Advancing Girls' Education in Africa

I Implementer

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Description

Advancing Girls' Education in Africa (AGE Africa) supports girls to attend and graduate from public secondary schools in Malawi and even go on to pursue higher education or employment opportunities. The program primarily targets girls from disadvantaged, rural backgrounds, many of whom are at-risk of dropping out, single or double orphans, or affected by HIV/AIDS. AGE Africa works closely with the government - both at the district and central levels - to identify populations in need and introduce the program's unique life skills curriculum to schools across the country. Each year, AGE Africa works with more than 500 girls through its scholarship fund or extracurricular program. Key components of the program include: Scholarship fund - AGE Africa awards scholarships that cover the cost of tuition as well as indirect school fees for uniforms, transportation, exams, school supplies, food, and personal hygiene products; Creating Healthy Approaches to Success (CHATS) - First piloted in 2010, CHATS is a 2-year extracurricular program based on an original life skills and leadership curriculum. CHATS is co-facilitated by students and faculty and open to all girls in each participating school. The curriculum covers a number of topics, including self-advocacy, leadership development, sexual and reproductive health, organization and study skills, and entrepreneurship. Local community and business leaders frequently serve as guest speakers to make girls aware of opportunities for their future. AGE Africa trains both students and faculty to serve as mentors for the program. AGE Africa also partners with local organizations to help introduce and run CHATS in schools that do not participate in the scholarship fund; Tertiary transitions program - This component assists girls as they transition from secondary school to other forms of schooling or the workforce. AGE Africa provides university entrance exam preparation, assistance for admission or scholarship applications, and small stipends for housing and transportation for AGE Africa alumni pursuing higher education (such as university, vocational training schools, nursing school, or teacher training colleges). For those pursing employment AGE Africa’s curriculum is designed to teach small business skills and train students to search for and secure wage-based employment.