RISE International NFP

RISE builds primary schools in rural Angola to educate children, empower communities and contribute to the rebuilding of the country. Every child has the right to education. Education elevates individuals, communities, and countries - it is at the heart of change. RISE works to give children the chance to go to school in areas where accessibility is limited or non-existent, targeting vulnerable and marginalized children. Since 2003, RISE has built 191 schools, giving over 137,000 children access to education each year. The journey of RISE has been amazing; ultimately the story of people working together to do something, to make a difference in the lives of others. 

We are applying for the Prize because our story and organization fit, the financial support would give over 850 children access to education each year, and we are in a position to embrace, leverage, and benefit from your strategic marketing, media expertise, mentorship, and network to help us build a broader platform. Our goal is to provide access to education where there is none, to as many Angolan children as possible, and we would be deeply grateful for greater exposure, amplification of our work, and multiplication of the impact!

My name is Lynn Cole and I'm the Executive Director of RISE International. In 1998, I first traveled with my late husband Andrew to Angola, the place he was born and raised, to celebrate our 25th anniversary. I'd never been outside of the US, never to a developing, war-torn country, never to a place that gripped me like Angola. Stirred by the suffering, the injustice, the overwhelming need... we wanted to do something. We led teams to be involved in refugee camps in Namibia and Zambia, and co-founded the African Refugee Committee, now RISE. When the war ended in 2002, RISE focused on giving Angolan children access to education, by building primary schools. 

Angola is a place where we can continue to make a difference, where we have relationships, history, a proven track record and results. I am inspired by all that can change with education - it is a right, critical to development as individuals and within communities, it paves the way to a better future, and a ripple effect is created impacting generations to come. Building schools is a crucial starting point, giving children access to education - we have the unique opportunity to make that a reality. 

Angola endured a war for independence and a brutal 27-year civil war which left its cities, buildings, and infrastructure decimated; its people displaced and suffering, without healthcare, clean water, and education. An entire generation grew up unable to read and write. Angola is ranked 148th of 189 countries on the UN Human Development Index (2020). The population has more than doubled since the end of the war, currently about 32 million, nearly half under 14 years of age. The World Bank reported 51.8% of Angolans live on less than $2 a day, subsisting in urban slums or remote rural areas. The pandemic has amplified the harsh inequities and economic crisis. 

It is estimated that over 2 million primary-age children have no opportunity for education... for them, there is no classroom, no teacher, no curriculum, no learning. UNICEF and the World Bank identify a lack of infrastructure as a major factor contributing to Angola’s learning crisis. RISE builds quality structures to educate children, centrally located within the community, with gender-specific toilets and access to clean water, creating inclusive and equitable places of protection and safety, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

RISE has worked with passion and perseverance to give children access to education since 2003. Much of our success stems from the fact that RISE delegates decision-making and authority to RISE Angola, our implementing partner. The approach is one of mutuality, a reliance on local leadership, wisdom and insight. School sites are identified in collaboration with the local government and Ministry of Education (MOE) – they provide desks, chalkboards, textbooks, set the curriculum, and hire the teachers. The local community participates, establishing a sense of ownership, commitment to the process and the education of their children. The schools are turned over to the community and MOE upon completion and belong to them – they are responsible for ongoing oversight and maintenance, empowered to carry the process forward.

RISE measures results, quantifying our work and impact. We have implemented a substantial Monitoring and Evaluation component to collect, track, analyze, and assess both student and school data; we continue to build and expand our database. RISE has a solid reputation, established network, relationships, track record, and experience in a very challenging place. Over 137,000 children, who had no access to education, now have the chance to go to school every year!

We believe education is the most powerful and effective way to create sustainable change for children, families, communities, and countries. Mr. Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General states, "If we do not make an investment in education, everything else will fail. There is no better definition of sustainable development and no better pathway to realize this ambition than by educating every child." 

Education is a proven, key driver of social and economic growth and well-being. RISE builds primary schools, providing critical infrastructure, and therefore access to education, clean water for the community with the drilling of a well, and economic stimulus through job creation. The World Bank recognizes a lack of schools, inadequate infrastructure, and unsafe environments as major barriers to education, particularly for girls. In order to address those barriers, UNICEF’s 2015 “Situation Analysis: Children and Women in Angola” recommends accelerating investment in school construction with particular attention to access in rural areas and reduction of geographic disparities, safety and sanitation standards, and provision of WASH facilities. RISE has been building schools as a direct intervention with a solid and tested methodology, strong implementation capacity in the education sector, and the ability to reach thousands of children.