Venezuela's education system has collapsed, leaving schools empty and millions of children without reliable access to learning. Ongoing economic hardship and prolonged instability mean many families can no longer depend on formal education. For over five years, Wonder has partnered with local leaders in San Cristobal to support community-led education that helps children keep learning and supports young women and girls to build skills, confidence, and leadership.
Economic collapse, prolonged instability, and migration have pushed millions of children out of education. Around three million are no longer in school, and many who remain attend sporadically. Most children struggle with basic literacy and numeracy, while older teenagers lack skills for work and independence. The loss of thousands of teachers has left schools understaffed and unable to function, deepening long-term educational exclusion.
This project supports community-led education where formal systems no longer reach. Working with Pirineos, we train volunteers, many of them young people and university students, to provide learning support in their communities. Children strengthen reading, writing, and numeracy skills, while volunteers gain leadership and transferable skills. Pirineos also runs mentoring and empowerment programmes for women, girls and young people.
Community-led education lays the foundation for recovery. Children retain core learning skills, reducing the impact of missed schooling. Young women and volunteers develop confidence, leadership and employable skills. Families and communities become more resilient, with local leaders better equipped to respond to ongoing uncertainty. When Venezuela's education system begins to recover, these communities will be ready to rebuild and move forward.
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