Accra, Ghana — Young people are not just beneficiaries of education but key partners in shaping its future.
At just 26 years old, Haruna Asulibii Bariku is a powerful example of resilience, determination, and the transformative power of opportunity. “I came from a humble background in a poor family. I am the second-born of my parents. My father is a farmer. My mother sells small table-top items to support us,” she said.” My journey of education began in a small village where I attended my junior high school with my siblings. Sadly, they both dropped out of school due to financial support, but I refused to give up.”
Her path was not easy.
In her second year of senior high, Haruna faced significant personal challenges. She became a mother at 18, and many around her believed her education had come to an end. “For a while, I felt disillusioned,” she said. “But a voice in me insisted. I must change my family’s story.”
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Yet life took another difficult turn when her partner left, leaving her to raise two young children alone. “I returned home feeling completely defeated,” she said.
Her life took a remarkable turn when she heard a radio announcement about the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program through FAWE Ghana.”With hope and prayer, I applied, and by the grace of Allah, I was selected,” she said. That moment became her turning point. Today, Bariku is a Level 200 student at Bolgatanga Technical University, pursuing a Higher National Diploma in Hotel, Catering, and Institutional Management.
Now a student at the Bolgatanga Technical University pursuing a diploma in Hotel, Catering, and Institutional Management, Bariku said her goal is to build a career and give back to other young women facing similar hardships. She called on organizations to provide not only financial assistance but also mentorship and belief in young women’s potential.
“A young girl does not need pity; she needs opportunity,” she said. “Your past does not define your future. You can fall, but don’t stay down. Stand up, fight for your dreams, and shine.”
In a similar vein, Naomi Kamitha from Kenya spoke about her resolve to escape poverty and limited opportunities to pursue education.
“I was born to a teen mother in rural Kenya who struggled to keep me in school,” Kamitha said. “When I passed my exams and got into a national school, my family couldn’t afford the fees. My second chance came when my head teacher helped me apply for a scholarship from Equity Bank Kenya, and that changed my life.” Kamitha said that this opportunity was crucial for her education and motivated her to advocate for other girls through her work with the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE).
A call for collective action
Over 100 million children are still out of school across Africa, preventing them from realizing the benefits of education. The persistent gap on the continent threatens human capital development, as well as deepening poverty and inequality cycles. Today, the real question facing governments and partners is not whether they can afford to invest in education, but whether they can afford the consequences of inaction.
“When we are talking about education, let’s talk about it in a holistic manner,” said Dr. Martha Muhwezi, the Executive Director of the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE). “Let’s look at education at the foundation level, at primary, secondary, and tertiary, but also as a system that transitions learners into the world of work.”
“Across our continent, education systems are under strain from multiple and interlinked challenges, climate shocks, conflict and displacement, economic fragility, deepening inequality and persistent exclusion,” said Professor Pierre Gomez, the Minister of Higher Education, Research and Science Technology, in the Gambia, representing Professor Lamine Sise. “Today, more than 100 million African children remain out of school. Behind this figure lie countless untold stories of potential interrupted, of dreams deferred, and of communities struggling to preserve hope in the face of adversity. And yet, within this struggling reality lies a profound opportunity to re-imagine, redesign, and rebuild education systems that are not only stronger in the face of crisis, but also fairer, more inclusive, and more forward-looking.
Gomez said that Africa’s strength has always been born out of adversity: “As an African proverb reminds us, smooth seas do not make skillful sailors. The storms we face compel us to become more skillful, more innovative, and more united in purpose.”
“Resilience is no longer optional,” he said. “It is the foundation of survival.”
Professor Gomez outlined five key pillars to guide Africa’s transformation in education. The first, resilient education systems, calls for schools that can anticipate, absorb, and adapt to crises while ensuring learning continues even in times of disruption. The second, community participation, emphasizes that transformation cannot be driven by ministries alone; parents, teachers, traditional leaders, and local communities must share ownership of educational change.
The third, second-chance opportunities, urges the creation of flexible pathways for children and youth who have been left behind due to conflict, poverty, or displacement. The fourth pillar, inclusion as a foundation rather than a footnote, focuses on breaking every barrier – be it gender, disability, geography, or economic status – that prevents equitable access to learning.
Finally, climate-responsive learning calls for integrating environmental awareness and climate adaptation into curricula so that Africa’s young people are equipped to lead a sustainable and resilient future.
“As we engage in this dialogue, I invite us to consider one central question: How do we move from vision to transformation, from resilience to renewal, so that every learner in Africa, especially the most marginalized, can thrive?” Gomez said. “Let us commit to policy and investment choices that make inclusivity and resilience the DNA of African education. As Nelson Mandela said, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change the world.’
“Resilience is not an option – it’s a must,” Dr. Muhwezi said. “We need to redesign our education system, make it more inclusive, and be forward-looking. It’s a collective responsibility.”
Building the resilience
Dr. Moses Ngware, the Senior Research Scientist and Head of the Education and Youth Empowerment Unit at the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), said that the powerful stories of Bariku and Kamitha reflect a wider reality across Africa. The stories teach us how to build resilience, he said.
