海外ボランティア募集！大学生・高校生・社会人にオススメ。春休み夏休みも通年開催。

If I had not been educated, what would I be doing now?
I would not have been able to write, read, or do math. I would not have been able to acquire the information and knowledge necessary to survive, and I would have been deceived, unable to get a job, and would have been in danger of being killed and unable to live.
Goal 4 of the SDGs calls for 「quality education for all」 but as of 2021, there are approximately 244 million children in the world who want to attend school but cannot.
Among them, about 67 million children are unable to go to elementary school, mostly concentrated in developing countries in Africa.
Reasons for not being able to attend include　families are poor and children must work, parents do not allow them to go to school, wars or disasters have occurred, and so on. Girls also have particular difficulty in obtaining an education.
The reason for this is that traditional practices and discrimination that separate the roles of men and women remain. Child marriage due to economic and social factors, and the notion that schoolwork is useless for girls. Hence, there are many girls who want to learn but cannot.
Here is what Malala Yousafzai had to say when she spoke at UN headquarters on July 12, 2013.

“Dear brothers and sisters, we must not forget that millions are suffering from poverty, injustice and ignorance. We must not forget the reality that millions of children are not able to attend school. We must remember that our brothers and sisters are looking forward to a bright and peaceful future. So let us pick up our books and pens and take a stand against illiteracy, poverty, and terrorism throughout the world. One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world. There is no other solution than education. Education is the highest priority.”

Girl’s education is reported to have a variety of benefits. Educated girls delay marriage and learn to plan their children. As a result, explosive population growth can be halted. The World Bank reports that one additional year of education for a girl reduces fertility by 10%. It has been shown that when mothers' education level increases, children's living conditions improve significantly, leading to an improvement in social conditions.
I wish every girl in the world to be happy. I hope to quickly create an environment in which they can receive free education in order to develop the strength to live independently.
What we can do now is to let many people know that many girls in developing countries in Africa are in a difficult situation and to raise awareness about girls' education. It is not an easy problem to solve. However, if we continue to take step by step, we can surely solve the problem.
First of all, why don't you talk to someone close to you? It can be a family member, a friend, or a teacher. I start today. Believe that our small actions will change the world.