What Is the Role of Education in Poverty Reduction?
The role of education in poverty reduction is immense. According to Oxfam International, “A good-quality public education is liberating for individuals. It can also be an equalizer within society.”[1] GFA World is committed to breaking down the barriers of education for the poor who live in Africa and Asia.
Poverty reduction is accomplished through providing education to both children and adults:
For children: Education gives children the ability to dream of something better; they gain hope for the future.
Children in Africa and Asia are receiving help through GFA World child sponsorship programs that make it possible for them to go to school and be successful in their education. With education, they can dream of being doctors, teachers, community leaders, business owners and those dreams can become a reality! Without this education, they don’t know how to dream.
According to UNICEF, “South Asia is home to the largest numbers of out-of-school children and youths at 31.8 million with 8.2 million at primary level (6 to 9 years) and 23.6 million at the secondary level (10 to 14 years).”[2] GFA is helping decrease those numbers by providing tutoring, educational assistance, help with school supplies and uniforms, and caring adults that encourage children to dream of a brighter future.
For adults: Day-to-day life is changed when adults learn to read and write.
For example, not only is the person then able to do simple but important things like read road signs, maps, instructions, warning labels and so on, he or she is now qualified for more lucrative jobs. GFA-sponsored programs provide literacy training and also teach basic math skills, equipping individuals in areas of Africa and Asia to have confidence in the marketplace.
Skills training is also a way to help adults who didn’t receive formal education. When a person learns tailoring skills, candle making or other trades, their income potential increases dramatically. GFA provides this training to help break the cycle of poverty. This skills training is offered through our local churches to teach these skills, which often lead to financial stability by allowing adults to produce items that their communities need.
We invite you to partner with us in providing educational assistance to children and adults as a way to break through the cycle of poverty. You can do this through sponsoring an education initiative like a woman’s literacy class or by sponsoring a child through our sponsorship program.
Learn more about our poverty reduction strategy at GFA World[1] “The Power of Education to Fight Inequality.” OXFAM International. September 17, 2019. https://www.oxfam.org/en/research/power-education-fight-inequality.
[2] “Children in South Asia.” UNICEF. Accessed March 25, 2025. https://www.unicef.org/rosa/children-south-asia.