Cuts in International Aid: Why our work is more important than ever

When David Cameron was prime minister, his government committed to spending 0.7% of national income on international aid1. That was in a time of austerity. Today’s government, in response to Covid, will cut this to 0.5%1. It means a loss of 4 billion pounds spending on overseas aid this year1. This is devastating to projects all over the world, and will compound the problems we have in the world. No other government has decided to do this, only the UK. It means just over 100,000 people (mainly children) will die. Deaths which would have been prevented with the UK aid promised by David Cameron.1.


The devastating effects due to the cuts in international aid mean that the work of small charities, like ours, working at grassroots level, is more important and vital than ever. 


Why we exist

Over 258 million children and youth are not attending school2. Over 59 million are of primary school age, so they may never learn to read and write, and over 200 million are of secondary age3 so they may never acquire basic humanistic, artistic, financial, scientific and technological knowledge, or access the skilled labour market. Without a basic education and knowledge of their human rights, these children are subject to labour abuse, and frequently physical, sexual, psychological and emotional abuse.

 

Many of these children are in developing countries and will remain in poverty without education to help them change their circumstances. Lack of education causes poverty and slow economic and technological development. Education boosts economic growth enabling stability and independence, and allows for better environmental management. This positively effects the global market, the global community, culture and the global environment.


We are working to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 - ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. We believe that this goal underpins all the other sustainable development goals. Our work directly protects and upholds human rights and sustainable life on this planet.

 

We exist to reach this goal. We hope one day that we won’t have to exist anymore.


3 opportunities to create change

We can see three key areas which can be effective in tackling the problem of making equitable education accessible for all.



1. Access to education

 

The problems that children have in accessing education are diverse and vary from place to place. Every country, every district, every school and every child will have their own unique collection of challenges. The solutions found need to be as varied as the problems faced. By working in partnership with Teachers’ Unions and educators in various countries, we have developed projects that aim to resolve specific issues that children are facing in  order to access education.


Our projects are in line with SDG Target 4.5 - Eliminate all Discrimination in Education. Inclusion and equity

and gender equality are the focus of these projects. They also support Target 4.6 - Universal Literacy and Numeracy by enabling children to access education.


Educating women is essential for giving them control over their reproduction1, which affects their earning ability and has a big impact on the world population. There are many reasons why women are not able to access education. We work closely with organisations, education unions, teachers and educators in country to develop tailored solutions that will address the challenges that prevent women and girls accessing education.


Our Positive Periods Program teaches girls, women, men and teachers to make sanitary pads from local materials: it raises awareness of menstrual health, so girls can go to school and stay in school during their periods. Our work has impacted over 100,000 women and girls in Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Cuba so far. In some areas 1 in 3 women have experienced physical or sexual violence. Our Gender Based Violence workshops create discussion, raise awareness and generate action plans so girls can be safe in school.


We help children get to school, by providing bicycles. In response to accessing education during Covid, we provided solar radios. We work on projects that resolve the problem of access to technology and internet so children can be given better learning opportunities. Our projects are tailored to specific challenges, and we have charity gifts to allow people to donate to their favourite cause, CLICK HERE to find them and for more information.



2. Resources for Educators

 

Teachers are the key to achieving all of the SDG 4 targets, and they need to be empowered, motivated, professionally qualified, and supported with resources. We work in partnership with Education Unions in various countries to develop projects that support teachers and educators through training programmes, knowledge exchange, learning and development, building learning resource centres, and collaborating to develop new resources.


These projects are in line with SDG Target 4.c - Increase the Supply of Qualified Teachers in Developing Countries through training, development and resources.  They also support Target 4.6 - Universal Literacy and Numeracy by providing ‘mother tongue’ literacy resources. Target 4.7 - Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship is supported in our Life Long Learning Webinars in which we have explored sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and nonviolence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity.


We have developed teacher training programs in Nepal, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Colombia, Haiti and Cambodia and Learning Resource Centres in Haiti, Nepal and The Gambia. We work with UNESCO ASPnet exchanging knowledge, materials and good practice in education. Our Life Long Learning Webinar series is helping to develop educators across the globe. So small charities like us have a huge impact and create a wave of change. Donating directly to us allows us to develop more resources for educators, some of our resources can be found here.



3. Education Dialogue

 

Underpinning all the work we do is listening and promoting discussion and dialogue. This allows communities and educators to find their own solutions to the challenges they face, and gives them the support and connections to people who can help. Sharing stories, through listening and discussion, drawing, reading and writing, making and watching films, enables people to connect, empathise and breakdown barriers.


