CAMFED is an international non-governmental, non-profit organisation founded in 1993 whose mission is to eradicate poverty in Africa through the education of girls and the empowerment of young women.
CAMFED programs operate in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania and Malawi. They help girls and young women in impoverished districts in rural sub-Saharan Africa, tackle the pressing and interlinked challenges of poverty and gender that limit their education and opportunity.
Their Impact
CAMFED not only supports girls through school, but also into work, business, further education and leadership.
Through its partnership with more than 7,000 government schools, and the communities it serves, CAMFED had, by 2022, already supported more than 5.5 million students to go to school, and its CAMFED Association – the leadership network of young women who once received support – is changing the status quo for women and girls in their communities.
By late 2022
The CAMFED Association of women leaders educated with CAMFED support had grown to 240,000 members
- 96,000 members in business
- 56,000 members in leadership roles
- Each young women in the Association financially supports, on average, another 3 girls to go to school
Tackling Poverty in Practice
With many households surviving on less than $1.25 per day, a lack of funds for both direct and indirect school-going costs creates the constant threat of girls’ expulsion or prevents their access entirely. Other poverty-related issues — such as hunger, lack of resources to buy sanitary wear, school uniforms and school supplies — can also make it difficult for girls to attend school regularly, learn while they are there, and study effectively at home.
Poverty is also a key driver of practices like early marriage – both a cause and effect of girls’ exclusion from school – with girls facing pressure to get married to bring in more resources to their families, either through the ‘bride price’ or through simply reducing the number of mouths to feed.
To help girls escape poverty is a multi-generational mission. That’s why their mission extends beyond the classroom. Working together with education authorities and local communities, they:
- Support girls to grow in confidence and thrive in the classroom, through the support of trained Learner Guides (peer mentors and role models, who were once themselves supported through school).
- Train government teachers as Teacher Mentors who are present in every one of their partner schools to look after the psycho-social wellbeing of vulnerable children.
- Establish and nurture Parent Support Groups, which volunteer their time and resources to keep children in school, by providing nutritious school meals or improving school facilities.
- Improve learning environments by providing equipment or funding new infrastructure, such as low-cost boarding accommodation for girls living far from school.
- Provide trained “Transition Guides”, “Business Guides” and “Climate-smart Agriculture Guides” to accompany graduates on the post-school journey to leadership and influence, so that they can earn and income and, in turn, support more girls in their communities through education.
- Partner with government Ministries to scale their youth-led innovations in national school systems, so that eventually all vulnerable children will benefit.
