EUROPE/SPAIN - A hundred million children have no access to basic education: for 20 years education has been a tool of social change for Salesian NGO Youth for the Third World JTM

Madrid (Agenzia Fides) - With the slogan "You think things in the world can change, we know they can", and as part of a new campaign "Education, tool for social change", the Salesian NGO “Youth Third World” (JTM) in Madrid presented its campaign to increase awareness that that over one hundred million children have no access to basic education.
The campaign intends to help people realise that “education is the most effective means of overcoming poverty and helping people and nations play a leading role in their development". The campaign is based on a study undertaken with the Salesian Technical University (UPS) in Quito (Ecuador) from which it emerged that 900 million adults in the world are unable to read or write or use a computer because they never went to school. The study says "basic education for boys and girls lowers the level of poverty and over population, supplying them with the basic tools for personal and community intellectual development. Whereas lack of access to training implicates deep negative consequences, even a threat to life for women and children.
To promote education for as many people as possible JTM runs 80 programmes of cooperation in 25 countries in various parts of the world. The programmes promote training for young people to enable them to find work; basic schooling for boys and girls; building schools train teachers, improve the living conditions of street children. JTM, is celebrating 20 years of service to bring education to the poorest people of Africa, Asia and Latin America. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 10/12/2007; righe 24, parole 331)