This underpins Target 4.7 - Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship by offering the evidence for how people miss out on education, and what happens to their opportunities, human rights, gender equality, sustainable development and health. It supports SDG Target 4.1 - Free Primary and Secondary Education through appreciating the life changing importance of education in people’s lives. Target 4.5 - Eliminate all discrimination in Education by highlighting the discrimination faced by many. Promoting dialogue inspires people to support all the targets for SDG4.

 

Our popular ENGAGE magazine provides a forum for people to share ideas on what needs to be done, and reflects on progress so far on the SDG 4 goals. Starting the discussion at an early age is important and we promote ‘Education For All’ discussions in schools and community groups. Story-telling, collecting and sharing stories, to foster inclusion and understanding between people and cultures and promote dialogue is essential to us reaching our goals. As are film screenings and interviews to promote understanding and discussion about the challenges to accessing education.


Let’s create change together


The government have cut overseas aid and consequently people will suffer. However, hope is not lost.  

 

We believe that  lives can be transformed through education.  If you do too then join with us to help make QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL become a reality.


Donate Now




1. https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2021/may/13/why-is-the-uk-slashing-its-international-aid-budget-podcast

2. According to UIS data for the school year ending in 2018.

3. 59 million children of primary school age, 62 million of lower secondary school age and 138 million of upper secondary age.


Steve Sinnott • May 19, 2021

Local Heroes: Listening to Young Voices

By Ann Beatty • July 23, 2026
Something is energising about spending time with people who genuinely care about children and young people. That was my experience at this year’s Children’s Media Conference in Sheffield. I had the privilege of joining the Local Heroes panel, sharing the story of Seeds of Hope for a Better Future - a partnership between UNESCO ASPnet UK and partners across the U.K and globally. Seeds of Hope has connected partners through collaboration on projects and has grown in the past year. One of the projects highlighted was the Lights Camera Score programme in schools, which is now working on an exciting project with Calderdale Council and the English Chamber Orchestra, which will showcase this August at Shibden House. As we enter the second year of the competition, it was encouraging to discover how much interest there is from writers, producers, educators and creatives who are asking the same question: How can we help young people imagine and create a better future? What struck me most throughout the conference was the intention behind the conversations. Rather than assuming what young people need, there was a genuine desire to listen, understand and create media that reflects their lives, their challenges and their aspirations. One of the most thought-provoking sessions gave the microphone to young people themselves. They were asked about the proposed social media ban for under-16s, and their responses were refreshingly honest. Their message was clear: they believed the ban would be difficult to enforce because young people would inevitably find ways around it. Instead of excluding them from digital spaces, they argued that our focus should be on making those spaces safer and on helping young people develop the skills they need to navigate an increasingly digital world. One comment in particular stayed with me. A young panellist admitted, “Yes, it’s true I spend too much time on social media but so do all of you adults in the room.” The audience responded with warm applause. It was a reminder that young people notice the contradictions in the messages they receive, and that meaningful dialogue begins with honesty rather than judgement. That session reinforced something I have long believed: if we are serious about shaping the future, we must involve the people who will inherit it. Too often, decisions are made about young people rather than with them. Yet when we create opportunities for them to share their ideas, they offer thoughtful, creative and practical perspectives that deserve to be heard. That spirit resonates deeply with the values behind Seeds of Hope for a Better Future. The competition is built on a simple but powerful belief: when children and young people are allowed to express their ideas through creativity, they do more than imagine change; they begin to shape it. Over the past two years we have seen young people respond with imagination, compassion and practical solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. Their artwork, writing, films and performances remind us that hope is not passive; it is something we nurture through creativity, collaboration and action. I left Sheffield feeling optimistic. Not because all the answers exist, but because I met so many talented people committed to listening to young voices and working alongside them. The enthusiasm shown for Seeds of Hope for a Better Future affirmed that there is a growing movement of educators, creatives and media professionals who believe children and young people should not only be represented in stories but also help shape them. Perhaps that is what being a local hero is really about. It is not about having all the answers. It is about creating the conditions for others to flourish, listening with curiosity and planting seeds of hope that will continue to grow long after the conversation has ended. You can follow the journeys below: https://www.stageatthelake.co.uk/seeds-of-hope https://threestonesmedia.co.uk/blog/portfolio-item/lights-camera-score/ Entries for Seeds of Hope for a Better Future for 2026 have closed, and we will be back again next year: https://unesco.org.uk/ For inspiration, you might like to have a look at the 2025 Winners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bb8PJS5j7k Ann Beatty UNESCO ASPnet Coordinator UK CEO, The Steve Sinnott Foundation Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/roo-walker/over-the-horizon License code: ZFK6D180PHNWXSYQ

