The education crisis in Africa is urgent and growing. UNESCO data show that sub-Saharan Africa leads the world in educational exclusion: over one-fifth of children aged 6–11 are out of school and nearly one-third of 12–14-year-olds are not attending school. In total, roughly 98 million African children and youth are out of school, with Nigeria alone accounting for about 20 million. This dire situation translates into massive learning poverty – nearly 9 in 10 African children cannot read a simple text by age 10. These figures represent real children – such as those pictured above – being denied the education they deserve. Without urgent action from governments and nonprofits, the education gap will only widen as Africa’s population grows.

Countries in Crisis

Across Africa, a few countries bear a disproportionate share of the education gap. Nigeria – the continent’s most populous nation – has the highest number of out-of-school children, with UNESCO estimating roughly 20 million in Nigeria alone. Millions of Nigerian children lack basic schooling; for example, Save the Children notes that about 3 million children are out of school in conflict-affected Borno state, and recent flooding in 2024 added another 2.2 million children to the out-of-school count. Ethiopia faces a silent crisis: prolonged conflict in regions like Tigray, plus climate-related drought and floods, have led to an estimated 9 million Ethiopian children being out of school by late 2024. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is similarly afflicted. Years of armed conflict and instability mean that roughly 1.4 million Congolese children have been shut out of schooling due to “multifaceted crises” – unesco.org. Smaller countries are equally hard-hit: for instance, South Sudan has one of the world’s highest out-of-school rates. A UNESCO study found about 2.2 million South Sudanese children – over half of the primary-age population – are not in school, and girls fare far worse (only ~1.3% of 16-year-olds are girls in secondary school). Even in Somalia and parts of the Sahel, political instability and poverty keep ~85% of children out of school.

The situation is being aggravated by climate shocks. In 2024 massive flooding in West and Central Africa forced millions from their homes and schools. Save the Children reports that about 10 million children in Nigeria, Mali, Niger and DRC were temporarily displaced or kept out of class by record floods. These environmental disasters destroyed school buildings and washed away books. Crucially, those 10 million are on top of the tens of millions already excluded by poverty and conflict – for example, over 36 million children were already out of school in those countries before the floods (including 20 million in Nigeria). Each new crisis deepens the education emergency, highlighting the need for rapid, scalable solutions.

Key Barriers to Access

Nonprofits working in education must grapple with multiple overlapping barriers:

• Poverty and Economic Hardship: Many families cannot afford tuition, uniforms or fees, forcing children into labor. Across sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated one-third of children drop out of primary school due to economic pressures, early marriage or poor school facilities. Nearly 60% of the poorest adolescents are out of school entirely. Without financial support or free options, children from the lowest-income families simply cannot attend or stay in school.
• Conflict and Displacement: Ongoing wars, insurgencies and localized violence continuously disrupt education. In Nigeria’s northeast, decades of insurgency have kept schools closed for years; in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, conflict completely halted classes for millions. In the DRC and South Sudan, civil war and ethnic strife make attending school dangerous or impossible for many children. Refugee crises also play a role: when families flee violence, children lose access to schooling. The result is that millions of students are never able to sit in a classroom.
• Climate and Disasters: Extreme weather is an increasingly important factor. The 2024 floods mentioned above are just one example of how climate shocks can instantly close schools and scatter entire communities. Droughts and seasonal flooding (common in Sahel and East Africa) also force children to help with survival activities instead of learning. Repeated school closures due to natural disasters can leave children behind for months.
• Infrastructure and Resource Gaps: Even in peaceful areas, schools often lack basic facilities. UNESCO reports that many African schools do not have electricity, water or enough textbooks. Classrooms may be overcrowded or poorly built. Acute teacher shortages plague the region – about 7 out of 10 sub-Saharan countries face a critical lack of trained teachers. The World Bank notes that many African countries spend as little as $54 per student per year, compared to thousands in richer nations. Under these conditions, even children who enroll receive a far weaker education.
• Gender Inequality: Cultural norms and safety concerns systematically keep girls out of school. Across Africa, 9 million girls (ages 6–11) will never attend school, compared to 6 million boys. Early marriage, household duties, and fear of harassment drive girls to drop out. The result is a large gender gap: for example, in South Sudan only ~10% of boys and 1.3% of girls remain in school by age 16. Girls are especially disadvantaged in rural and conflict-affected areas. Unless education programs actively address these inequalities (through scholarships, safe transport, girl-friendly sanitation and community outreach), half the population will continue to be sidelined.

