Education remains at the forefront of discussion, especially now with the Democratic presidential debates underway. Not only is it an issue in the U.S., but it’s also a global concern. Statistics from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization state that more than 617 million children and adolescents are not achieving minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics. In addition, one-third are out of school and need an education, and more than 90% of school-age kids in low-income countries are not learning a minimum in reading and math.
Providing access to knowledge improves quality of life.
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Foundations like the Acronis Foundation, a nonprofit that supports educational initiatives around the world, are taking a stance to combat these alarming statistics. The foundation makes it possible for schools in remote parts of the world to upgrade their facilities and supplies through monetary contributions, volunteers to help build the schools and the basic necessities.
The foundation is an extension of Serguei Beloussov’s company Acronis, a global leader in cyber protection. Over the years, he has transitioned his brand and in 2018, he announced the creation of the foundation. “Our focus is to give access to knowledge,” Beloussov states. “We have to have the student to be able to read, to be able to write, to be able to count, to be able to speak English and to have protected access to the internet and learn how to use it. That’s the only way they will have access to knowledge and without access to knowledge they cannot improve their lives.”
To date, six schools have been opened in Myanmar, Tanzania, Cambodia, Lebanon, Senegal and Peru. The foundation has more schools in the pipeline with a school opening in Guatemala in August. One of the company’s employee initiatives encourages employees to volunteer one week of their time to help build and/or repair the schools. As of now, there have been two opportunities for the employees to sign-up for; both in partnership with BuildOn. While there, they immerse themselves in the local culture hosted by the local families.
Melinda MacPhee, a finance manager at Acronis, dancing with one of the locals from Senegal. The Acronis Foundation opened a school in Senegal and their employees had an opportunity to volunteer on the project.
Acronis
Melinda MacPhee, a finance accounting manager at Acronis, took part in the school opening in Senegal. For one week, she lived with a local family. “I never traveled outside of the states other than going to the Caribbean,” MacPhee states. “When this opportunity came to me, I jumped on it. However, I was so nervous because I didn’t know what to expect, but I didn’t want to pass up a chance like that.”
“It definitely was quite an experience,” she continues. “I realized that here in the States we have so much, and we are not happy people. In Senegal, being in the village they have so little, nothing at all, but they’re the happiest people I’ve ever been in front of…they were very much about family and they were constantly together, constantly playing with each other and the parents were with their kids. It was just very much impressionable. I wanted to instill the same values that I saw within my own family.”
Patrick Hurley, Vice President and General Manager of the Americas at Acronis, addresses the teachers, students and families at the school opening in Nuevo Chimbote, Peru.
Acronis
With each new school opening, more students and families are affected. The thought is that by sharing knowledge and providing a way for students to understand data, they’ll have a higher probability of finding a job in the future. The ripple effect is generational.
The most recent school opening in Nuevo Chimbote, Peru, is providing free education, learning materials, uniforms and lunch for about 230 children. Alicia Pamela Cerna Contreras, one of the teachers at the school and a former student, knows first-hand how education in that part of the country can have long-term effects. “In the times when I was a child it was so much smaller,” she shares. “Now, the kids enjoy being outside as they have the playing field. They also get emotional to go up to the second floor because most houses of the kids don’t have a second floor. For me, it is beautiful seeing the children having fun and that they like it so much…it’s nice to see they are so much happier now.”
Serguei Beloussov, founder of Acronis, in Bhutan, during his vacation, he was visiting schools and local communities.
Acronis
As Beloussov and his global team continue to evolve the foundation, they focus on the following steps to help with each transition:
- Determine what type of impact the transition will have on the world. If it doesn’t positively impact a group of people, it’s not worth doing.
- Establish a program that makes the experience inclusive to all involved.
- Pay-it-forward. Although you may never see the outcome, you are planting the seed of success.
“We’re still very far from perfection,” Beloussov concludes. “We’re still going to improve. Protection, safety, accessibility, privacy, authenticity and security is important when knowledge is given to people. We definitely want to be different from others, and we want to be special. But, in this respect, I think it would be amazing if other technology companies and non-technology companies will understand that access to knowledge is a thing you can do. Allow people to know and if they can know they can improve their lives by themselves. You just have to make them able to do that.”
