As you know, I’m passionate about ending poverty, and of all the tools at our disposal to fight it, education is perhaps the most important.
Education means people can read legal and health documents and make better choices regarding important issues like business contracts, insurance benefits, and health needs. Math education means people can evaluate income, assets, expenses and make more profitable decisions running their businesses and homes. Critical thinking skills means people can listen to people in power while asking questions, evaluating arguments, and electing better leaders. Education gives people the ability to imagine future scenarios and plan accordingly.
Study after study shows a direct benefit between education and personal gains like better health and higher income. Plus, educations strengthens communities as more educations leads to stronger civic engagement in terms of voting, volunteering, political interest, and interpersonal trust.
But unfortunately, across the developing world, girls are denied an education for no other reason than the fact they are girls. In poor and rural areas around the world, schools (if they exist) aren’t equipped with the books and tools needed to prepare young people for today’s world. Teachers don’t always show up for work, treat all students equally, aren’t always trained to provide the best quality of education and aren’t always supported by their communities.
Amy McLaren of World Teacher Aid
And that’s why I’m excited to introduce you to a woman who’s working to change that. After teaching and directing International Language Schools in England, Spain, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Thailand, Amy completed her Masters of Teaching Degree at Griffith University in Australia.
Once she began teaching full-time in Canada, she quickly realized there was an opportunity to connect the curriculum inside the classroom with her passion for traveling and helping others outside the classroom. Soon afterwards she started an organization now known as World Teacher Aid.
World Teacher Aid was founded in 2006 with the primary goal of helping and supporting the educational system within developing countries. WorldTeacher Aid, primarily focuses in Kenya where the organization partners with the Government to build schools.
World Teacher Aid has now built six complete schools (each school has eight classrooms and an admin block), allowing over 3600 students a chance to go to school on a daily basis.
Write to Give
Alongside the charity, Amy also founded Write to Give in which students collaborate with other students around the world to write and publish a book! It’s an awesome way for students to raise their awareness about global issues and fund raise for their schools.
Our Interview
Enjoy finding out more about Amy McClaren and her projects by listening to our interview. And to support her work, visit http://worldteacheraid.org