By Eric Ojo
Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the United Nations global fund for education in emergencies, has emerged the winner of the 2022 Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice.
The prestigious award was presented to the leadership of ECW by the awarding organization, Harmony Foundation in Mumbai today for its interventions and educational support for crisis-affected children worldwide.
Initiated in 2005, the Mother Teresa Memorial Award pays respect to Saint Mother Teresa and honors those who address communal injustice, discrimination and other assaults on our collective humanity. The award recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations promoting peace, harmony and social justice in the world.
ECW was founded in 2016 to build a world where all children and adolescents affected by crises can learn free of cost – in safety and without fear – in order to grow, thrive and reach their full potential. Since becoming operational, ECW and its strategic partners have reached more than 7 million children and adolescents through holistic education support.
The Fund works in over 40 crisis-impacted countries worldwide and has mobilized more than US$1.1 billion since its inception. By delivering with humanitarian speed and development depth, ECW and its partners are embracing a new way of working to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG4, which calls for ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.
The world faces an unprecedented global education crisis. When ECW was founded, 75 million children caught in crises were in need of educational support. Today, that number has tripled to an unacceptable 222 million girls and boys due to armed conflicts, climate-induced disasters, COVID-19, economic uncertainty and other factors that are making matters worse.
While speaking at the award ceremony the Founder and Chairman of Harmony Foundation, Dr. Abraham Mathai acknowledged the critical role of the ECW and its efforts in alleviating the plight of children affected by crisis globally.
“We are immensely honored to present the prestigious Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice 2022 to Education Cannot Wait for its tireless, incredible work that endeavors to deliver quality education for crisis-affected children worldwide.
“We wish them the best in their truly humanitarian endeavors for refugee children, which envision a world that provides quality, inclusive education for them so no one is left behind. Education Cannot Wait has emulated the ethos of the revered Mother Teresa and set a remarkable example of compassion for others to follow”, he said.
In her remarks, the Director of ECW, Director Yasmine Sherif said: “On behalf of the 222 million crisis-affected girls and boys worldwide who urgently need education support, I am honored and humbled to accept the Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice.
“We are immensely honored to present the prestigious Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice 2022 to Education Cannot Wait for its tireless, incredible work that endeavors to deliver quality education for crisis-affected children worldwide. We wish them the best in their truly humanitarian endeavors for refugee children, which envision a world that provides quality, inclusive education for them so no one is left behind. Education Cannot Wait has emulated the ethos of the revered Mother Teresa and set a remarkable example of compassion for others to follow”.
Past award winners include: Malala, Dia Murza, Mercy Corps, Priyanka Chopra, H.H. Dalai Lama, UNHCR, Caritas, Dr. Anthony Fauci, H.H. Sayyida Tania bint Shabib Al Said, and many other global advocates and organizations championing the rights of the world’s most vulnerable people.