Save the Children has merged with renowned education not-for-profit Library For All (LFA), in a move that will harness technology to give many more children access to e-books and learning.
The merger combines the leading global child rights organization and the Brisbane-based edtech disruptor, scaling up the delivery of LFA's digital library and reaching more disadvantaged children around the globe.
LFA delivers culturally relevant, age appropriate books in different languages and dialects for children across the globe. It uses technology which disrupts traditional publishing models through offering a digital cloud-based and easily accessible library.
"With more than a quarter of Save the Children's global program portfolio dedicated to education, the merger with Library For All will enable us to leverage technology for maximum educational impact, regardless of a child's geographic location or socio-economic circumstance," said Save the Children CEO Paul Ronalds.
"At present, there are roughly 250 million children globally who are missing out on a basic education, with about 90 million not even attending primary school and therefore at great risk of becoming further entrenched in a cycle of disadvantage and poverty.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to find ways for children to continue their education remotely during times of emergency and access to e-learning is critical to this. Children in poorer countries are at an even greater disadvantage in the current scenario, which makes scaling up innovations like LFA so important.
"This merger reflects Save the Children's strong belief that new technologies present huge opportunities to address social problems in new ways. Breakthroughs in edtech, such as that delivered by Library For All, offer the opportunity to deliver services more efficiently and effectively."
LFA CEO Rebecca McDonald said the merger would enable the organization to scale up its offer significantly.
"Connecting our digital library capabilities into Save the Children's extensive global program portfolio will allow us to scale quickly and significantly, driving edtech innnovation in the sector and reaching more of the world's readers," she said.
This is the latest in a number of strategic mergers through which Save the Children aims to use its reach, expertise and networks to help successful social enterprises achieve greater scale and capacity.
In a first for an Australian aid organization, it also recently launched its own Impact Investment Fund aimed at helping to scale up social enterprises with a focus on innovation.
Save the Children Australia
For over 100 years, Save the Children Australia has been working to protect children from abuse and neglect, provide access to healthcare and education and to assist children in times of emergencies throughout Australia and elsewhere, including the Pacific.
Library For All
Library For All is an Australian not for profit with a proud history of using technology to disrupt traditional publishing models, improving educational outcomes for children around the world. With a mission to make knowledge accessible to all, equally, Library For All has developed and launched a globally available digital library application, delivering educational materials into communities where history, poverty, or remoteness are everyday barriers to accessing books.
