Christel House South Africa is a non-profit school that provides no-fee scholarships to students from some of Cape Town’s most underserved communities and supports them for 19 years (Grade RR to Grade 12 and five years post-matric) through character-based and career-focused education. Christel House’s model is built on essential education enablers, including trauma-informed care, daily transportation, professional health care, nutritious meals, psychosocial counselling, and more. The Green Leaves Education Foundation supports Christel House South Africa and its expansion efforts, empowering high school learners from underprivileged communities to achieve upward economic mobility.

In Madagascar, over 80% of the population lives below the poverty line. Poverty is compounded by a lack of qualifications: the school enrolment rate falls from 76% in primary school to 13% in higher education. Two thirds of the population is under 25, and only 11% of Malagasy are in formal employment. At the same time, the island is facing a growing need for qualified professionals in the booming digital sector. Since 2022, Passerelles Numériques (PN) provides a preparatory course focused on IT to underprivileged young people. The innovative, free-of-charge 11-month training program aims to prepare high school graduates to enter university. Every year, it welcomes 50 vulnerable young people aged 18 to 23, who are talented but do not have the means to access higher education. They are selected based on socio-economic criteria. The training is delivered at PN's centre in Antananarivo, the capital city. In order to provide the best possible support and enable these young people to devote themselves fully to their studies, all their basic needs (accommodation, food, medical and living expenses) are covered by PN. After this first year, students are provided with socio-educational follow-up and financial support, up to the completion of their bachelor's degree. They are then supported to find stable, qualified employment, and successfully escape poverty.

Street Child Suisse is part of the global Street Child Network which is working across 25 countries to help vulnerable children access education and build sustainable futures in the most difficult to reach regions. The organization collaborates with local partners to drive meaningful, structural and long-term change.

The «Build the Basics» project enhances foundational learning and improves access to quality education for children in Nepal's poorest regions. Over three years, the program will reach 36,000 children across 600 public schools in Madhesh and Karnali provinces. Using an Accelerated Learning Programme (ALP) and the "Teaching at the Right Level" (TaRL) methodology, the initiative supports children whose education has been disrupted by poverty or the pandemic. Additionally, teachers are trained in High-Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS) to ensure long-term improvements in learning quality. This initiative builds on a successful pilot project funded by the World Bank, which demonstrated significant improvements in foundational learning outcomes. Now, the model is being rapidly scaled across the country to maximize its impact in improving literacy and numeracy for Nepal’s children.

The Harry Crossley Children’s Nursing Development Unit is a nurse-led teaching and scholarship unit in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. The Unit is committed to building capacity in children's nursing in Africa by training and supporting nurses, educators and health service leaders , as they strive for best outcomes for children and their families through  contextually appropriate evidence-based practice and with a commitment to unapologetic African nursing excellence.

The Green Leaves Education Foundation provides full bursaries to nurses from other African countries to complete masters level training as Paediatric Advanced Practice Nurses. These specialist nurse practitioners play a relatively new and vital role  in strengthening  Africa’s healthcare systems and in improving patient care. In paediatrics particularly, they bridge gaps in specialist care by leading patient care, managing complex cases and mentoring nursing teams.

The HSLU Foundation, the foundation of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, is committed to promoting talent, innovation, research, and infrastructure across the entire university. Through financial support from individuals, foundations, and companies, the foundation enables groundbreaking developments and high-quality education. Targeted funding programs provide students with access to scholarships and emergency funds, researchers can realize pioneering projects, and the university invests in a modern, inspiring learning environment. Together, we shape the future and support the next generation of pioneers.

The Presencia Foundation improves the living conditions of children and young adults in Colombia. Together with our team of local experts, we ensure to break the spiral of unemployment and lack of prospects in the poor neighbourhoods of Medellín with the most powerful tool: education. Our three different projects support the beneficiaries in all stages of education - from elementary school to the completion of vocational training or studies.

In the vocational training project, the beneficiaries complete a theoretical part at one of our partner institutions and an internship in a company. During the 1.5 years of their training, they’re accompanied closely by our team of pedagogues and receive financial support. After completing the vocational training, we support and accompany them for another 6 months until they have been successfully integrated into the professional field.

