Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. — Nelson Mandela
In the year 2000, the UN Development Programme set the following eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for developing nations:
- Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger
- Achieve universal primary education
- Promote gender equality and empower women
- Reduce child mortality
- Improve maternal health
- Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
- Ensure environmental sustainability
- Develop a Global Partnership for Development
It’s no mistake that universal education is near the top of this list. In order to achieve the ultimate goal of many countries to become a self-sufficient and economically independent global partner, sustainability is key. And while most developing countries are currently in desperate need of immediate aid, creating self-sustainable development in the long run requires education, beginning at the most basic level. As Queen Rania of Jordan has said, “Education doesn’t just beat poverty, it beats disease and inequality”.
While obstacles are being faced by all nations trying to fulfill the MDGs, there are those countries like Benin that seem to be making considerable progress, one step at a time. Benin is one of a few countries in Sub-Saharan Africa that is on track to achieve the second goal of universal education by the 2015 deadline. Key policies have been adopted in recent years to put education at the forefront of priorities in Benin. In the past in most Sub-Saharan African countries, nearly one quarter of a family’s income would go towards school fees, making it impossible for most families to afford to send their children to school. But the motivation that has sprung from the introduction of the MDGs has led many countries to abolish primary school fees in order to increase enrollment. Benin education budget has increased to 24 percent of the GDP and in 2006 the country was able to introduce free primary education to all of Benin’s children. Benin has developed a comprehensive educational program to reform the system from the inside out, improving the internal structure by increasing the skill level of faculty and increasing the sectors capacity for managing their human and financial resources. Other programs have been introduced as well to involve the parents more in their children’s education and provide support to families in distress so that their children can attend school regularly. Â By starting at the source, Benin has more than doubled the amount of children enrolled in basic education.
Of course major challenges remain for all countries, poverty being the most ominous hurdle, but throwing money at such issues is almost never a viable long-term solution. A strong country is built from the bottom up, beginning with the children. By providing a sound educational foundation, the next generation will have the tools to create a more sustainable world, no matter what country they are born in.