Education’s impact on poverty alleviation is significant. In fact, the World Bank says that education is “one of the strongest instruments for reducing poverty and improving health, gender equality, peace and stability.” In fact, UNESCO found that the global poverty rate could be more than halved if all adults were able to complete secondary school. 
However, millions of children around the world are experiencing learning poverty—defined as when a child is unable to read and understand simple text by age 10. Prior to the pandemic, 57% of children in low- and middle-income countries fell under this category. Today, it is estimated to have increased to 70%.

HOW DOES EDUCATION HELP ALLEVIATE GLOBAL POVERTY? 

Education not only helps the child receiving it, it has the ability to pull entire families and societies out of poverty. Here are just a few of the ways that education improves lives. 

• Education increases income. Every year of schooling received leads to a nine percent increase in hourly earnings. The more income that an individual makes, the more likely that family will have resources to meet basic needs. It also drives economic growth in the community and country.
• Education reduces the prevalence of child labor. Children who don’t have access to school often enter the workforce to support their families, and most of the children never return to continue their education. 
• Education reduces the likelihood of child marriage. For each year of secondary education received, a child’s risk of marrying before the age of 18 is reduced by five percent. Additionally, girls with a full education are less at risk of practices like female genital mutilation. 
• Education increases overall health. Many studies have now linked education’s direct effect on health. In fact, studies show that for every five years of education, an individual’s life expectancy increases while the risk of diseases like HIV decreases. 

Education plays a critical role in poverty alleviation. By creating opportunities for families, communities and countries to provide their children with a quality education, we can help all communities thrive. 

WHAT ARE SOME BARRIERS TO EDUCATION? 

Education is a human right but barriers to that right exist. Some barriers are systematic, such as religion and racial inequalities, but some are within our power to solve. Here are a few examples of some.

• Availability of school supplies. Students need basic supplies such as textbooks, pencils, etc. For example, in Kenya, the average number of textbooks per student is 3:1.
• Nutritional deficiency. Household food insecurity affects the physical growth of children, as well as their intellectual development, and often leads to poor school attendance. 
• Lack of school uniforms. Students around the world have required school uniforms that families can’t always afford. In Kenya, for example, the average cost of school uniforms for girls is $35.04, and studies show that the higher the cost, the more likely the family will not re-enroll their child. 

At Because International, our work focuses on removing a barrier to education by providing children with The Shoe That Grows, a shoe that expands five sizes.

HOW THE SHOE THAT GROWS HELPS EDUCATION.

The Shoe That Grows adjusts in seven places to expand five sizes, protecting the feet of the recipient for years as they grow. With The Shoe, kids can walk to school without worrying about soil-transmitted diseases and parasites, leaving them more able to focus during class. 

Since launching, more than 450,000 pairs have been distributed to kids in 100+ countries. Here is what Isaac of Niaver Community Based Organization shared about the impact of The Shoe That Grows on the students at a school in Bwayi Village near Kitale, Kenya.