Founded in 2000 on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children®, Room to Read develops children’s foundational literacy skills, as well as life skills that promote gender equality. We nurture these essential skills in children by training and coaching educators, creating quality learning materials and spaces, strengthening education systems, and delivering programs directly and with partners – all while honouring the dignity of every child. Committed to accelerating learning outcomes for more children, more quickly, we have benefited 45 million children across 28 countries. Room to Read envisions a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality, where all children have room to read, learn and grow.

Krousar Thmey is the first Cambodian foundation dedicated to supporting underprivileged children. Founded in 1991 in the refugee camps of Site II in Thailand, its mission is to empower youth by providing education and support tailored to their individual needs, all while respecting their cultural traditions and beliefs. The foundation’s diverse programs encompass child protection, inclusive education for children with disabilities, cultural and artistic development, as well as health and career guidance. Guided by the core principle of “Cambodians helping Cambodians,” Krousar Thmey ensures that all initiatives are led and implemented by nationals, promoting sustainable and equitable outcomes, and fostering respect for local traditions. Its work remains apolitical, non-religious, holistic, and committed to long-term, inclusive impact.

Hatua Network works to end generational poverty by preparing promising, low-income youth to thrive in Kenya's workforce. They do so by providing scholarships to top performing students from low-income families to pursue their high school and university education. They then mentor their scholarship students for 10 years, focusing on soft skills critical for career success including communication, collaboration, problem solving, emotional intelligence and responsibility. At the tertiary level Hatua pairs each student with a professional working in their career field of interest to help students gain industry-specific career guidance and build their professional networks. Finally, Hatua partners with Kenyan employers to help address their need for top entry-level talent and connect alumni to career opportunities. Among Hatua alumni, 94% are engaged in the workforce within one year of graduating, and those who are earning have an average income that is 5X the international poverty line and 4.5X the average combined household income of Hatua students' families. This is a total transformation, from poverty to professional careers.

Brücke Le Pont and its local partner organization initiated the project “Reyes Irene – perspectives for young women without education in Honduras”.  Opening better career prospects, the project enables 750 young women to complete their regular school education and/or attend vocational courses. Psychological, medical and legal counselling as well as support in finding work also empower the women. The results are positive, shows a tracer study conducted by Brücke Le Pont in 2022. For example, the incomes of graduates have risen sharply due to the project, thereby improving the living conditions of around 3,000 persons. The women also gain relevant knowledge about labor rights. This gives them greater negotiating power and means that they no longer allow themselves to be exploited

Every child has the right to a quality education, which includes access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) during school hours. Children spend a significant part of their day at school, where WASH services can impact the learning, health and dignity of students, especially girls. The inclusion of WASH in schools in the UN Sustainable Development Goal No. 6 represents an increasing recognition of its importance as a key component of a “safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environment” and as part of “universal” access to WASH, emphasizing the need for WASH outside the home.

Guided by the expertise of two German environmental scientists who were our guests in 2017/2018, Kamboo Project's local team has developed a hygiene program for elementary school that will benefit children in the long term. This is branded "SHIP"-School Hygiene Improvement Program. This hygiene program is fully aligned with the health education framework of the Department of Education (DoE) of the province concerned and was successfully implemented in 2020-2023 at the first nine elementary school in Prasat Bakong district and is now being followed up.

The University of Music at the Conservatorio is distinguished by a strong international focus, as evidenced by the number of faculty and staff from around the world and the high percentage of students from over 40 different countries. The limited number of students (200 places in the Bachelor and Master programs) undoubtedly makes the personalized approach possible, a fact reflected in the practice of accepting written work not only in Italian but also in English, German, and French.

The Fondazione Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana manages, in addition to the University of Music, affiliated with SUPSI, a Department School of Music with 1400 students, and a Pre-College Department with 50 places. All three departments operate with a limited number of places or, in the case of the School of Music, at least through a planned number. While the University of Music offers a window to the world, the amateur section of the School of Music serves the local population, particularly the youth of our Region. The Pre-College, on the other hand, acts as an incubator of talent and a link between the the School of Music and the University of Music.

