Today, Beyond the Classroom Foundation announced a partnership with the Mastercard Foundation to build ongoing efforts to educate children about the COVID-19 virus. With support from the Mastercard Foundation COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Program, 3,000 children in Lagos and Abuja will receive free COVID-19 safety packs containing the educational book, “There is a new virus in town,” written by Raquel Daniel, founder of Beyond the Classroom Foundation.
The world over, even in countries with increased resources for better case management, the number of active COVID-19 infections is rising and many African countries, including Nigeria, are now experiencing the second wave of the pandemic.
According to the founder of Beyond the Classroom Foundation, Raquel Daniel, “children are now more likely than adults to be the ones bringing a COVID-19 infection into their homes. While we wait for the vaccine, physical distancing and the use of face masks have proven to be the most effective measures against the spread of COVID-19 and should be reinforced. “
The book is an engaging story about viruses, the pandemic, coronavirus, how it spreads, why some schools are closed, and ways children can help stop the virus from spreading. It contains questions and answers with pages of colouring games for children.
Children in hard-to-reach communities, who cannot read in English, received a Hausa Language version of the book and their parents were encouraged to read it to them.
Chidinma Lawanson, Country Manager, Mastercard Foundation Nigeria, noted that this partnership is a tremendous opportunity for adults to educate their children about the virus with simple ways for them to keep themselves, their families, and their communities safe.
Given, its impact, the Mastercard Foundation will be expanding its partnership with Beyond the Classroom to reach many more children in communities across the region including, Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda.
About Beyond the Classroom Foundation
Beyond the Classroom Foundation is a volunteer-driven nonprofit aimed at improving access to education for children and sexual & reproductive health education for girls in vulnerable and marginalized communities in Nigeria. We recognize the importance that education has on us as humans, and we believe that education is the most effective method by which poverty can truly be eliminated.
Through special interventions targeted at families with children, we support single mothers, widows and vulnerable families in disadvantaged communities and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Camp.M
A
The Mastercard Foundation works with visionary organizations to enable young people in Africa and in Indigenous communities in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. It is one of the world’s largest, private foundations in the world with a mission to advance learning and promote financial inclusion to create an inclusive and equitable world. The Foundation was created by Mastercard in 2006 as an independent organization with its own Board of Directors and management.