Itoje launches fund to change lives through education
Maro Itoje has launched The Pearl Fund to help combat educational disadvantage facing children in poverty.
The aim is to transform the lives of children in Nigeria and other African countries by generating a multi-million-pound investment in education.
- Donations can be made via Stewardship Fundraising
- 30% of funds will go to World Vision UK education projects in Ghana
- 70% of funds will go to CDLi
The initial aim of The Pearl Fund is to provide 40 severely disadvantaged children in Lagos with a full private school education. They will be funded through their schooling and into university, with fees met and also financial support for their families, improved nutrition and clean water. Those who prefer to enter the workplace after school can apply for business grants or vocational training.
Escaping the cycle of poverty
"The Pearl Fund is looking to have a real impact on the lives of the children that it touches through quality education, where a long-term commitment is made to help them escape the cycle of poverty," said Itoje. "This means children can fulfil their true potential and never limit their ambitions. Education is the great equaliser."
There are 244m children who are out-of-school across Africa; 98m out-of-school in sub-Saharan Africa; and 20m out-of-school in Nigeria. And The Pearl Fund is aiming to significantly impact the lives of children in Nigeria and Ghana through life-changing education programmes.
Working in partnership with World Vision UK and CDLi to create lasting change, The Pearl Fund supporters will help to use education in breaking the cycle of poverty, providing children with the knowledge and skills needed to achieve their full potential, improve health outcomes and promote gender equality.
Transforming future generations’ lives
By improving access to education for children in Nigeria and Ghana, those helping The Pearl Fund will also be transforming the lives of future generations and communities.
Maro and The Pearl Fund aim to create a positive impact with depth as opposed to breadth. By focusing on a small number of children, the fund will be able to support them for longer, and more significantly, than supporting a higher number of children with less support.
In Nigeria, the initial programme, with Community Development Links Initiative, will support a cohort of pre-school children from one of Lagos’ most deprived areas - from early childhood, through the school system until school leaving age. They will then be offered continued support through university or a vocational training programme. The children will also have additional help such as economic support for their family, improved nutrition and clean water.
Another programme, centred on the town of Eku and those who have successfully completed primary and secondary education but can’t afford university or vocational training, will create a bursary to support the neediest by funding their education and also support their families at home.
In Ghana the fund will help World Vision’s programmes in eight districts, supporting 180 communities through education programming. Together with teacher training to improve engaging teaching methods, reading clubs will help children by using engaging, culturally relevant and level appropriate books. Historically, there has been a 29% increase in children learning to read by those attending reading clubs.
Creating lasting change
"Long-term development is something World Vision UK are experts in," says Maro.
"I’m excited for the Pearl Fund to benefit from World Vision’s 70 years of experience working with vulnerable children and their communities to create lasting change."
The Pearl Fund aims to generate multi-million-pound investment in the education of children, and, as the fund grows, aims to extend support to other education projects in Africa.