The Ikateleng project spans the North West, Gauteng, Northern Cape, and Free State provinces, reaching over 1,200 talented Grade 10 to 12 learners from more than 65 high schools per year . This initiative is not just about education; it aims to level the playing field and enable these students to rise above their circumstances and achieve greatness.

At the heart of Ikateleng are its dedicated centres located in Vanderbijlpark, Potchefstroom, Mahikeng, Lichtenburg, Mooi Nooi, and Kimberley. The programme offers a comprehensive curriculum across two main streams: natural sciences (including mathematics, physical sciences, life sciences, and English) and economic and management sciences (focusing on mathematics, accounting, economics/business studies, and English).

Beyond academics, Ikateleng enriches the lives of its learners through various extracurricular activities. A standout feature is the comprehensive Career Orientation programme, meticulously crafted by NWU's marketing and recruitment team, which helps students navigate their future career paths.

With our eighth and ninth project with Child’s Dream Association, we support on the one hand the construction of a replacement of the Dong Phao Primary School in the Savannakhet Province in Southern Laos. The existing school was built in 1987 and is no longer safe for the children after nearly four decades of use. The new building will have five classrooms, one teacher room and four toilets. This facility will not only ensure the safety and well-being of the students but will also provide a foundation for their continued education at the secondary level. On the other hand, we will support the installation of a computer lab in the Napod Secondary School in the same province. An existing classroom will be renovated and equipped with 19 computers, a projector, furniture and a power system. The computer lab will provide students with vital hands-on experience, enabling them to develop digital skills essential for academic achievement and future employment.

Building English Teaching Capacity in Laos: A Grassroots Approach

This initiative presents an innovative, ground-up approach to strengthening English language education in Laos. Rather than implementing top-down programs, this project focuses on identifying, supporting, and scaling existing grassroots English education efforts nationwide. The project leverages successful methodologies from Cambodia while ensuring deep adaptation to the Laotian context.

The initiative encompasses several key components. We will map and support existing community-based English education initiatives nationwide while implementing a Cambodia Learning Exchange Program for selected teachers. The project will develop sustainable local coaching and train-the-trainer programs, create public school integration and government engagement pathways, and build lasting partnerships between academic and corporate sectors.

The project will unfold over 36 months: Network Building and Initial Support, followed by Capacity Building and Expansion, and culminating in Institutionalization. Through this carefully structured approach, we aim to create sustainable, locally driven improvements in English language education throughout Laos.

The CO-OPERAID project “Komar An” improves the quality of kindergartens and primary schools in the province of Kampong Chhnang in Cambodia. Every year, around 1,700 children in the Sameakki Mean Chey district benefit from improved access to primary education. The project area is very rural and has an above-average number of poor families. Children from these households are often disadvantaged when it comes to education and are therefore less likely to perform well.

The focus thereby lies in the development of the teaching methodology and the pupil’s learning success at 9 primary school and 12 kindergartens. A wide range of activities are aimed at improving the teaching staff and school management, the school infrastructure and the school curriculum. In addition, the project supports the poorest families with income projects or direct payments.

The project " Enhanced the quality of teaching and learning for primary education in the target schools of Vientiane Province" aims to improve the quality of education for ethnic minority’s children. Here are the various axis of this project:

• The Support for school administrators in drawing up and implementing school improvement plans.
• the strengthening of teachers‘ skills in proactive and pupil-centered teaching techniques and an assistance by providing teaching materials for classroom learning.
• the strengthening of parents’ skills in supporting schooling (different themes),
• the development of ICT resources,
• the tour of mobile libraries,
• the improvement in terms of nutrition through the provision of balanced meals throughout the schooling process

In-depth consultations with local partners have enabled us to identify the needs and interests in Vientiane province. This bottom-up approach is the best way of making the project sustainable.

Women’s Hope International, a non-governmental organization based in Berne and founded in 2003, is committed to ensuring that women and girls – regardless of their background, wealth, or religion – can exercise their right toa healthy and self-determined life. In partnership with local organizations and affected communities, Women’s Hope supports the development and expansion of essential medical services for pregnancy and childbirth in Africa and Asia. The organization also empowers women to assert their sexual and reproductive rights and to stand up against gender-based violence.

