Imagine if being able to go to school seemed like an impossible dream. That's how it is for more than 125 million kids around the world. In many poor countries, children are denied the basic right to an education.
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan believes that the lack of education is the biggest barrier to improving life for people in poor nations. The U.N. and other organizations are working to break down this barrier. "We want to eliminate poverty by educating people," says Khadijah Fancy of NetAid, a group that is committed to helping every child in the world get an education. For so many kids who don't get to go to school, the solutions are very simple.
GHANA
Yakubu is 14 years old and only in the fourth grade. But she is not embarrassed about it at all. She is just thankful to be back in school. Years ago, she was forced to drop out of primary school when her parents were too poor to take care of her.
"My older brother took me to live with his family in the city," she explains. "I thought he would send me to school, but instead I had to work in a snack bar because he had to save the money. I cried every day."
There are thousands of girls like Yakubu in the poor region of northern Ghana where she lives. They are denied the right to go to school. With the help of Campaign for Female Education (CamFed), they are now getting a chance to learn.
Ann Cotton, director of CamFed, says poverty is the main reason why many girls are not in school in Ghana. Poor families don't have enough money to send all their kids to school. "Since boys are much more likely to get work when they are older, they are the ones who get to go to school," says Cotton.
CamFed's Mariama Mohammed works with villagers and urges them to send their daughters to school. "Parents do want all their kids in school; they just can't afford it," explains Mohammed.
The solution is simple. It only costs $45 a year per student to go to school. This pays for school uniforms, books and other supplies. "We provide the money and guarantee we will pay for everything all the way until they finish high school," says Cotton.
CamFed is supported by donations from big companies. Its program has been very successful; 98% of the girls helped by CamFed finish high school. "People in the villages are starting to realize that if women are educated, the entire community benefits," says Mohammed.
PERU
In the capital city of lima, 23% of kids drop out of school before the fifth grade. Poor children lose interest in school and drop out because they can't pass basic reading tests. "Their parents are illiterate migrant workers, so they can't help their kids," says Gary Stahl of NetAid. Schools do not have enough teachers to give kids the individual help they need.
NetAid has created a program with UNICEF called Two for One, which provides a supportive environment for needy kids. Local high school students are paired with elementary school kids. Every weekend the teens meet with the kids and play games that make reading and writing fun. Seven out of every eight kids who are in the program pass their reading tests.
Katrin Perez, 8, loves her high school tutors. "I learn more with them because I feel like somebody cares."
INDIA
Almost half of all children in the rural state of Tamil Nadu do not go to school. That is because schools are located too far away and classes are not taught in the local language. Since parents haven't been educated, they don't realize the importance of setting up local schools. Instead children go to work alongside parents to help support their poor families.
NetAid has been helping the Center for Social Reconstruction, a local charity, establish schools in villages. They hire teachers from the community who speak the local language. This gave Thangakumari, 11, an alternative to her job. "I used to work for wages carrying people's bags," she says. "Now I get to play with the kids in school."
But Thangakumari knows school isn't all play. Being in school will make life better for her and her family. "I want to provide comfort for my parents," she says. Like many children around the world, she dreams of becoming a doctor or lawyer one day.