Teachers are set to get free rides to vaccination centers following a partnership between a ride-hailing cab and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as part of a Global Education Coalition initiative.
Uber and Unesco will offer one million rides to teachers in Kenya, Egypt, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, and the UK as government entities and local NGOs will be involved in distributing the rides to teachers in the mentioned countries.
"We are delighted to continue our partnership with Uber to provide rides to teachers to access vaccinations as they become available.
"This will make a meaningful difference for many educators and school communities around the world and help children get back to learning in classrooms as soon as possible," said UNESCO Education Assistant Director-General Stefania Giannini.
The free rides come soon after the vaccination program was rolled out with the country with frontline workers such as medics and teachers getting priority.
"We look forward to building the extended partnership with UNESCO, harnessing the power of the Uber platform to help connect teachers with vaccines as we all work together to help end this pandemic," remarked the General Manager for Uber sub-Saharan Africa Frans Hiemstra.
According to Stefania, the move is meant to ease the ongoing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on teachers by enabling them to return to classrooms safely.
“The last year has reminded us all what crucial role teachers play in all of our lives. Especially as a parent myself, I am proud that Uber is doing its part in ensuring equitable access to vaccinations for teachers in countries around the world,” acknowledged Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO at Uber.
