How ARCD Helps Children Access Education in Africa
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In Ghana's Kumbungu District, Hikmatu Issahaku is raising her daughter alone after her husband passed away. What she is asking for is simple: help keeping her daughter in school , and a steadier livelihood so she can pay for it herself later. Nothing about her daughter's school has changed. What changed is whether the family can afford to keep her there.
That is the kind of problem Africa Relief and Community Development (ARCD) works on across Africa. Its education program builds classrooms, but much of the work is about the costs and disruptions that push children out of school once they are in. Here is how ARCD removes those practical barriers, and where donor support fits in.
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Why Children in Africa Miss Out on School
Sub-Saharan Africa now accounts for half of the world's out-of-school children of primary and lower secondary school age, according to UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring Report. ARCD's own assessment is that the problem is access. Many communities have too few schools, existing classrooms are overcrowded or in poor repair, and the everyday cost of attendance puts school out of reach for families on low incomes.
>> Related Post: ARCD Distributes Back-to-School Kits to 250 Orphans in Ghana
Four Ways ARCD Supports Access to Education
ARCD's work is focused on Africa and run through six regional offices on the continent, with field teams made up of African professionals working in their own communities. That keeps decisions about who needs help, and what kind, close to the families involved. Its education work falls into four parts.
1. Building and Repairing Schools
ARCD builds new schools where needed and renovates existing schools that have fallen into disrepair.
2. Learning Spaces in Rural Villages
In rural areas without a formal school, ARCD builds Masajids that also serve as centers for literacy, Quranic education and community gatherings.
3. Scholarships
ARCD's scholarships cover school fees, uniforms, exams and transport, the costs that decide whether many children enroll at all. UNESCO's 2026 GEM Report found that children receiving cash transfers tied to school attendance are 36% more likely to be enrolled, a sign of how much cost alone shapes who goes to school.
4. School Supplies
ARCD also gives school bags, books and stationery directly to students and schools. It is the smallest barrier on this list, and one of the quickest for a donor to remove.
ARCD's education work is therefore broader than school construction. It combines infrastructure with financial support, basic learning materials and related community services that can affect whether children are able to attend and continue their education.
>> Related Post: How to Help Orphans in Africa & Give Vulnerable Children a Better Future
Keeping Children in School Beyond the Classroom
Some barriers sit outside the school entirely. On its education page, ARCD shares the story of Amina, a mother in southern Chad whose children's schooling suffered while she walked four kilometers a day to collect water. After ARCD built a solar well near her home, her daughters now attend school. ARCD's WASH program and food and nutrition program work on these barriers alongside its education program.
For a child who loses a parent, school is often the next thing at risk. ARCD supports guardian families so orphaned children can stay with relatives and keep learning, and its orphan sponsorship program offers ongoing support for individual children. ARCD says its local teams identify the vulnerable children and guardian families who receive this help.
Support ARCD's Education Work in Africa
ARCD is a US based nonprofit founded in New Jersey in 2019, with programs in water, health, education, food and nutrition, empowerment and orphan sponsorship. Education is one part of a wider effort to help communities meet their own needs and shape their own futures. ARCD holds Candid's Platinum Seal of Transparency and publishes its 2025 Form 990 on its website.
>> Give to ARCD's education appeal and help children in Africa stay in class.
FAQs
1. Is my donation to ARCD tax-deductible?
ARCD is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit with EIN 46-2568671, and donations may be tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. U.S. donors should keep their receipts and check their own situation with a tax professional.
2. What does a donation to ARCD's education appeal support?
The appeal funds education assistance, school supplies, orphan care and support for guardian families. Larger gifts, such as the $500 level, help sustain education and care for vulnerable students in an ARCD school.
3. Does ARCD support children through their later years of school?
Yes. ARCD describes its scholarships as support intended to keep children in education over the long term, not just for one term or one year.
4. Why does ARCD prioritize girls and children with disabilities?
Girls may be among the first children to lose access to school when families cannot afford education, while children with disabilities can face additional barriers to enrollment.
5. How can I see the impact of my gift?
ARCD posts stories and updates from the communities it serves on its blog, including progress on its projects. Following those updates is the simplest way to see renovations finish and new centers open.
