International Day of Education 2020 was celebrated globally around the theme of “Learning for people, planet, prosperity and peace.” In 2019, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 24 January as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development.

The 2020 celebration positions education and the learning it enables as humanity’s greatest renewable resource and reaffirm the role of education as a fundamental right and a public good. It will celebrate the many ways learning can empower people, preserve the planet, build shared prosperity and foster peace (Source: UNESCO). We asked our volunteers on why inclusion matters in education and their most remarkable experience volunteering with OneAfricanChild.

“I think that inclusion in education matters a lot because it does not only help a special need child to see himself as human as others but also helps to bring out a unique set of creativity in them, making them more curious to strive for the better. My most remarkable experience as a youth volunteer remains my encounter with a child and her friends in Tarkwa Bay community on our very first Kolibri training project there.

“Oluwaferanmi as she told me, was her name. Yes, I can never forget the name because of the drama which happened that day. Feranmi and her friends were practically scared to touch the chrome book we came with for the digital literacy skills project. They have never been exposed to such before. After about 4 hours of training, I could see the excitement on  their faces That singular encounter motivated me more to remain a passionate volunteer with OAC and will in the near future, inspire my active involvement in bridging the digital skills gap in children and youths from underserved communities in across Nigeria and Africa.” – Stephen Onwughalu

“As a Youth volunteer of OneAfricanChild Foundation, I have had the opportunity of working with people of distinct personalities and being a part of different mind-engaging projects.I have been exposed to different activities and these activities in turn have allowed me experience some amazing things. One of the most remarkable experiences I have had so far as a Youth Volunteer was the Kolibri Training we had with the children at Tarkwa Bay, Lagos State. At first, I did not even know that Tarkwa Bay was a community made up with people who had dreams of their own. When the ferryboat docked at the jetty, I was really surprised to see humans going about their day and I was even more surprised when we got to one of the schools and the children were eagerly waiting for us. This shook me to the core. The looks on the faces of the children when they were given electronic devices were absolutely priceless. Their hunger to learn was amazing and I am glad we were able to reach out and satisfy that hunger of theirs. Someone once said, “If you cannot Sponsor, Volunteer, if you cannot volunteer, Donate and if you cannot donate, Educate.” I agree. – Cindy Emeh

“Inclusion in education matters because education stands out as the only gift one cannot lose. It births lifelong opportunities for all and stands out to be the only resource that can resolve most of our societal issues.” – Mercy Kendi Muthomi

Check out the Global SDG Education 2030 Steering Committee four point plan for #education: https://www.sdg4education2030.org/sustainable-future-invest-education-24-january-2020