The project ‘A Midwife for Every Mother’ aims to improve the quality of the midwifery education at St. Luke College in Wolisso, Ethiopia, and provides young women from rural communities with the opportunity to become professional midwives. Not only does this project empower young women, but it also has a positive impact on maternal and newborn health in rural areas of Ethiopia.

With the project “Educating, empowering and connecting disadvantaged youth in South Africa for active leadership and participation in 2025” we can equip 250 high school learners in 10 disadvantaged high schools in 3 provinces with the knowledge, skills and platforms to find their voice as young leaders and become active members of their schools and communities.

Sustainable mobility is an issue and amplifier of development impact often overlooked, particularly in rural areas. Worldwide, up to one billion people lack access to livelihood opportunities, markets, healthcare and education due to distance. To address the challenges of distance and lack of sustainable mobility, World Bicycle Relief manufactures and distributes a rugged, specially designed, locally assembled bicycle (Buffalo Bicycle) to students, health service providers, entrepreneurs and workers with their project “Bicycles for Education Empowerment Program (BEEP) in Nort-west Uganda”. With a Buffalo Bicycle, World Bicycle Relief-led and partner-led rural mobility initiatives increase access to livelihoods opportunities, health services and education.

Anak – Aid to Indonesian children, is a non-profit, apolitical, and non-denominational humanitarian organization founded in 2003 and has branches in France, Switzerland, Luxembourg and, Spain and an office in Bali. The association works to educate children from remote villages on the island of Bali, in areas where a lot of people live below the poverty threshold. In partnership with local communities, Anak helps and guides more than 200 children in their studies, from primary school to university, thanks to the financial support of more than 300 godparents, donors, partners and foundations. All these children live with their families and are able to attend public schools and continue their studies until graduation, thanks to the monthly payment of their school fees. Anak also guides these young people in their choice of career and follows up their studies in the remotest areas of Bali, where the lack of information and the lack of schooling among adults are true obstacles to education and autonomy. If these young people and future generations are supported to become independent and autonomous, they can break the vicious cycle of poverty. As a consequence, their futures can be brighter, and they can have a better chance to achieve their dreams.

The project region Huánuco is in the Peruvian Andes and covers nearly the size of Switzerland. It is one of the most economically challenged areas of Peru. For some 35,000 people with physical and/or mental challenges, the situation is particularly difficult. If they are unable to perform physical labor in agriculture, they have little chance to generate an income. They are typically viewed by their families and society as a burden and live in isolation. Despite existing legislation, in practice they receive little to no support from their government.

ena Switzerland partners with an experienced local organization (Renacer) to offer 192 people with challenges vocational training in textile handicrafts, metal construction, food services, and gardening. Project participants receive individualized support for their personal and professional development and are equipped to promote and sell their products successfully. As a result, trained individuals experience a growing sense of self-confidence and receive validation from others. Renacer also advocates with the authorities for the rights of people with various challenges and raises awareness among family members and the larger community to value and support them. Renacer has an excellent track record for their work and has already received two awards from the International Labor Organization of the UN.

Although the school enrollment rate in Cambodia is relatively high, the numbers of successful school graduates are low, especially at the secondary level. There is a clear correlation between dropping out of school and poverty because children from poor families often must help earn money and thus neglect school attendance. With the support of EcoSolidar, the local partner organization BSDA has therefore set up and expanded a holistic education project aimed at these children over the past 15 years. 

Within the framework of the current 4-year project, around 1,000 children and young people are cared for each year in Kampong Cham: children are prepared for school in kindergartens; with supervised scholarships to particularly poor families, the local partner organization ensures their children attend school and strengthens their self-confidence in dance and music courses; socially vulnerable young people are trained in vocational apprenticeships in gastronomy, mechanics and beauty care and can complete internships in two social enterprises (restaurant and resort).

