PACETEM Launches in Mali to Reach 600,000 Out-of-School Children

WALTHAM, MASS | Access to Education for All Children in Mali (PACETEM) is a new program designed to increase access to quality education and student retention across Mali. Led by Education Development Center (EDC) and funded by the Educate a Child Program of the Education Above All Foundation in Qatar, PACETEM will provide 596,597 children with access to a quality education.

PACETEM will address challenges facing Mali regarding infrastructure, teaching, quality of instruction, community involvement, opportunities outside of the formal education system, and parents’ confidence in school quality. The program will provide education to the most vulnerable children, including those who are:

• Too old for formal schooling
• Living in remote locations
• From nomadic and migrant populations
• Attending Koranic schools not offering the national curriculum
• Excluded from government schools
• Physically disabled

“This program will make a significant difference in the lives and futures of children in Mali, providing access to a quality education for those who have never attended school or who have dropped out,” said EDC’s Sandrine Tembely, chief of party for PACETEM. “We are grateful to the Educate a Child Program of the Education Above All Foundation in Qatar for their support.”

PACETEM will be implemented in collaboration with Mali’s Ministry of Education, the municipal governments, and a consortium of 12 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). In addition to EDC, the NGOs include Aide et Action International, AMPRODE-Sahel, AMSS, Bornefonden/PlanInternational, CARE, EDUCO, Handicap International/Humanité et Inclusion, OMAES, Oxfam, Right to Play, and World Education.

These NGOs will share their knowledge and expertise so that each member of the consortium will be able to continue the proposed strategies beyond the life of the project. This will ensure future access to educational opportunities for even more children.

Education Development Center (EDC) is a global nonprofit that advances lasting solutions to improve education, promote health, and expand economic opportunity. Since 1958, we have been a leader in designing, implementing, and evaluating powerful and innovative programs in more than 80 countries around the world.