Good afternoon and thank you, Chair.
At Right to Play International, our mission is to protect, educate and empower children to rise above adversity using the power of play. I'm hoping I will be joined shortly by my colleague Elias. Together we thank you for the invitation and for your attention to this very critical issue.
We have been encouraged by Canada's COVID-19 response and its recent commitment to increase ODA investments to support global recovery efforts. Our hope is that this study will offer some useful recommendations to ensure that children and youth can realize their right to be educated, protected, healthy and empowered.
COVID-19 is a health crisis, but the ripple effect on children's learning, mental health and safety cannot be ignored. In times of crisis, schools are often the first public service to be suspended and the last to be resumed. One year into the pandemic, nearly one billion learners are still out of school. That's in addition to the 75 million children and youth who were already out of school in crisis-affected countries. Numbers of this magnitude require an urgent and innovative response.
COVID-19 has exacerbated the already precarious circumstances faced by children who are living in conflict and crisis, putting them at greater risk of illness, child labour, violence and other forms of exploitation. When children and young people are out of school, their mental health, learning, and development also suffer. Without an education in a safe and nurturing learning environment, children and young people lose a sense of belonging and are denied the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to reach their full potential. This is particularly true for girls.
Drawing on our 20 years of experience, Right to Play has been taking action to keep children healthy and safe, learning, and mentally strong. In 2020 Right to Play was actually able to expand our reach by adapting our programs to ensure that more children could continue their education at home and receive mental health and psychosocial support to deal with the stress of the pandemic as well as other overlapping crises.
In Mali, Right to Play is working to protect children as political unrest and poverty converge with the pandemic. Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world. Child labour is pervasive. One out of every three children in Mali works instead of going to school. With funding from Global Affairs Canada, our Jam Suka project has been working with families and communities to help children escape from child labour and go back to school. We've seen amazing progress in primary education completion rates, but this year's instability has threatened to undo much of that good work. Our team responded by supporting teachers to move to digital and radio platforms to ensure the continuity of education. We also helped to establish safe online support networks. This allowed children to keep in touch with friends and teachers as well as have a safe way to report abuse or seek mental health support, if needed.
Lebanon is another example of a country reeling from concurrent crises, including the destruction of homes and schools caused by the Beirut blast in August 2020. Even before that explosion, over 50% of Lebanese children and adolescents suffered from anxiety. In times of crisis, supporting children's mental health is the first step to recovery. Play-based methods are found to be highly effective in helping children cope with shock and trauma. Without safety and well-being, children are not able to learn, develop and thrive. Teachers must be equipped to provide this support for children by fostering supportive and playful learning environments.
Taken together, education and mental health support can promote well-being and resiliency, critical thinking, conflict resolution and community building. These skills are vital for all children and youth but particularly those living in settings disrupted by conflict or disaster. There's much more to say on this topic, but I want to leave you with three recommendations.
First, in times of crisis, children's learning and mental health must be prioritized. This means raising the bar on quality education by ensuring that the holistic skills and mental health and psychosocial supports are integrated into playful and conflict-sensitive curriculum and teaching practices.
Second, Canada must immediately increase our cross-sectoral support to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, strengthen child protection systems, and improve mental health and psychosocial support.
Finally, of course, none of the above interventions can be successful without adequate and timely funding. We encourage Canada to deliver on its commitment to increase the international assistance envelope. The world's most vulnerable children are counting on us.
I thank you.