He shared findings showing that Africa currently has over 100 million children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 out of school, a number that has continued to rise since 2014. While COVID-19 disrupted learning, he pointed out that the trend of increasing out-of-school rates predated the pandemic. “Girls are dropping out at a faster rate than boys,” he warned, threatening hard-won gains in gender equality. He added that the economic impact of education exclusion on Africa is severe: “Africa loses over $100 billion annually, or 3.2% of its GDP.”
Dr. Ngware said that most countries have good policies, but success depends on “political will and practical implementation.” He urged governments to renew their commitment to universal basic education, strengthen domestic financing, and invest in innovative, inclusive solutions such as flexible learning and second-chance education. “These initiatives exist,” he said. “We just need a renewed push to make them work for every child.”
Sierra Leone’s model for education access in Africa
The Radical Inclusion Policy of Sierra Leone is widely recognized throughout Africa as a strong initiative to ensure that no child is left behind. Specifically, the policy has increased access to education for out-of-school children and marginalized groups, including girls and children with disabilities. This initiative shows how governments can create inclusive systems that remove barriers and allow every student, regardless of their situation, to succeed.
Honorable Conrad Sackey, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, said that the country’s Radical Inclusion Policy has become a key part of efforts to expand education access for all, especially marginalized children. “Radical inclusion,” Sackey explained, “means no child should be excluded from school on the basis of pregnancy, disability, poverty, or gender.” He said that under this policy, pregnant girls are allowed to stay in school and return when ready, without facing stigma or bureaucratic barriers.
To ensure the policy works well, Sierra Leone launched a five-year implementation plan (2021-2026) that focuses on action rather than just slogans. Sackey explained that it emphasizes teacher development, community involvement, safe school practices, gender-based violence protocols, support for disabilities, and systems to identify at-risk students early.
“Policies are only alive if families and local leaders support them,” Sackey said.
Since the ban on pregnant learners was lifted, the country has seen a steady rise in enrollment, from 915 in 2020 to 1,289 in 2022. “These are early but important signals,” he said, pointing out that girls have outperformed boys in all three of the nation’s transitional exams – at primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary levels. “Now the boys are asking what’s happening with them.”
He said that national legal reforms, such as the Gender Empowerment Law and the ban on child marriage, have strengthened support for girls and children with disabilities to stay in school and succeed.
Refugee education strained
As of 2025, Uganda hosts nearly two million refugees, making it the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa. This situation arises mainly from ongoing conflicts in neighboring countries like South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan. Uganda’s progressive refugee policy grants refugees freedom of movement, access to land, work rights, and integration into national services such as education and health. Due to funding shortfalls and a rapidly growing refugee population, Uganda’s refugee education system faces tremendous strain, especially for children. Refugee children face an urgent situation due to a lack of emergency funding, putting them at risk of dropping out, malnutrition, and violence. Inclusion of refugees through education remains Uganda’s beacon of hope, but it is increasingly challenged by the scale of the crisis and dwindling international support, underscoring the need for urgent global assistance.
Doreen Ankunda, Commissioner for Pre-Primary and Primary Education Standards at Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports, shared that Uganda’s inclusive approach is guided by solid legal and policy frameworks, including the Refugee Act of 2006, the Refugee Regulations of 2010, the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework, and the Education and Sports Strategic Plan (2021-2025). These, she said, “make the country a model among the international community for granting asylum and allowing refugees access to the same rights as citizens, including the right to education.”
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She added that Uganda ensures refugees not only have access to schooling but also the right to work and the right to hope, like any other citizen. To ensure quality instruction, qualified teachers, and curriculum compliance, the government conducts regular joint monitoring through the Directorate of Education Standards.
Key policy recommendations
Professor Peter Materu, Chief Program Officer at the Mastercard Foundation, reflected on the transformative power of education. He said that the Mastercard Foundation, established two decades ago, was founded on the belief that “everyone, irrespective of his or her beginnings, can learn and prosper.” Recognizing Africa’s demographic potential, the Foundation chose to prioritize the continent. “It is an opportunity, not a challenge,” Materu said, stressing that Africa’s youth bulge could drive global progress if properly supported.
Materu described three dimensions of resilience: resilience to shocks, inclusion, and empowerment. He said that true inclusion means ensuring that everyone is coming along, including refugees, people with disabilities, and especially “young women in rural areas who may not have access to where services are offered.” Empowerment, he said, goes beyond access to education, it’s about intentionally connecting young people to work so they can improve their livelihoods and those of their families.
Young Africa Works, the Foundation’s flagship strategy, aims to enable at least 30 million young people to find dignified and fulfilling work by 2030. “We have reached close to 68 million young people so far through work and learning interventions, and around 20 million have begun working,” he said. In addition, he cited the Foundation’s collaborative initiatives, such as Leaders in Teaching, which consists of educators across Rwanda, Ghana, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Liberia, as well as partnerships with the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR) and the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning.
Materu stressed the importance of partnerships in driving educational transformation. “We found the power of collaboration and working with partners on the ground to be very powerful,” he said, adding that the Mastercard Foundation looks forward to continuing to work with others to achieve more.
