Send My Friend to School 08

World leaders have promised that all children will have a primary education by 2015, but with only 7 years to go there are still 72 million children who miss out on education completely.

Send My Friend to School 08 is asking politicians and decision makers to speed up their efforts to ensure that all children get the chance to go to school.

The World’s Biggest Lesson on Wednesday 23rd April is our 2008 launch action. Children in 120 countries worldwide will be taking part and you can join them.

Our main action is the ‘Missing Out’ challenge. Get all UK MPs involved by sending them a ‘missing out’ card and asking them to pledge their support. Each card symbolises one of the millions of children who have never had the chance to go to school.

Sign up now! You can order FREE school resources, including a set of 60 action cards for pupils, stickers, a special MPs ‘missing out’ card, and a campaign DVD.

Send My Friend 08 is organised by the Global Campaign for Education in the UK. Find out more at www.sendmyfriend.org

Sofia case study:

I am Sofia from Tanzania, I am 13 years old and one of seven in my family.

I used to spend my days herding cattle and goats for my father but most of them died because of the drought. Right now my father is very sick and they have taken him to a distant hospital for treatment – I wish I could do something to help him.

These days, I help my mother selling fruits at market as well as doing my chores at home. And when my mother gets sick, I have to go to the market alone as we need that money to buy food and other necessities.

I would really like to go to school one day and be like the other girls in their school uniforms. I know if I go to school, one day I will be able to help my family as I will get a good job that pays well.

Images Credited to Pete Murimi/ActionAid