COVID-19: The impact on educational non-profit organsations around the world

Currently, around 1.6 billion children cannot go to school. This has an enormous impact on how educators, ministries and non-profit organisations reach their students.

One group that plays an important role in education in many countries, is education-focused non-profit organisations. These organisations are often providing critical education and resources to the most vulnerable.

Aflatoun International partners with a network of 300+ organisations around the world to deliver social & financial education. A short survey was created to more clearly understand how these non-profit organisations are working currently.

Three key findings from around the world
Over 100 organisations in 67 different countries responded and three points were highlighted:

• There continues to be a demand for life skills education.
• Digital solutions are not solutions for the most vulnerable students.
• NGOs are being creative but are unsure of their futures.

Importance of life skills
There is a demand for continuing to teach social & financial education. Much of the current focus of remote learning is on hard skills – math, reading, etc. The organisations surveyed wanted solutions to continue to teach life skills as well. They see these skills as key for students to navigate the current crisis.

Digital learning cannot be the only solution
Digital learning solutions are popping up everywhere but the majority of students globally do not have reliable access to uninterrupted internet or smart devices. This means that coming up with low tech and high tech solutions at the same time is important.

Creativity and cash flow
NGOs are adapting to include COVID-19 prevention information and coming up with creative solutions to keep students engaged.

However, NGOs are concerned about cash-flow and funds in the future. NGOs realise they are operating in new territory – this means that they are experimenting and creating new learning solutions for students.

This costs time and money. Money which many NGOs don’t have because their funds are tied to donor restrictions or programme restrictions. They are doing what they can to meet the needs of their students and mitigate the impact of school closures, while at the same time, trying to remain open now and in the long-term

“The current situation is extremely delicate for NGOs and the children they support. NGOs play an important role in empowering children & young people. Supporting them now and in the future is critical to ensuring that they can continue to provide the most vulnerable students with the skills they need to cope with the crisis and beyond,” said Roeland Monasch, CEO, Aflatoun International.

For more information on how COVID-19 is impacting NGOs and their beneficiaries, you can find the complete summary of results here.

Notes to Editors:
For more information or interview requests please contact:
Wendy Nagel – [email protected]