One for the Books

Matthew Spacie

“We’re committed to holding their hands all the way through the seven-year journey. We want them to go to school, stay in school and get graded and certified properly,” explained Spacie when he was in Singapore in April for the eighth Magic Bus gala dinner. “We work with their schools to put technology into the curriculum and environment so as to prepare them for the workforce in the future.” The emphasis at Magic Bus is on educating not just children, but also families who are entrenched in the country’s patriarchal system. According to the statistics gathered by Magic Bus, only 30 per cent of adolescents have higher secondary qualifications. Which means for every 10 youths, seven are not enrolled in or drop out of school. The reasons vary, but common ones include girls being made to stay at home to care for younger siblings, or forced into child marriages; and young boys being expected to become first-generation wage earners. Participants of the Childhood to Livelihood programme by Magic Bus are encouraged to complete their secondary education and are then introduced to available market opportunities