur-Awaleh and Yasin (2005) state that the governments of many developing countries have been unable to meet the increase in demand for education. Because of this, private organizations such as charities and other non-profit groups have played an increasingly larger role in funding education in developing areas. Sometimes these private organizations are the only providers of education in a country or area (p. 107). But whether these charities can help countries meet these rising costs of education is the question to consider.

One major funding concern is the area of higher education. Daniel, Kanwar, and Uvalic-Trumbic (2006) stated that in the past, education-focused development agencies such as the World Bank generally urged developing countries to put their resources towards primary education. Now, more groups are seeing the value of developing education at all levels and treating the education system as a whole, integrated unit from primary education up through college. Daniel et al. estimate that by 2010, there may be 120 million students worldwide enrolled in higher education (p. 16).

Funding Distribution

While the increase of college-level student enrollment is a positive thing, education costs tend to rise the further a student progresses in school, therefore funding this increasing number of college students will be a challenge. As an example of the problems facing college students today, the 2004 Report on International Education Exchange lists that 572,509 international students were studying in America during the 2003/2004 year. The majority of these students fund their studies through their families or personal funds – 67% in all. 2.2% of all international students are funded through a US private sponsor, 2.1 through a foreign private sponsor, and only 0.3% of international students receive their primary funding through an international organization (Institute of International Education pg. 3-5). All in all, only a tiny percentage of college-level international students receive funding assistance from a non-profit organization.

This is not to say that non-profit organizations are completely ignoring international education. Galley (2003) states that American funds for international educational efforts are increasing. For example, in 2003, the Ford Foundation alone earmarked 80 million of its funds towards international education and scholarships. However, Galley said that there are many barriers, such as extra tax requirements, that organizations and foundations face when giving abroad. Because of these problems, a great percentage of American-based charities keep their funds inside America instead of distributing them internationally (p. 8). Students and educational institutes in other countries have a crucial need for more funding and resources, but it appears that American-based charities are not meeting the needs as well as they might.

Governance

When it comes to funding, charities naturally come under scrutiny as to where and how they distribute their funds. Gose (2004) stated that charities in the US do not have a minimum percentage that they must distribute from their endowments. Foundations legally must pay out at least 5% of their assets every year, but charities and universities do not have this minimum standard (p. B12). This is an important aspect to consider, especially in light of massive organizations such as CARE, an organization which takes in over $600 million in annual revenue ("10 Super-Sized Charities," 2006). Larger charity organizations often incur high administrative expenses and receive harsh criticism as to how they handle and distribute their funds.

The good news is that there are education-based charities that admirably handle their funding and divert much needed bursary assistance to helping improve education in various parts of the world. Charity Navigator, a charity evaluator system, provides some interesting insight into the various charities available. Out of ten charities it uplifts for handling its funding admirably and keeping its administrative costs down, Charity Navigator ranks Asha as number one ("Asha for Education," 2006). Asha focuses on providing a primary education for children in poorer areas of India and also on eliminating child labor ("About Asha").

Even if an education-based charity is handling its funds in a useful and honorable manner, other problems can erupt. Davey, Fekade, and Parry (2005) explain than some non-government organizations (NGO) in the least developed countries offer higher salaries to native workers than the country's governmental positions can offer. For example, authors noted that in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a medical faculty member may receive a lower salary than a driver for a US agency. Davey, et al. state that, "In certain regions of Ethiopia and Mozambique, the budget of a single large non-governmental organization may exceed that of the government" (2005, p. 17). The higher salaries some NGOs can offer naturally cause people to turn away from poorer-paying government jobs and therefore create labor shortages and retention problems.

The Global Impact of Education-Focused Charities

Although education-focused charities will struggle with financial issues and face various setbacks, clearly they are having a positive impact in many parts of the world. In particular, education-focused charities that primarily help network and link educational communities together have had positive effects on the world. Widmer (2004) states that one of the many outcomes of Global Connections' work has been the creation of the following programs: the Teachers' Exchange Registry, the New Visitorship Program, and the Trinity School-Tiger Kloof Educational Institution Partnership. However, these programs are only a small percentage of the hundreds of different educational connections and partnerships the organization has created, and each of these partnerships allows schools around the globe to share information and learn from each other (p. 57). Widmer is one of many who have documented the positive changes that education-focused charities have had on the world, and clearly the growing rates of school enrollment and overall access to education stands witness to their work.

As more countries, governments, and private groups continue to place education at a high priority, there will be an increasing need for financial assistance, school supplies, teachers, knowledge, volunteers, and networks of school systems in order to both create educational opportunities and improve the educational experience for students and instructors around the globe. Non-profit organizations are rising to meet the challenge and are providing invaluable service for countless people around the globe.

Terms & Concepts

Charity: A non-profit group that is tax exempt and gives a percentage of donations to assist a specific cause.

Extreme Poverty: Defined by the United Nations as the state of living on less than one US dollar a day and not being able to meet basic needs.

Higher Education: Primarily associated with college-level learning and achievement; education beyond the secondary level.

