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Teach, Enrich, Empower
Our Impact
Education goes beyond the four walls of the classroom. The TEFL Academy is proud to announce that we have partnered with UWS to build schools in areas in need. Together, we are bringing education to children in some of the most remote communities, empowering students and ultimately teaching the unreached. We are providing these pupils with the tools they need to flourish, choose their own pathway in life and ultimately break out of the poverty cycle.
Teach, Enrich, Empower
Our Goal & Involvement
Our goals are aligned with those of UWS. We have a passion for education and seek to empower children through this. UWS has built over 320 schools across remote communities in Nepal, Cambodia, Myanmar and Madagascar – and we are doing everything we can to help their cause.
In 2021, The TEFL Academy built a school in the remote village of Kanpur, Nepal. Along with the actual construction of the school, we funded materials and resources for the school and supported UWS in running programmes to support gender equality and good hygiene and sanitation.
A major aspect of the project was to ensure schools are ultimately sustainably funded and independently run. This school has now been successfully handed over to the local government to operate as part of the national education system.
Now that the Kanpur project has been completed successfully, in 2026, The TEFL Academy is funding the build of another school, this time in a remote area in Madagascar.
Madagascar
The TEFL Academy is funding the building of a primary school in the remote village of Ankilifolo, where school lessons still take place under trees. With just 20% of adults literate here, the next generation is at risk of being left behind. The TEFL Academy wants to give the children in this community the opportunities they deserve. The first stone was laid in April 2026, and building looks set to be complete for the start of the academic year in September.
Nepal
The TEFL Academy not only built a primary school in Kanpur, Nepal, but we also provided the resources and materials needed for the ongoing running of the school. In alignment with the goal of collaborating with local authorities, the school was handed over to the government in 2026, thus opening up opportunities for The TEFL Academy to contribute elsewhere.
Teach, Enrich, Empower
A New School in Ankilifolo, Madagascar
Madagascar is facing a deepening education crisis. Schools lack basic resources, teachers are underpaid and often unqualified, and classrooms are overcrowded – severely limiting children’s opportunities to learn. Ankilifolo is a rural Masikoro community, named for the ten tamarind trees that first marked the settlement. Children face limited access to learning and struggle to build the skills needed for future opportunities. UWS identified Ankilifolo as the next region to benefit from a new school funded by The TEFL Academy.
Madagascar Timeline
Feb 2026
A community was identified and proposed to The TEFL Academy as location for the new school.
The partnership was launched and the first donation made, allowing UWS to begin work...
March 2026
UWS worked with the community to find an appropriate site for the build, carried out community engagement visits and met with local authorities.
Procurement of materials began and UWS recruited locals to volunteer to build the school.
April 2026
The school build began. 4-8 classrooms were built depending on need. Additionally we built latrines, access to clean drinking water, and a teachers' house.
Engagement visits continued to take place and a UWS Education Officer was assigned to the project.
Teach, Enrich, Empower
The school we built in Kanpur, Nepal
In 2021, The TEFL Academy built a primary school in Kanpur, Nepal. Over the next five years, we funded the building of the school, as well as providing the materials and resources needed to run the school.
Our funding provided teacher training, the establishment of Mothers’ Groups and Girls’ Clubs, as well as health and sanitation programmes. In 2024, we were able to build four new classrooms which had been irreparably damaged from flash floods and severe landslides.
In 2026, the governance of the school was successfully handed over to the local government, marking the end of a successful partnership between The TEFL Academy and UWS.
Nepal Timeline
Feb 2021
A community was identified and proposed to The TEFL Academy as location for the new school.
The partnership was launched and the first donation made, allowing UWS to begin work...
Mar-Apr 2021
UWS worked with the community to find an appropriate site for the build, carried out community engagement visits and met with local authorities.
Procurement of materials began and UWS recruited locals to volunteer to build the school.
May-Jun 2021
The school build began. 4-8 classrooms were built depending on need. Additionally we built latrines, access to clean drinking water, and a teachers' house.
Engagement visits continued to take place and a UWS Education Officer was assigned to the project.
Jul-Aug 2021
UWS worked with the community to recruit and train community members to become community teachers.
Local government committed to allocating government teachers to the new school.
Sep 2021
The school finally opened and what an achievement! But our work was not done.
Now our focus has changed to education, education, education. The wonderful pupils of the school deserve a world-leading education and we are determined to provide it.
March 2022
In partnership with Educate A Child (EAC), UWS launched a Dropout Prevention Programme. This programme aims to identify students in UWS schools at risk of dropping out due to poverty, gender, discrimination and locality.
School retention teams deliver interventions to allow these students to stay in school.
Also in March 2022, a Mothers' Group was formed at UWS Kanpur School. This group encourages mothers to get involved in their children’s educational activities as a means of support.
May 2022
A Girls’ Club was opened at UWS Kanpur school. This club was established to support girls on relevant issues and to serve as support mechanisms for girls at risk of early school dropout. The club aims to increase girls’ resilience, as well as their awareness and knowledge of how to exercise their rights.
The group meets regularly to discuss a number of topics including menstrual hygiene management, gender equality and leadership development.
June 2022
Since June 2022, the UWS Kanpur school enthusiastically celebrates World Environment Day every year. The multi-day event involves planting seeds and plants around the school (200 in 2024!), an awareness rally and a school-wide creative writing and poetry competition.
