Expanding Access to Education in Africa Through Back-to-School Support

October 2025

Spotlight

📅 Date: October 8, 2025

📍 Location: Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

On October 8, 2025, the Kia Yusuf Foundation delivered back-to-school educational support to 195 students from economically vulnerable households in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, ensuring children could begin the academic year equipped with the materials required for classroom learning.

The distribution took place at École Primaire Angré in the Cocody district. The school served as a centralized hub, allowing families to travel from multiple parts of Greater Abidjan to access support in a single, organized location.

Children and parents arrived from several communes and neighborhoods across the city, including Adjamé, Abobo, Koumassi, and surrounding lower-income areas where families often face significant financial barriers at the start of the school year.

Students supported through the initiative represented the full primary education cycle from CP1 to CM2, equivalent to 1st through 6th grade. School kits were prepared to be grade-appropriate, allowing students to enter the classroom with materials aligned to daily academic requirements.

Each student received a complete back-to-school kit containing:

Durable backpack
Notebooks and exercise books
Writing paper and practice materials
Reading and learning books used for classroom work
Pencils and pens
Erasers and sharpeners
Rulers and basic geometry tools
Colored pencils and drawing supplies

In addition to school supplies, students also received shoes, addressing a practical barrier that frequently affects school attendance and daily participation.

The backpacks enabled students to organize, transport, and protect their materials throughout the school year. The shoes ensured children could attend school properly equipped for everyday routines.

For many families, this support determined whether a child could begin the school year with what teachers require from the first day.

I was not sure my daughter would be able to start school this year. I could not afford the books, the backpack, or shoes. Receiving this support changed everything. Now my daughter can go to school like the other children.

- Mother

Mother accompanying her daughter to the distribution

In many urban communities across Africa, the cost of basic school supplies places immediate strain on households. When children begin the academic year without notebooks, writing tools, backpacks, books, or appropriate footwear, their ability to participate fully in class is compromised from the outset. This initiative addressed those barriers directly by providing students with the materials required for daily learning.