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Retired international football star, Didier Drogba, has backed the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) "Raise Your Hand" financing campaign.

The campaign, launched in October 2020 with the United Kingdom and Kenya, aims to raise at least US $5 billion to help transform education systems in more than 90 low-income countries and territories, which are home to more than a billion children.

The "Raise Your Hand" campaign will conclude in London on 28-29 July at a Global Education Summit, hosted by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta. Invitations to participate have been extended to the heads of state of the UAE, KSA, Qatar and Kuwait.

In a video to mark the campaign’s last 100 days before the summit, Drogba called on leaders and policy makers around the world to mobilize public support to finance education.

"The Raise Your Hand campaign is an opportunity to transform education and unlock a brighter future for more than a billion girls and boys. The stakes have never been higher. More than a quarter of a million children were out of school before the COVID-19 pandemic, and millions more could lose the chance to learn if world leaders don’t step up to invest in education. Raise your hand, fund education," said Didier Drogba.

"We are delighted that Didier Drogba is supporting GPE’s 2021-2025 financing campaign. As the education sector faces an unprecedented crisis due to COVID-19, we urgently need to mobilize global support to help countries build strong, resilient and inclusive education systems. Didier Drogba’s voice helps carry our message to decision-makers all over the world. If we are to create an equitable and sustainable future, we must put education first," said Alice Albright, Chief Executive Officer of GPE.

Drogba has long been an advocate for education. Since 2007, the Didier Drogba Foundation has worked with the most marginalized children in Côte d’Ivoire. The foundation has financed the construction of schools in rural areas, and distributed school supplies and teaching materials to help increase enrollment and completion rates at primary and secondary levels.

The announcement of Drogba’s support follows the recent Middle East launch of the GPE’s Case for Investment. The event in Jeddah saw the Islamic Development Bank and Dubai Cares commit $202.5 million towards the Raise Your Hand campaign.

Twice African Player of the Year, Drogba is the Côte d’Ivoire national team’s all-time top scorer with 65 goals and led his country at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups. He is best known for his highly successful career at Chelsea, for whom he scored the winning penalty to see the London club lift the Champions League Trophy in 2012.