"Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family." —Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General

In September 2000, world leaders gathered at the United Nations Millennium Summit and agreed to a set of 8 targets, known as the Millennium Development Goals to address the crippling effects of extreme poverty; excess mortality due to AIDS as well as other treatable diseases; and environmental abuse. Each of these targets is critical to development, but two of them are the foundation of this process. Achieving a universal primary education and empowering women are the springboards in which we can achieve and sustain the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

In 2004 there were roughly 117 million children out of school—of those, more than 62 million were girls. Research consistently shows that social and economic growth is fueled when children—especially young girls—receive primary, compulsory, good quality education (UNICEF, 2006 & USAID, 1999).

While universal education is a straightforward goal, it is already proven to be a complex task. Despite thousands of successful projects, the numbers remain. Clearly, the ability to improve education impacts and is impacted by each of the other development factors: sustainable food, housing, and economic opportunities. It is a moral imperative—not a charitable endeavor—that we stop the cycle.