LONDON, APRIL 16, 2019 (CISA)-Brother Peter Tabichi, winner of the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Price 2019, has been appointed Champion for Children in Conflicts and Crisis for ‘Education Cannot Wait’, the global fund for education in crisis.
Brother Tabichi will champion the cause of about 75 million children whose education is disrupted by conflicts and natural disasters and it is hoped that his inspiring story and powerful voice will help raise the urgency on the world stage to invest in the future of children in crisis.
“To tackle the education crisis, most severe in those places plagued by conflict and natural disaster, it is vital that we learn from teachers like Peter Tabichi, who are working on the front line to give young people born into the most challenging circumstances the skills they need to face the future with confidence,” said Vikas Pota, Chairman of the Varkey Foundation.
Brother Tabichi who accepted the appointed will join actors Will Smith and Rachel Brosnahan who are advocates for Education Cannot Wait’s cause.
“The students I teach see true hardships every day, from poverty to drought and hunger. But I also see in them raw talent and great creativity, hard work, a determination to defy the odds, and be the best they can be. Every child, everywhere in the world deserves the chance to fulfill their full potential,” Brother Tabichi said.
“It is heart-breaking to know that 75 million children around the world see their educational chances disrupted by conflict and natural disasters. “Education Cannot Wait” is doing vital work to make sure these children are not left behind. It will be my great honour to help them ensure children whose lives have been blighted by war and catastrophe are given their birth right; a decent education,” he added.
Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the UN Special Envoy for Global Education and Chair of Education Cannot Wait’s High-Level Steering Group described Tabichi as an inspiration to all involved in teaching and learning, and is looking forward to working with him.
“It gives me great pleasure to work together with like-minded people such as Peter Tabichi to ensure that nobody is left behind in achieving our goal of universal and equitable education,” Gordon Brown said.