In many of Africa’s most difficult environments, learning takes place in makeshift settings. In South Sudan (pictured above), a young boy uses a rudimentary alphabet chart to teach his peers under an open-walled shelter. Tragically, over 2.2 million South Sudanese children currently have no schooling. The image highlights two challenges: lack of formal infrastructure and the special struggle of girls and young learners. Every year of delay means lost knowledge; every unsafe classroom means girls drop out. Advocates stress that education must be treated as a priority even in emergencies, since “education is not a luxury… It is an emergency, just like water, food, or healthcare”.

AHS Education: Free, Accessible E-Learning for Children

Nonprofits need scalable, cost-free solutions that work in these contexts. AHS Education is one nonprofit initiative addressing this gap. AHS offers a completely free learning platform for underserved communities (Grades K–5) that organizations can deploy with minimal resources. Here’s what makes it a powerful tool for increasing access to education for children:

• 1-Year Free Partnership: Nonprofits can sign up to get one year of free access to the entire AHS curriculum for every child they enroll. This removes cost barriers for underfunded schools and NGOs.
• Online & Offline Access: AHS lessons work both on the internet and offline. Content can be downloaded ahead of time or synced via mobile app, making it ideal for remote villages or refugee camps with limited connectivity.
• Interactive Lessons: The platform features video-based lessons and quizzes that engage young learners. These multimedia modules are designed to be fun and understandable even for students who have never been to school.
• Standards-Aligned Curriculum: All lessons are aligned to U.S. state standards, covering math, reading, science, etc., so students receive a structured, high-quality education. Nonprofits can therefore ensure children are learning global-grade-level content.
• Teacher/Admin Dashboards: AHS provides tools for local instructors and program managers to track student progress easily. Teachers can see who has completed lessons and which areas need review.
• Mobile App: In addition to desktop access, AHS offers a free mobile app. Children can use tablets or smartphones to continue learning anywhere, making education truly portable.
• Offline Curriculum Kits: For completely disconnected areas, AHS can provide content loaded onto devices or USB drives (“AHS Boosters”) so students don’t need any internet at all.

By leveraging these features, nonprofits can offer an effective free learning platform in even the most challenging settings. For example, an NGO running a rural learning center could set up a tablet lab with AHS videos and worksheets, instantly giving 50 students a full K–5 curriculum despite having no trained teachers on site. Or a refugee camp could distribute tablets pre-loaded with AHS lessons, allowing children to self-study safely. In each case, AHS acts as a nonprofit education solution that circumvents the usual barriers: poverty (it’s free), lack of textbooks (videos replace books), and even teacher shortages (students learn interactively).

Empowering Nonprofits to Act

Nonprofits play a critical role in mobilizing communities and resources. By partnering with AHS, education nonprofits can vastly extend their reach. The platform’s dashboard lets organizations enroll students in batches, assign lessons, and measure outcomes – all without paying fees. This means that limited grant dollars go directly to local operations (food, transportation, school supplies) rather than software costs. Moreover, AHS’s content is accessible immediately; there is no need to build a curriculum from scratch. For example, a literacy NGO working in a Kenyan informal settlement might dedicate class time to AHS’s literacy videos, while a girls-education nonprofit in Afghanistan could use AHS math lessons to supplement tutoring (even if the girls cannot attend a formal school).

Why Act Now?

The clock is ticking. Every year we delay, millions more fall farther behind. The COVID-19 pandemic showed how quickly progress can reverse; in Africa, even brief school closures set back learning by years. The compounded crises of conflict, poverty and climate mean that communities need solutions that can be implemented today. AHS Education is ready to help implementers meet this moment with concrete action. Its nonprofit partnership program makes it risk-free to try: there is no license fee, and the first year is completely free for any registered NGO or charitable school.

Join the movement. Nonprofit leaders and educators: empower the children you serve by integrating AHS Education into your programs. Sign up your organization for the free 1-year nonprofit partnership at AHSEdu.org/demo-for-nonprofit. By taking this step, your organization can immediately provide quality, curriculum-aligned learning to underserved communities. Together, we can turn the tide on Africa’s education crisis – one child at a time – and create a brighter future where every child has access to education.