Right To Play is a global organization that protects, educates, and empowers children to rise above adversity using the power of play. The “Play Forward” project aims to increase the integration of gender-responsive and inclusive play-based learning in teacher training and enhance the capacity of teachers to improve children’s literacy skills in Mozambique. Leveraging Right To Play’s expertise in play-based learning, the project seeks to contribute to improved educational outcomes, higher quality teaching and learning, and the creation of a more inclusive and engaging educational environment in Mozambique.

The project "Improving the quality of education for ethnic minorities at primary schools in Laos" aims to improve the living conditions of girls and boys from ethnic minorities in Laos by strengthening the quality of education and teaching in the Et district of Huaphanh province in Laos. This provides them with sustainable support and encouragement in their development. This project provides teachers with training in teaching methods and raises their awareness of gender equality and children's rights. The project activities enable girls and boys from ethnic minorities in the affected communities to learn in safe and clean school environments and to be encouraged by their parents to attend school regularly, regardless of their gender. In the long term, this leads to more peaceful coexistence in the community.

The project "Promotion of equal education after the covid 19 pandemic" enables to assist over 2500 children and 200 vulnerable families in Bharaptur, Nepal. Despite great progress, poverty is still widespread in Nepal. In addition, the country was hit hard by the corona pandemic. Many families lost their income during this time. Their children did not return to school after the end of the last lockdown because their parents could no longer afford the school materials or because the gaps in schooling had become too large. Child labour and early marriage of girls also increased again since the pandemic. The aim of the program is to ensure that all children in the program area have equal access to quality education. Furthermore, the schools should be able to respond to child protection cases as well as to future crises, such as earthquakes, riots, or pandemics.

Child Aid Papua is a non-profit, public benefit organisation based in Switzerland, working exclusively in Raja Ampat, Indonesia.

The organisation is committed to providing quality education to children and adolescences living in the remote islands of West Papua to create better perspectives for their future. As a completely independent, but nationally accredited education institution, Child Aid Papua follows the official Indonesian curricula while, however, designing the programs in a way to increase environmental awareness with the goal to protect the breathtaking nature of Raja Ampat.

An advocate of early education, the Arcanys Early Learning Foundation is dedicated to empowering parents to become their child’s first teacher. Since 2012, the foundation has been helping Filipino families in poor Cebu City districts by giving free parent-child math coaching to children from 3 to 5 years old and their parents. This program grants the children a brighter future in academics, as well as in their personal and professional lives.

The project "Promotion of equal education after the covid 19 pandemic" enables to assist over 2500 children and 200 vulnerable families in Bharaptur, Nepal. Despite great progress, poverty is still widespread in Nepal. In addition, the country was hit hard by the corona pandemic. Many families lost their income during this time. Their children did not return to school after the end of the last lockdown because their parents could no longer afford the school materials or because the gaps in schooling had become too large. Child labour and early marriage of girls also increased again since the pandemic. The aim of the program is to ensure that all children in the program area have equal access to quality education. Furthermore, the schools should be able to respond to child protection cases as well as to future crises, such as earthquakes, riots, or pandemics.

Mudiro has been operating in northern Namibia since 2014, along the Kavango River, on the border with Angola. About 200'000 Kavango live here, consisting of subgroups. The regional capital Rundu is the second largest city in Namibia with about 90'000 inhabitants, behind Windhoek with about 410`000 inhabitants.

There are economically and medically well-developed areas in Namibia, such as Windhoek or Swakopmund, and there is the precarious health situation in the north. The overall status for Namibia in terms of development projects shows an extremely uneven picture. The economy in Namibia is strained in other ways, which is why the Namibian Ministry of Health and Social Affairs cannot provide the financially necessary means to employ enough medical personnel (doctors as well as health professionals) or to promote their further education, especially in the rural region in the north. Mudiro aims to close this gap.

In Mudiro's approach, the local village population and the ministries are strongly involved. The focus is on helping people to help themselves. The key to effective and sustainable engagement is being welcoming on complementary levels.

Another project of University of Cape Town is the African Paediatric Fellowship Programme (APFP), which aims to transform Africa's capacity for child health care by reducing its gap in human resources for paediatric health.

