The Luminos Fund operates ‘Second Chance’, an accelerated learning programme that helps children who have been excluded from school due to poverty, conflict or discrimination to transition back into mainstream education. Photo sourced from Legatum Group archives
The Luminos Fund, an international nonprofit focused on unlocking learning for children denied access to school, has announced a new $10 million funding commitment from its founding donor, Legatum.
The pledge will allow Luminos to scale up its accelerated learning programmes in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, expanding support to some of the world’s most vulnerable children.
The $10 million commitment is a significant recommitment of support from Legatum, which helped establish Luminos in 2016 following a series of early philanthropic investments in West Africa.
These investments laid the foundation for the nonprofit’s unique “catch-up” education model, which compresses the first three years of primary school into just one, targeting children who have missed out on schooling due to poverty, conflict, or discrimination.
“To date, Luminos has given over 377,000 children a second chance at learning,” said Caitlin Baron, CEO of the Luminos Fund.
“This commitment of funds is a powerful reaffirmation of Legatum’s belief in our mission and model. At a time when humanitarian budgets across the world are coming under increasing pressure, this funding enables us to continue to grow and reach more children, to help them rediscover the joy and the opportunity of learning and give them a better chance of living their best lives.”
Baron added that the recommitment also highlights the importance of private philanthropy in advancing global education goals.
“It demonstrates that private philanthropy has a vital role to play in the provision of high-impact, humanitarian support,” she said.
The Luminos Fund operates in challenging contexts where mainstream education systems struggle to reach all children.
Through its activity-based curriculum and community-centered model, the organization helps out-of-school children become literate and numerate in just one school year.
Programmes currently operate in Ethiopia, Liberia, Ghana, and Lebanon.
Legatum, a London- and Dubai-based investment partnership, has supported a range of philanthropic initiatives tackling global challenges.
Alongside Luminos, the firm backs the END Fund, which fights neglected tropical diseases; the Freedom Fund, which combats modern slavery; and the Prosperity Institute, focused on research and policy around human flourishing.
Guy Cave, President of the Legatum Foundation, praised Luminos’ progress and impact under Baron’s leadership.
“Luminos has achieved huge impact, directly impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of children who otherwise would have been shut out of education for the rest of their lives,” he said.
“Research has proven that Luminos’ programmes are one of the best buys in international education, and so this renewed funding is a big vote of confidence in Luminos, its brilliant team, and its prospects for expanding its impact in target regions.”
About The Luminos Fund
The Luminos Fund runs accelerated education programmes for out-of-school children in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. In one school year, children learn to read, write, and do math through a joyful, activity-based approach that prepares them to re-enter formal schooling. Since 2016, Luminos has reached over 377,000 children. Learn more at www.luminosfund.org.
About Legatum
Legatum is an investment partnership that applies capital and strategic insight to businesses and initiatives aiming to create global prosperity. Since 2006, its philanthropic portfolio has supported efforts across education, health, and human rights. For more, visit www.legatum.com.