Report on the GTU/Steve Sinnott Foundation Community Sensitisation on School related Gender Based Violence - June 2026

By Marie Antoinette Corr • June 10, 2026
1. Background and Rationale In The Gambia, school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) remains a serious barrier to education. Girls are most at risk, though boys can be targeted too and human rights organisations increasingly recognise poverty itself as a form of structural gender-based violence. Period poverty - the lack of access to menstrual products, education, and sanitation sits at the heart of this problem. Without safe facilities or affordable pads, many women and girls are pushed into transactional sex just to manage their periods, exposing them to serious risk of physical and sexual assault. Even without that direct danger, period poverty quietly excludes girls from school and public life: missing class due to a lack of pads or poor toilet facilities fuels absenteeism, dropout, low self-esteem, and often early marriage, deepening cycles of poverty. This is a global crisis hiding in plain sight. An estimated 500 million of the 800 million people who menstruate worldwide struggle to afford period products, and nearly 1 in 4 students faces the same barrier. A burden that falls hardest on the already marginalised. In The Gambia, girls who can't afford sanitary pads often face poor academic performance, truancy, and lasting health and psychological effects. A lack of education around menstruation breeds stigma around something entirely normal and healthy. That's why community sensitisation is so critical. Breaking the taboo helps reframe menstrual products as necessities, not luxuries, and gives women and girls the tools to manage their health with dignity, including safe alternatives like reusable pads where commercial products aren't accessible. Training women to sew their own reusable pads goes further still, building not just access but autonomy and confidence. With GBV cases rising in both schools and communities, the need for coordinated action has never been more urgent. Tackling SRGBV and period poverty specifically isn't the job of one institution alone; it requires educators, communities, and stakeholders working together toward one goal: menstrual dignity and bodily autonomy for every woman and girl. In response, the Gambia Teachers Union, with funding from the Steve Sinnott Foundation, held three community sensitisation sessions on SRGBV and period poverty from 5–7 June 2026. Sessions included demonstrations on making reusable sanitary pads and distributed materials for step-down training in schools and communities. A total of 312 participants, including school mothers' clubs, community and religious leaders, and traditional communicators, attended across three venues: Farafenni Community Centre, Brikamaba Senior Secondary School Hall, and the Regional Education Directorate 4 (Mansakonko) Conference Hall. 2. Objectives Sensitise stakeholders on SRGBV and its impact on girls Offer a durable alternative to costly disposables, easing pressure on family budgets Improve hygiene and health to prevent infection Build community skills to make affordable, sustainable products like reusable pads Promote safe, inclusive school environments Break stigma through community-wide education Establish safe, confidential reporting pathways beyond traditional barriers Challenge harmful norms, victim-blaming, and cultures of silence Unite Mothers' Clubs and female teachers, leveraging their social and structural influence Build peer support networks with access to trusted adults for emotional support Expand access to menstrual products and champion menstrual equity The sensitisation was on Promote safe menstrual practices to prevent infections from unhygienic alternatives (rags, tissue, leaves, etc.) Teach private, hygienic methods for changing, washing, and drying Train girls and women to produce eco-friendly reusable pads from local materials Establish community-led pad banks and income-generating sewing groups for women Address the reality that girls miss 5 school days a month due to lack of pads or fear of leakage and bullying Level the academic playing field by reducing dropout gaps between boys and girls Shift community narratives to remove taboos and myths around menstruation Engage boys and men to build empathy and normalise periods as a shared, natural issue, not a "women's burden" The sessions were highly participatory, allowing teachers to share experiences, raise concerns, and explore context-specific solutions. Training on period poverty alleviation is critical because it empowers communities, breaks dangerous taboos, and tackles the economic, health and educational barriers associated with menstruation. By building local capacity, it creates sustainable long-term solutions. Participants were happy about the training and committed to conducting step-down trainings for other Mothers' Clubs and adolescent girls in their schools. Participants were given sets of materials to start with. The pads will help girls have a reliable and sustainable solution to their menstrual worries, hence enabling them to avoid infections, exploitation, shame, low self-esteem, stress, and they will remain in school Materials for Distribution

In Harmony With Peace Concert

By Ann Beatty • June 1, 2026
On Friday evening ( 29 May, 7.00 pm The Actors Church Covent Garden) we had the pleasure of listening to this very special concert, bringing together the Choir of King's College London and the Princeton High School Orchestra in a celebration of international friendship, collaboration, and shared values. This project reflects a commitment to peace, sustainability, equality, and cultural exchange, uniting young musicians from the United Kingdom and the United States through the universal language of music.