Saving children's learning

Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised over £11 million for Save the Children – an incredible amount that helps support children to reach their full potential. Save the Children works to ensure that all children have quality opportunities to learn, no matter where they’re growing up.

Save the Children works in almost 120 countries around the world. They support early learning and help to build communities that better support children’s education and development. They make sure children can keep learning through emergencies, especially those that don’t make the headlines. They help families recover from disasters and conflict, set up safe spaces for children to learn, and provide school supplies for those who have their education disrupted.

During the pandemic, they helped over 3.4 million children to keep learning from home – from rural communities in Ethiopia to refugees in Syria – and are calling for all children to return to school safely. They campaign for children to get the education they deserve and push for governments and donors to invest in education and keep schools safe for everyone.

One child who is going to great lengths to get to school is Tenneh*, a 13-year-old determined to get a good education. She lives in a remote village by a river in Sierra Leone, and her journey to school isn’t a typical one. She starts the day by crossing the river in her canoe, no matter what the weather brings.

"When I am sitting in my boat on the way to school and the wind is blowing, I park the boat and wait for the wind to stop. Then I jump back into my boat quickly so I can get to school early," says Tenneh.

Her village is only accessible by boat. The river is a way of life for families, from washing clothes in the water to catching fish to eat.

"I want to be educated and help my parents," Tenneh says. She wants to be a nurse, thanks to her hard work and supportive teacher. "When the teacher gives us homework and we submit it, he corrects us nicely. He takes good care of us."

Now Tenneh’s school stands out, with students achieving above the national average in their exams.

Save the Children is working with schools in Sierra Leone so children can continue to learn and play. They’re providing uniforms, books, desks and also running teacher training programmes to make sure that girls like Tenneh can stay in school and reach their potential.

*Not her real name