The MSC Foundation and UNICEF announced the next phase of their 16-year partnership, which has already generated USD 17 million in cumulative contributions. This new chapter introduces The Learning Bridge, a new programme designed to transform education and learning for around 400,000 children in the Philippines over the next three years.
The Learning Bridge aims to address the acute learning crisis in Mindanao, the second largest island of the Philippines, where years of poverty, past conflict and the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to the country’s lowest school enrolment and literacy rates. Ongoing challenges like frequent extreme weather events, inadequate facilities, limited resources and lack of qualified teachers continue to widen the learning gap for children and adolescents on the island.
From new teaching methods that can enhance learning for large numbers of students, to a floating school designed to ensure learning continues for an indigenous community whilst coping with recurrent floods, this critical programme will directly confront many of the interconnected challenges facing children and adolescents by implementing innovative, scalable solutions to improve foundational and socio-emotional learning.
“Our relationship with UNICEF began more than 16 years ago and formed the cornerstone of the MSC Foundation when it was founded in 2018,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of the MSC Group’s Cruise Division and Chair of the MSC Foundation Executive Committee. “Together, we have shown how innovation rooted in shared purpose can help to transform children’s lives. This new programme in the Philippines is especially meaningful to us because many MSC employees and crew members who inspire our mission come from this country, reflecting both our partnership with UNICEF and our support for the communities that our people call home.”
“Education is crucial for children to break intergenerational cycles of inequality and poverty and build brighter futures. We are grateful for the MSC Foundation’s renewed support that will enable us, together with the Government and local communities, to deliver innovative and scalable solutions to improve vulnerable children’s access to quality education, including those on the frontline of the climate crisis,” said Kitty Van der Heijden, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director.
