In response to the outbreak of COVID-19, the Global Business Coalition for Education has leveraged its Rapid Education Action (REACT) platform to mobilize corporate resources to ensure learning could continue outside of the classroom.

In honor of World Humanitarian Day 2020, the Global Business Coalition for Education highlights some of the #RealLifeHeroes working to help children and young adults continue learning during one of the worst pandemics in decades.

Kura Foundation by Dafero in Montreal, Canada

Lina Zdruli

Lina explains how refugees struggled to find accurate and reliable information during the onset of the pandemic. Her organization created an online course to deliver key information on COVID-19 and another course to provide mental health support. This helped foster a sense of safety and security to many.

To help families, the #RealLifeHeroes at the Kura Foundation by Dafero developed multilingual courses explaining #COVID19 and how to stay both mentally and physically healthy during the pandemic. #WorldHumanitarianDay pic.twitter.com/qX63iHxYKh

— Global Business Coalition for Education (@gbceducation) August 18, 2020

Comp-U-Dopt in Houston, USA

Colin Dempsey

Colin tells us how he and his organization helped distribute more than 7,000 computers to underserved children in Houston.

In the USA, #RealLifeHeroes at @Comp_U_Dopt established a free computer drive-thru to give students and families access to essential technology during the pandemic, providing a lifeline for at-home school. #WorldHumanitarianDay pic.twitter.com/besnVl1NgM

— Global Business Coalition for Education (@gbceducation) August 18, 2020

A Global Voice for Autism in Jordan

Zain Shorbaji

Zain talks about the impact of the lockdown in Jordan for autistic children and children with disabilities. In response, they launched a mobile app to help parents teach their children.

Many children with autism lost access to education and other support services due to #COVID19. To support these children and their families, #RealLifeHeroes at @AGVFAutism set up an app to provide info and resources to help support their development at home. #WorldHumanitarianDay pic.twitter.com/AnPveTaHG5

— Global Business Coalition for Education (@gbceducation) August 18, 2020

Sadad Humanitarian Organization in Hatay, Turkey

Hamza Al-Yusuf

Hamza talks about the impact of COVID-19 and school closures for children in Syria. His organization helped set up WhatsApp groups to maintain communication between students, teachers, and facilitators. Thanks to this, students stayed in touch and received learning and awareness-raising materials.

At the outbreak of #COVID19, many students in Syria found themselves isolated. The #RealLifeHeroes at @sadadsy created WhatsApp groups to help students and teachers stay connected and continue learning through the pandemic. #WorldHumanitarianDay pic.twitter.com/QVbqBaol7E

— Global Business Coalition for Education (@gbceducation) August 18, 2020

Thaki in Beirut, Lebanon

Samia Habli

Samia tells us about how her organization distributed computers to children and students after the sudden switch to online learning. Thaki also helped develop online tools, learning content, and tech tricks on youtube and WhatsApp to support educators and parents to become more comfortable with technology.

To help vulnerable children and refugees during #COVID19, the #RealLifeHeroes at @Thaki_Unlocks partnered with organizations to provide laptops to students and families so that they can continue their education through online learning. #WorldHumanitarianDay pic.twitter.com/mNuO7eLhl6

— Global Business Coalition for Education (@gbceducation) August 18, 2020

Support COVID-19 Education Relief

COVID-19 is an ongoing crisis, with many students still unable to safely return to school. Unequal access to technology and remote learning infrastructure continues to put marginalized students at further risk of prolonged disruption to their education.