The University of Cape Town (UCT) does so by training and providing ongoing support to a growing continent-wide network of highly skilled, strategically selected paediatric clinician-leaders who are able to optimize paediatric health systems, shape policy and build an evidence base for paediatric care in low-resource settings.

Long-term strategic collaborations with tertiary teaching hospitals and universities across Africa are at the center of UCT's approach. These partnerships ensure that UCT does not just boost individuals, but rather build paediatric departments and professional associations.

The Project "Ready, set, go. Building sustainable school readiness Lao PDR" focuses on under 5-year-old that are excluded from Pre-Primary Education in the Districts Houayxai and Tonpheung of Laos. The project aims to improve primary student learning outcomes and on-time primary enrolment through enabling children to participate in high quality Summer Pre-Primary courses with appropriate parental support in a COVID-19 and WASH (improving Water, Sanitation and Hygiene at schools) responsible manner and supporting the progressive institutionalization of the Summer Pre-Primary courses model within the national and provincial education system.

TSiBA is a private, not-for-profit business school which serves approximately 500 students at two campuses. The students are disadvantaged South Africans who, for academic and financial reasons, are otherwise unable to access tertiary education. The aim is to enable talented school leavers from poor backgrounds to climb above the social circumstances in which they were raised and to graduate entrepreneurial leaders. The Green Leaves Education Foundation supports TSiBA by granting scholarships and living allowances for the students.

SONNE-International has been active in Bihar State, India, since2012. Bihar is the poorest state in India. Public and private schools do exist, but especially in rural regions, the parents are so poor that they are unable to pay the school fees and buy school uniforms and learning materials for their children. Without education, these children are usually condemned to a life of misery and squalor. With the support of the Green Leaves Education Foundation, SONNE-International is running a primary school in a remote village called Basadhi. In this village, SONNE-International provides free access to quality education for approximately 150 children(between 5 and 14 years old) who would otherwise have no possibility to go to a school. In order to improve the children’s general state of health, SONNE-International has started to install a system of mobile medical care for the students in this school. In order to combat sexual violence (which is deplorably widespread in India, particularly against women from lower castes), SONNE-International offers regular and free karate courses to the female students in this school.

Smiling Gecko is a Swiss-Cambodian NGO with a sustainable, holistic approach that focuses on imparting knowledge to children and adults in rural Cambodia. The Smiling Gecko Campus, founded in 2014, is located approximately 60 kilometers northeast of the capital Phnom Penh in the Kampong Chhnang province. Around 30,000 people live in the immediate vicinity of the campus, most of whom are supported or sponsored by Smiling Gecko. The central element of the Smiling Gecko commitment is their school and the kindergarten, which opened in 2017. The project started with around 140 children, and today over 500 schoolchildren are part of it. The students benefit from bilingual teaching from kindergarten onwards. In addition to their education, Smiling Gecko cares for them with a comprehensive nutrition, hygiene, and medical program. Thanks to the support of Green Leaves Education Foundation, Smiling Gecko can continue expanding the school, welcoming 60 new children each year and offering them a better future through education. This enables them to lead independent lives and contribute to the development of their country.

El Salvador is struggling with a severely deficient education system. Teachers are often insufficiently trained in subject matter and didactics and are overburdened with the large and heterogeneous classes. As a result, young people are often barely able to read, write or do math after completing elementary school. In the program for educational innovation, Consciente improves the quality of education in public schools with creative and science-based ideas. This includes providing school children with additional and effective learning environments. Further, the organization trains teachers professionally and didactically to achieve long-term development of teaching in public schools.

Future prospects thanks to vocational training: Secured income for marginalised young adults

Many young adults in the poor districts of Bogotá have fled the civil war from rural areas and are trying to build a new life in the city. However, they lack training, a network and the right behaviour when it comes to job applications. As a result, the unemployment rate of young refugees is 58%. Frustrated, some are susceptible to the promises of criminal gangs or struggle along as poorly paid day labourers.

The projects provides 722 internally displaced and marginalised young adults with formal vocational training. After graduation, the projects supports them in finding a formal job with guaranteed minimum wage and social benefits and accompany them for the first few months in their new job. Parallel to their vocational training, their social and conflict resolution skills are also strengthened.