buildOn Global

Education Is a Vital Human Right

We believe that the best way to eradicate poverty is to ensure that all people have access to a quality education. That’s why buildOn partners with rural communities in developing countries, empowering local residents to build schools, enroll out-of-school children, and educate adult learners. 


Global Impact

2,746

Schools built in low-income countries

356,172

Children and adults attend buildOn schools

5million

Volunteer work days contributed by community members

Where We Serve

We build schools in eight of the economically poorest countries on the planet, providing access to education to hundreds of thousands of children, parents, and grandparents.

Senegal

More than half of all Senegalese over the age of 15 are illiterate, and out of school rates are highest for children with the least amount of wealth.

The Facts

414

Schools built

47,646

Students enrolled in school

The dust, wind, and lack of space were problems that we faced every day before buildOn constructed a new school. The dust would make me and my classmates sick, and it was so crowded we had to sit three or four to a bench.

Ngone Sy / 1st Grade Student – Ndiakhalane, Senegal

Learn More about Senegal Programs

Erin Hartsough
Vice President of Community and Corporate Partnerships

Our Global Movement

Education is a vital human right, yet most of the world’s people living in extreme poverty lack basic education. We’re committed to changing that. In the world’s economically poorest countries, buildOn empowers local residents to take the lead in bringing education and opportunity to their communities. 

buildOn works in eight different countries across four continents to build schools with villages that lack adequate classrooms. Oftentimes, students have been learning in huts or under trees in all weather conditions, or they’ve been forced to walk several miles every day to the nearest school. Many have never set foot in a classroom.

Before breaking ground on their school, every community member signs the buildOn Covenant—a solemn promise between buildOn and the village outlining our contribution to the project. We contribute engineering, materials, and skilled labor. Each village provides land, local materials, and the weeks of labor it takes to build the school. Every village also promises to send girls and boys to school in equal numbers.

Once a school is complete, buildOn staff closely monitor and evaluate its success. Communities that continue to honor their Covenant—through a proven commitment to cooperation, education, and gender equality—are considered for second schools.

Our sustainable approach ensures that schools are built with a community, not for a community—because the people we work with are true partners, not recipients of aid. 

Our Global Programs Need Your Help

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The Key Pillars of our Methodology

Our Commitment

Before breaking ground on their school, every community member signs the buildOn Covenant—a solemn promise between buildOn and the village outlining our contributions to the project. We contribute engineering, materials, and skilled labor. Each village provides land, local materials, and the weeks of labor it takes to build the school. This approach ensures that schools are built with a community, not for a community.