Today, the Adam Foundation is proud to announce a fundraising commitment targeting $750,000 in support of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, a landmark initiative established by FIFA and Global Citizen to expand access to quality education for young people around the world.
Some moments define an organisation. This is one of them.
The Fund has set an ambitious goal: to raise $100 million to build and upgrade schools, train educators, provide scholarships, and extend digital learning opportunities to communities that have too often been left behind. The Adam Foundation is proud to play its part in that mission.
But our involvement does not stop at the global level. Through the Avicenna Foundation, which develops the next generation of British leaders, and the Community Exchange Hub, which connects and strengthens communities at a local level, the Adam Foundation will work to ensure that the opportunities created through this partnership are felt directly within British communities, connecting young people with new networks, resources, experiences, and pathways to success.
Safwan Adam, Chair of the Adam Foundation, said:
“This is a truly significant moment, not only for me personally, but for everything the Adam Foundation was established to achieve.
At 16, I travelled to Brazil to teach English to children living in favelas, many of whom spent their days working on or around landfill sites. It was an experience that profoundly shaped my understanding of inequality, opportunity, and the transformative power of education.
Those young people taught me as much as I could ever have taught them. Their resilience, ambition, and determination left a lasting impression on me and helped shape the values that would later underpin our Foundation’s work.
Twenty-two years later, having our Foundation’s commitment to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund announced in Brazil feels deeply meaningful. The country that played such an important role in shaping my understanding of service and social impact is now the place from which this next chapter begins.
I have always believed that investing in young people is one of the most important things any institution can do. It is why we founded the Avicenna Foundation, and it is why we are proud to support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.
My hope is that this commitment helps create opportunities for young people who, regardless of where they are born or the circumstances they face, deserve the chance to learn, grow, and fulfil their potential.
For me, this announcement feels like a circle closing, and a new chapter beginning.”
Michael Sheldrick, Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact and Government Affairs Officer of Global Citizen, said:
“The Adam Foundation understands that education is one of the most powerful ways to unlock opportunity and transform lives. We are incredibly grateful for their leadership and commitment to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which will help ensure that more children and young people, from the UK to Brazil and beyond, have access to the education, skills, and support they need to build brighter futures. We look forward to working alongside the Adam Foundation to create lasting impact and empower young people around the world to reach their full potential.”
The Adam Foundation is deeply grateful to Michael Sheldrick, Annabel McShane, and the entire Global Citizen team for their vision, trust, and partnership. The Foundation looks forward to deepening this collaboration in the years ahead, including through meaningful engagement opportunities for Avicenna scholars and continued investment in British communities through the Community Exchange Hub.
About the Adam Foundation | The Adam Foundation is a UK-registered charity whose mission is to strengthen national unity by promoting social cohesion, civic responsibility, and the principles of a free and democratic society. Our work spans leadership development, civic engagement, and community investment, each aimed at building stronger institutions and a more cohesive United Kingdom.
About Global Citizen | Global Citizen is a leading civic engagement platform committed to ending extreme poverty. Through campaigns, live events, and strategic partnerships, Global Citizen mobilises millions of people worldwide to take action on the issues that matter most.