The Western Union Foundation Continues Education for Better Campaign; Provides US$300,000 Grant to Save the Children to Support Work in Asia

MANILA, Philippines, March 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, on International Women's Day, The Western Union Company and the Western Union Foundation officially kicks off its next phase of the Education for Better initiative, which leverages Western Union^® services, advocacy, cause marketing, philanthropic investments and employee engagement to support education programs worldwide.  With an ambitious goal to train 50,000 women and youth over the next five years, the Western Union Foundation announces it will team up with Save the Children in Asia as well as five other global non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to help meet program goals.

Save the Children has developed a youth employment program, providing at-risk youth with vocational and technical training, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship training.  The Western Union Foundation will focus its funding with Save the Children in China, India, and the Philippines.  Outside of Asia, The Western Union Company and the Western Union Foundation will team up with five other NGOs:

• Education For Employment (Middle East).  With a focus in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, the Foundation will support EFE's efforts to empower youth, especially young women and girls, to build careers that create a better future for themselves and their communities.
• Junior Achievement Americas (Americas/Caribbean) inspires and prepares young people to succeed in a global economy.  With Foundation support in Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Mexico, JA Americas will support training that leads to career readiness, with a particular focus on STEM education.
• National Academy Foundation (NAF/United States) career academies are focused learning communities within public high schools to serve at-risk students in the U.S. with a STEM-infused curriculum developed in partnership with local industry, enabling students to be career/college ready.  With Western Union Foundation funding, NAF will focus on increasing enrollment and retention of female students in STEM studies.
• SOS Children's Villages (Africa) will receive funding to support vocational and life skills training for orphaned and abandoned youth, especially young women, in the DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa (video). 
• Teach For All (Europe).  Through Teach for All partners in Austria, France, Germany, Lithuania, and the UK, the Foundation will help address youth education inequities that contribute to worldwide challenges such as high unemployment and weak economic development. 

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the unemployment rate for women ages 25-64 with a college degree was nearly four times lower (3.4 percent) versus those who did not complete high school (12.7 percent).[1]

Every year of schooling increases a girl's earning power up to 25 percent[2].  Since 2011, Save the Children has assisted over 50,000 young migrants, refugees, young mothers, slum dwellers, youth working in hazardous conditions, and youth at risk of prostitution and trafficking.

"We are grateful to Western Union for selecting Save the Children for this philanthropic partnership," said Carolyn Miles, president and CEO of Save the Children. "The funding will help Save the Children provide more Asian youth with the tools they need to manage their finances, secure jobs or start a business. The future looks brighter for these teens and youth."

"We are proud to continue the Education for Better campaign, leveraging the strength of The Western Union Company's global network, the Western Union Foundation and its NGO partners, to provide meaningful educational opportunities and positive social impact throughout many of the communities Western Union serves," said John Dye, Board Chairman, Western Union Foundation.

To date, the Western Union Foundation has pledged more than 76 percent of the US$104 million committed to advance education and economic development.

About The Western Union Foundation

The Western Union Foundation is dedicated to creating a better world, where the ability to realize dreams through economic opportunity is not just a privilege for the few but a right for all.  Through its signature program, Education for Better, and with the support of The Western Union Company, its employees, Agents, and business partners, The Western Union Foundation works to realize this vision by supporting education and disaster relief efforts as pathways toward a better future.  Our combined social ventures efforts make life better for individuals, families and communities around the world.  Since its inception, The Western Union Foundation has paid more than $106 million in grants and other giving.  These funds have been pledged to more than 2,794 nongovernmental organizations in more than 137 countries and territories. The Western Union Foundation, is a separate §501(c)(3) recognized United States charity.  To learn more, visit www.westernunionfoundation.org, or Follow us on Twitter @TheWUFoundation.

Save the Children Media:

April May Sumaylo
+639173011240
april.sumaylo@savethechildren.org

Western Union Foundation Media Contact:

Brad Jones
+1-720-332-1262
bradley.jones@westernunion.com

[1] 2014 Digest of Education Statistics, NCES
[2] U.N. Foundation; Girls Not Brides