As the COVID-19 pandemic carries on, there are unforeseen challenges unveiling before us. A new strand of the virus has sprouted up. The vaccination roll-out is behind the advertised schedule. And in the face of a new year, many are nervous of what this could mean for 2021.
While the virus is a pressing, difficult reality, it is not the only one we face. There are struggles happening other than the one headlining the media.
There are significant increases in poverty, famine, and disease that have been created as secondary outcomes of our global response to COVID-19. Half a billion students have had their educational interrupted, creating the possibility of a lost generation. Public schools are failing under the weight of COVID-19. Many schools offering in-class instruction are only getting 20% of their student body back in the classroom. Schools utilizing online learning are seeing horrible results as students are unable to shift over, particularly when their homes are hurting and chaotic.
What can we do? It seems there is hurt all around us. It seems, at times, like there are too many challenges that are too big.
We, as Boy With a Ball teams across the globe, have spent the last year learning and relearning how to go carefully. We do not know all the answers, but we do know that we cannot lose an entire generation as one year passes. We know that there are some things that are still true in the midst of an entirely new world.
The work we do called, "Love Your City" has never been more pertinent- especially so in the midst of our global crisis. We did not stop our work in the last year. We stood further from doors and changed the way we tutor, but we did not stop. And the impact was significant.
Read our "No Lost Generation" Resource. A document authored by our BWAB Global team detailing the secondary effects of the COVID-19 Crisis on young people and what we have seen as effective solutions to the costs of this pandemic.
Download the PDF below.
