The Qatar Development Fund has signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Djibouti to support the Education Above All Foundation and the World Bank’s project, which aims to enroll 35,000 out-of-school children in Djibouti.

In collaboration with the Education Above All Foundation, the memorandum of understanding was signed by His Excellency Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Kuwari, the Director General of the Qatar Development Fund, and His Excellency Mustafa Mohammed Mahmoud, the Minister of National Education and Vocational Training in Djibouti.

This joint effort strengthens the relationship between the Qatar Development Fund and the Republic of Djibouti, which has long benefited from the external assistance provided by the Qatar Development Fund to support development and sustainable development in the country, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 17, “Partnerships for the Goals.”

To achieve the goal of re-enrolling 35,000 out-of-school children, the Educate A Child program, in partnership with the World Bank, will work to enhance institutional capacities to develop their regional plans for primary education enrollment and retention, implement interventions that address gender disparities to encourage student enrollment and transition to secondary education, provide teacher training to improve education, and support student enrollment by providing teaching and learning materials in the required languages.

In turn, His Excellency Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Kuwari, the Director General of the Qatar Development Fund, stated: “We are proud of this partnership with the Education Above All Foundation and the Republic of Djibouti, represented by the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training and the World Bank, to fulfill our commitments and ensure that every child has the opportunity to receive education and develop the skills they need to achieve their aspirations. This is a vital investment in building human capital, and we are proud of this investment that will change lives and provide equitable access to quality educational opportunities for out-of-school children in Djibouti. He emphasized that the education sector receives the largest share of the fund’s support, in line with Qatar’s priorities in providing foreign aid, and that enabling children deprived of basic education in the primary stage is the driver of human development, and quality education is essential and central through the fund’s adoption of a strategy that focuses on strengthening partnerships between governments, organizations, and local communities.

His Excellency Mustafa Mohammed Mahmoud, the Minister of National Education and Vocational Training in Djibouti, commented: “Ensuring comprehensive education for all children in Djibouti by providing good and comprehensive primary education for all is a priority for us, and therefore, the Education Above All Foundation is a key partner for us in achieving this goal.”

For his part, Fahad Hamad Al-Sulaiti, the Executive Director of the Education Above All Foundation, said: “I would like to thank the Qatar Development Fund and the government of Djibouti for their dedication to improving access to education and breaking down barriers to education for the most vulnerable and marginalized groups.”

He added: “The signing of the memorandum of understanding is an important step towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 on education, and we are confident that our collaboration will further enhance the inclusion of students in education and achieve long-term sustainability for a safer future for them.”

This program is based on the mission of the Education Above All Foundation to support children’s access to safe, high-quality, and equitable education, especially for the most vulnerable and marginalized groups, as well as to address inequalities in education between regions, gender, and income levels.