CARE Brings Education Expertise from the Field To Landmark United Nations Special Session on Children

CARE
Tuesday, 30 April 2002

CARE education experts are spreading knowledge from the field at the United Nations Special Session on Children in New York City on May 8-10, 2002. This is the first Special Session devoted exclusively to issues relating to children. Members of the CARE delegation are traveling from the field to the United States especially for the session. The delegation's focus is on education for children.

"Giving young people in the developing world the knowledge and skills to succeed lays the foundation for healthier, more productive families, communities and societies," says Peter Bell, CARE USA president and leader of the delegation. "Educating children, especially girls, is the most effective way to reduce poverty. That is why basic education for children is a high priority for CARE."

More than 300 children from around the world will serve as UN delegates, along with more than 1,000 representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), such as CARE, that are working to improve the lives of children in developing countries.

The CARE delegation is leading two panels during the Session: "Education in Emergencies: No Time to Lose " and "The 130 Million Left Behind: Obstacles to Childhood Education and Solutions to Overcoming Them" on May 8. The panels address the importance of educating children during emergencies arising out of conflict and natural disasters and the issues around increasing education for girls and other marginalized children. Jane Benbow, director of CARE's education unit, is joining Bell. In addition, the delegation is composed of CARE education experts from the field:

- Ghulam Farooq, project coordinator for the Community Organized Primary Education project (COPE) in Afghanistan;

- Noha Hussein, education advisor with the Community Action in Support of Education program (CASE) in Egypt;

- Margaret Oluoch-Gwada, senior program officer for the Girls' Program in Kenya;

- Matthias Themel, a specialist in psychosocial programs in post-conflict environments, most recently in Kosovo;

- Gloria Manzanares, program coordinator for the Partnership for Quality Education (PROHACE) project in Honduras; and

- Sunisha Ahuja, a specialist in early childhood development based in New Delhi, India.

The CARE delegation also will attend selected events on the general program and meet with networks of non-governmental organizations, government representatives and media.

About CARE: CARE is one of the world's leading humanitarian organizations fighting global poverty. CARE works with communities in 68 countries, focusing on agriculture and natural resources, economic development, education, food, health, water and sanitation, and emergency response programs. In 2001, CARE helped nearly 270,000 children in 25 countries get a basic education to equip them to reach their potential. Children who participated in CARE's intensive "catch-up" programs achieved between two to five years equivalent of schooling in one year.

For more information, or to contact CARE, see their website at: www.care.org