Three employees of a humanitarian organization, who recently received a HK$30 million (US$3.86 million) award from a global philanthropic foundation based in Hong Kong, are committed to assisting over a million students in conflict-ridden nations to enhance their education through customized games within the next five years.

The War Child Alliance has already made a significant impact, supporting more than 200,000 children across Chad, Jordan, Lebanon, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Uganda, and Ukraine via their innovative programme, Can’t Wait to Learn. This initiative harnesses the power of digital technology to convert various nations’ educational curricula into interactive games, thereby facilitating the delivery of personalized literacy and numeracy skills to students residing in war zones.

The Alliance is closely monitoring the situation in Syria, with plans to extend their programme to reach even more children whose education has been interrupted due to the ongoing conflict. The recent 11-day offensive launched by the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham resulted in Bashar al-Assad losing his presidency.

Luke Stannard, the programme director of Can’t Wait to Learn, stated, “Regrettably, there is no shortage of conflict zones to work in. The need for children to acquire fundamental skills and enjoy their learning process while supporting educators and educational systems has never been greater.”

Stannard and two other members of the War Child Alliance were the proud recipients of the Yidan Prize for Education Development in 2024 for their significant contributions to the Can’t Wait to Learn initiative.

The Yidan Prize Foundation, based in Hong Kong, is globally recognized for awarding the world’s top education honor. It acknowledges individuals and teams for their exceptional contributions to enhancing education.