Education in Africa: Why It Matters More Than Ever

Following the success of our inaugural ‘Education In Africa, Why Bother?’ Q&A panel event in Sydney earlier this year, we were thrilled to bring the conversation to Melbourne on Wednesday, 26th November — generously hosted by Sladen Legal.

The room was filled with 46 philanthropists and globally minded individuals eager to connect, learn, and rethink what the future of sustainable development in Africa means for all of us.

What unfolded was an intimate, energising and motivating conversation about the critical importance of international development, with a focus on empowerment through education, global responsibility, and trust-based philanthropy.

On the panel we were delighted to welcome Mark Cubit, Co-Founder & Director at the Australian International Development Network, Anthony Phillips, Director at The Phillips Foundation, Gill Whelan, General Manager at DECJUBA Foundation & TANK Foundation, and our very own Cassandra Treadwell, Co-Founder & CEO at So They Can.

Following the panel discussion, Cassandra said, “It is so important to have these forums where we can discuss the realities of international development, with both implementers and philanthropists.  We are grateful for all who came and entered into the conversation.”

The event was hosted by Amber Matthews, the Chair of So They Can Australia, who earlier this year visited So They Can’s projects in Kenya and Tanzania to experience our impact on the ground firsthand.

Africa’s Rising Demographic Power

One of the central themes of the evening was Africa’s transformative population shift. The UN’s latest projections show that by 2050, one in four people on the planet will be African. Within just a decade, the world’s largest workforce will come from the continent.

This demographic surge presents extraordinary potential — but only if matched with access to quality education, meaningful economic opportunity, and policy that enables young people to thrive.

[Learn more about So They Can’s 3-Phase Education Model that promotes sustainable and scalable community empowerment through education]

A Moment of Uncertainty — and Urgency

While Africa’s population is rising, global bilateral aid is moving in the opposite direction. Major funding cuts, including the dissemination of USAID in various regions across the continent, are already having severe repercussions.

The panel stressed a critical point: Disengagement now is not simply a missed opportunity — it actively endangers global stability, economic growth, and social cohesion. Investing in Africa is not an act of charity but rather a shared investment in our collective future as one human race.

Why Education?

Throughout the discussion, one theme remained consistent: education is the most powerful, scalable, and cost-effective driver of long-term change. For girls in particular, access to schooling can be life-changing — offering a path away from deeply rooted harmful practices such as female genital cutting (FGC) and child marriage. More broadly, education equips young people with the skills they need to enter the workforce, compete in global markets, and innovate within their own communities. It strengthens local economies, leads to healthier families, and fosters meaningful participation in community decision-making.

Asante sana to everyone who joined us…

Once again, a huge thank you to Sladen Legal for hosting us, to our panelists, Mark, Anthony, Gill, Amber and Cassandra, for their expertise and insights, and to everyone who helped make the conversation so rewarding.

Last but not least, a special shout out to everyone who joined us for the event — our team was thrilled to connect with so many of you before and after the discussion, and we look forward to staying connected in 2026 and beyond.

For those who missed out, don’t worry — more events are on the horizon in 2026. As we continue building this community of globally engaged change-makers, we hope you’ll join us in driving informed, sustainable impact in the places where it matters most.

Please support our work today by:

Making a donation
Joining our sponsorship program
Becoming a corporate partner
Becoming a philanthropic partner