WU renews commitment to education with WU Foundation
COLORADO, September 29, 2015
The Western Union Company and the Western Union Foundation have renewed their commitment to global education at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting (CGI).
Hikmet Ersek, chief executive officer of Western Union,laid out an agenda for the next phase of the Education for Better initiative, which leverages Western Union services, advocacy, cause marketing, philanthropic investments and employee engagement to support education programs worldwide.
In remarks given at the CGI Annual Meeting, Ersek outlined the global initiative goals over the next five years.
It included to train 50,000 women and youth with job skills that prepare them for 21st century careers; to serve more than 500 universities with education-related products; and to support research to broaden global understanding of education challenges and solutions.
Furthering Western Union network as a powerful driver of inclusion, the next phase of Education for Better will focus on helping provide educational opportunities for migrants and refugees, girls and women, he said.
“Western Union helps people move the money that funds their dreams, and we believe that moving money for education can improve lives around the world,” said Ersek.
“We are proud of the progress made to-date through the Education for Better initiative, but much work remains to be done. This is why we renew our pledge to continue using our resources to help create economic opportunities through education worldwide," he said.
The second phase of the initiative, announced today (September 29), builds upon the significant success of the initiative’s first three years of operation.
Patrick Gaston, Western Union Foundation president, said: “The need for education is at the root of so many societal challenges we face today—including poverty, homelessness, human trafficking, and the need for better healthcare.
"We are grateful to our partners, our employee volunteers, and all those who made Education for Better a success in its first three years, and we look forward to even greater progress in the years ahead.”
According to the United Nations, every additional year of schooling can increase an individual’s annual income by up to 10 per cent.
If all students in low income countries left school with basic reading skills, it is estimated that 171 million people could be lifted out of poverty. - TradeArabia News Service
