Kids in Poverty Adapt to the Strange New World of School at Home

A woman, a girl and a boy sit at a long, narrow desk outdoors. The woman and girl are looking over papers, schoolwork. The boy is concentrating on his papers, homework.

In early 2020, we documented children all over the world as they returned to school or began kindergarten for the first time. Just months later, the COVID-19 pandemic saw schools close in almost every country in the world.

As International Literacy Day approaches, we’re sharing these before and after photos of how school has changed for children around the world because of the coronavirus.

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International Literacy Day: A Tale of Two Girls

A girl holds a floral scarf, blowing behind her, while she turns and smiles at the camera.

Every child deserves the same access to quality education. But they don’t all get it. Meet two girls, both who live in poverty but whose educational stories are very different.

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literacy teachers studying

Literacy: Turning Mirrors into Windows

Rather than just telling their pupils the importance of seeking education, these workers in Thailand are showing them with their own lives that the poverty of education is a battle that can be won, no matter your age.

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The Love of Literacy

When a church in Bolivia discovered many of the mothers enrolled its Child Survival Program couldn’t read or write the official language of the country, it acted. This is what the church did.

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woman reading a book to children

You’re Never Too Old to Learn

Julienne grew up with the belief that her ability to learn, her wisdom and her knowledge had all been drained by her twin sister who, on the other hand, always did well in school.

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female literacy

Female Literacy: Educating Girls in Poverty

When it comes to extreme poverty, many studies have shown that education is one of the best investments for helping release children from its hope-crushing grip. And educating girls—female literacy—creates ripples that extend for generations.

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a woman holding a baby

Rescued From the Streets

Many girls from Ethiopia’s rural areas move to the cities, lured by the idea of securing well-paying jobs. Their biggest desire is to live better lives and bring themselves, as well as their families, out of poverty.

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two women with a child looking at a paper

Teaching Home Economics With Common Sense

Moms in our Child Survival Program typically lack the opportunity to learn basic home economics skills. Knowledge that we consider common sense is not always common for them.

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