Non-governmental Organization (NGO): Created and managed by citizens who are interested in upholding a common goal such as educating people in impoverished areas or reducing the AIDS epidemic.

Non-profit Organization: A charitable organization that supports an area of interest such as education, women's rights, or world hunger. Non-profit organizations fall into two categories: public (funded by multiple sources) and private (funded by a single source such as a corporation)

Primary Education: Equates to a sixth-grade level of education or six years of good-quality education.

Secondary Education: Education beyond a sixth-grade level, equating to a junior high/high school or college preparatory education.

Vocational Education: Educational training for a specific vocation or in general work-related educational training.

Bibliography

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ACCESO International. Retrieved August 13, 2007, from http://www.accesointernational.ca/english/origin.html

Anheier, H. K. & Toepler, S. (Ed.). (1999). Private funds, public purpose: Philanthropic foundations in international perspective. New York, NY: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.

Asha for Education. About Asha. Retrieved August 14, 2007, from http://www.ashanet.org/

Asha For Education. (2006). Retrieved on August 17, 2007, from Charity Navigator http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/search.summary/orgid/7630.htm

Bryson, B. (2002). Bill Bryson's African diary. New York: Broadway Books.

CAMFED International Programmes. (2005) CAMFED International. Retrieved August 13, 2007, http://www.camfed.org/html/programmes.html

Creating Livelihoods: Enterprise and Education. (2005-2006). Retrieved August 13, 2007, from TeachAManToFish. http://www.teachamantofish.org.uk/

Daniel, J., Kanwar, A. & Uvalic-Trumbic, S. (2006). A tectonic shift in global higher education. Change, 38 , 16-23. Retrieved August 15, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=21784244&site=ehost-live

Davey, G., Fekade, D. & Parry, E. (2006). Must aid hinder attempts to reach the Millennium Development Goals? Lancet 367 (9511), 629-631. Retrieved August 15, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=19865400&site=ehost-live

Education Action. (2007). What we do . Retrieved August 13, 2007, from http://www.education-action.org/default.asp?pageRef=13

Education Associates International. (2002). Retrieved August 16, 2007 from http://www.eaiglobal.com/services/index.html

Foundation for Cross Cultural Education. (2005). Who is FCE? Retrieved August 16, 2007, from http://www.fce.org.za/FCE_Website/FCE/

Galley, M. (2003). Educational philanthropy does little traveling abroad. Education Week 22 , 8. Retrieved August 14, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=9867539&site=ehost-live

Global Connections Foundation. (2006). Retrieved August 14, 2007, from http://www.globalconnection.org/

Global Task Force on Child Labor and Education For All. (2007) Global Task Force News Letter. Gose, B. (2004). Philanthropic foundations face intense pressures to increase the amount they give to charities. Chronicle of Higher Education, 50 , B12-B13. Retrieved August 14, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=13532823&site=ehost-live

Institute of International Education. About IEE. Retrieved August 14, 2007, from http://www.iie.org/Template.cfm?Section=Mission_and_Profile&Template=/ContentManagement/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=23228

Institute of International Education. (2004) Open doors: Report on international education exchange 2004. New York: Institute of International Education.

International Association of Universities. (2006, November). International Association of Universities General Information. Retrieved August 15, 2007, from http://www.unesco.org/iau/association/index.html

Neugebauer, R. (2013). Investing in early childhood education. Exchange (19460406), , 38-40. Retrieved December 15, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=89932238&site=ehost-live

Nur-Awaleh, & Yasin, S. (2005). Post-public education in the developing world: Decentralization of public education and the emergence of the private sector in education. International Education Systems and Contemporary Education Reforms. Lanham, Maryland: United Press of America, Inc.

Penn, H. (2011). Travelling policies and global buzzwords: How international non-governmental organizations and charities spread the word about early childhood in the global South. Childhood, 18, 94-113. Retrieved December 15, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=58013868&site=ehost-live

UNESCO. (2002). Teacher shortage threatens education for all. Retrieved July 30, 2007, from http://www.uis.unesco.org/ev_en.php?ID=6509_201&ID2=DO_TOPIC

United Nations Literacy Decade. (2005, November). World Literacy in Brief. Retrieved July 27, 2007, from http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=12874&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

Widmer, E. (2004) Making global connections. Independent School 63 , 50-57. Retrieved August 14, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=12641424&site=ehost-live

The World Bank. (2007). Accessed August 16, 2007 from http://www.worldbank.org/

World Emergency Relief. (2003). How We Operate. Accessed August 14, 2007, from http://www.wer-us.org/operate.htm

Suggested Reading

Di Mento, M. (2006). How endowments of 247 major nonprofit organizations performed. Chronicle of Higher Education, 52 , B3. Retrieved August 16, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=21116411&site=ehost-live

Elliott, D. (2006). The kindness of strangers: Philanthropy and higher education. Lanhan, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

Turnock, D. (2004). The role of NGOs in environmental education in south-eastern Europe. International Research in Geographical & Environmental Education 13 , 103-109. Retrieved August 16, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=16495797&site=ehost-live