September 2023
Besides educating the students, all members of the community continue to receive relevant training.
The teachers and School Management Committee completed training on Child Protection and Safeguarding.
The Mother’s Group received training on Financial Literacy, so that they can better manage their household finances and make informed financial decisions.
The Girls’ Clubs underwent Leadership development sessions to develop the skills they need to become leaders in their communities. They also attended a session to raise their knowledge and awareness of their rights regarding sexual abuse and violence.
23 November 2024
The TEFL Academy held the first-ever International TEFL Day in partnership with UWS. This inspiring and informative online event was a huge success, helping to raise much-needed funds for the great work that UWS does.
March 2025
The TEFL Academy and UWS celebrated International Women’s Day with the theme #AccelerateAction. UWS is proud to have achieved gender parity within their schools, with 51% of their students being girls.
Plus, more than 300 Mothers’ and Girls’ groups have been formed, leading long-term advocacy for education.
May 2025
At the end of 2024, Nepal experienced severe flash floods and landslides. A total of 44 out of Nepal’s 77 districts were affected, with widespread damage to buildings, roads, bridges, power lines, and water infrastructure.
The landslide damaged the foundation of one school building, damaging 4 classrooms. Immediate reconstruction was necessary.
The 4 classrooms were constructed on a new stable suitable plot of land. The total cost for reconstruction was USD $17,000. UWS contributed $12,000 of that cost and local government $5,000.
July 2025
The UWS Nepal Education team received GESSI training (Gender Equality, Safeguarding, Social Inclusion) to strengthen inclusive education practices in schools. During the school holidays, UWS Nepal ran skill-based classes for adolescent girls as part of our girls’ inclusion project in Nepal.
September 2025
UWS launched their 2025–2030 Programme Strategy at the UN General Assembly, marking a new chapter of impact. By 2030, UWS aims to triple the number of children attaining foundational skills across UWS and government schools, supporting 260,000 children in marginalised communities.
21 November 2025
The TEFL Academy hosted the 2nd annual International TEFL Day virtual conference in partnership with UWS.
The event brought together educators, alumni, and industry leaders in a virtual forum, highlighting TEFL’s expanding impact, not only as a career path, but as a force for social change.
Teachers shared insights, learned new methodologies, and engaged in global networking, underscoring the growing importance of English language instruction for communities worldwide.
January 2026
On 24th January, we celebrated International Education Day with the theme “The Power of Youth in Co-Creating Education”.
Across UWS, student participation plays an increasingly important role in shaping how our education programmes are delivered, monitored and improved.
In Nepal, students are actively involved in reviewing their school bathrooms and handwashing stations. Students were asked to share their thoughts on whether the facilities are accessible and working; whether they feel they are private and safe to use; if access to menstrual hygiene products was sufficient; and whether the facilities meet the needs of students with disabilities.
Their feedback directly informs improvements to school facilities, helping ensure they are safe and usable for all learners.
February 2026
This month marks the celebration of the 5-year partnership between The TEFL Academy and UWS! But the work doesn’t stop! We are still maintaining the UWS Kanpur school. Currently there are 165 students enrolled at UWS Kanpur, from kindergarten to Grade 8.. There are 15 teachers currently teaching at UWS Kanpur School.
Who are UWS?
UWS works in some of the world’s poorest regions to provide free primary education to children. They collaborate with communities that are determined to break out of the poverty cycle and in return, receive a commitment that they will send their children to school, including their girls (promoting gender equality). UWS help transforms communities, giving them a new sense of hope.
Why UWS?
We only work with partners that share the same values and vision as we do, so when the opportunity came up to partner with UWS on such a monumental project, we knew we’d be a perfect match. We believe that education transforms lives and every child should have access to education. UWS strive to improve, through education, life opportunities for some of the world’s poorest children living in remote and marginalised communities – a truly inspiring mission. We are forming a synergistic partnership whereby together we can teach, enrich, and empower, for generations to come.
Corporate Social Responsibility
The TEFL Academy is committed to enforcing positive change through education. We have funded and continue to support the build and operation of of a primary school in Nepal, so that local children will have access to education, something that would not have been previously possible. By breaking the cycle of illiteracy, these children will be able to build a better life and lift their families out of poverty.
How you can help
There are currently over 258 million children without access to primary education but together, we can change that.
Support us on our journey of educating these children and let’s give these families a brighter future.
Check out our most recent Instagram posts below regarding our school building project! Click the images to read more about the story and be sure to follow us, so you don’t miss anything. We also have plenty of travel inspiration and TEFL content being posted daily on our feed, come join us and say hi!
A message from UWS Global CEO, Graeme Hodge
“Our partnership with The TEFL Academy shows what’s possible when organisations come together with a shared purpose. Their support is already making a real difference in Kanpur and Nepal, and now in Ankilifolo, Madagascar, expanding access to education and opportunity. Together, we are building a future where every child has the chance to learn, grow and fulfil their potential.”
Accreditation & Quality Assurance
The TEFL Academy was the world’s first TEFL course provider to receive official recognition from government-regulated awarding bodies in both the USA and UK. This means when you graduate you’ll hold a globally recognized Level 3 (120hr) Certificate or Level 5 (168hr) Diploma, meaning you can find work anywhere and apply for jobs immediately.
