A young person’s future should be shaped by their aspirations, with access to the opportunities and support needed to pursue them.
On 17 October, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty reminds us that every child deserves the conditions to learn, participate and live with dignity. This year’s theme, “Safe Homes for All”, highlights how housing insecurity and poverty reinforce one another, disrupting education and making secure livelihoods harder to achieve.
For children and young people, stability at home, access to education and opportunities to develop practical skills are closely connected. At Aflatoun International, we contribute through social and financial education that helps young people understand their rights, recognise their strengths and make informed choices.
Learning to budget, plan and manage resources matters. So does developing the confidence to speak up, work with others and turn an idea into action. Together, these skills can help young people navigate challenges and participate more fully in their communities.
Our 2025 Annual Report, Growing the Next Generation: Social & Financial Skills for Life, shows how partners are putting this approach into practice.
In Ethiopia, Grade 12 student Dilnesash Adisu applied lessons from Aflateen on saving, spending, planning and budgeting to start a small business selling a traditional spice blend. Participating through Girls Gotta Run Foundation in partnership with Imagine 1 Day Organization, she also helped her mother establish a soap-making enterprise, contributing to budgeting, production, marketing and deliveries. The report describes how these experiences strengthened her confidence and supported her family’s income.
In Uganda, Strengthening Hope and Resilience Empowerment (SHARE) supported young mothers who were out of school through its Skilled for Life initiative. Combining mentorship, safe spaces, vocational training and entrepreneurship support, the programme helped participants develop practical skills and rebuild confidence in their possibilities.
These experiences show why education must respond to the circumstances of learners. A young mother returning to learning may need a different kind of support from a child in primary school or a young person preparing for employment. Local partners help make that support relevant.
In 2025, Aflatoun reported reaching 2.7 million children through its partner network, with 82.1 million reached through national integration. These figures describe the scale of educational reach. The individual stories help illustrate how learning can become part of everyday decisions, family life and community participation.
Eradicating poverty requires sustained investment in safe housing, quality public services, social protection and decent work. Children and young people also need education that strengthens their ability to make choices within these wider opportunities. Responsibility for overcoming poverty must never rest on their shoulders alone.
On this International Day, we call on governments, educators, donors and partners to invest in inclusive learning alongside the conditions that allow young people to use what they learn.
Every child deserves the security to learn, the confidence to participate and the opportunity to shape their future.