Rwanda’s genocide created 400,000 orphans.  Northern Uganda’s war displaced nearly 2 million people, and 30,000 children were abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army.  The impact on their schooling was catastrophic. Education can lift people out of poverty, transforming communities. And reducing poverty is key to sustainable development. Education fosters economic development and reduces the gap between rich and poor.  It encourages social cohesion and, arguably, world peace. And there are many benefits when you educate a girl. Research shows she will marry later, have fewer and healthier children; she’ll earn more money and send her own children to school; she’ll participate in decision-making and will be less likely to get HIV/AIDS.