Girls’ Access to Education (GATE) (Sierra Leone)

  • P Project/Program

? Activity Status: Unknown

Key Information

This project aimed to support 11,010 marginalised girls and children with disabilities in five districts in Sierra Leone. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the project worked at the individual, school, home, community and policy levels to ensure sustainable support to, and investment in, education.

The project aimed to enable greater access to school, improve learning results and support transition to further education and employment. It did this through study groups, training and support of female learning assistants, and training student teachers. It worked with community-based rehabilitation volunteers (CBRVs) to support children with disabilities. Bursaries and economic initiatives activities (e.g. village savings and loans associations and livelihoods grants) were used to support the sustainability of activities.

Lead Implementing Organization(s)

Location(s)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Sierra Leone

Activity URL

https://girlseducationchallenge.org/projects/project/girls-access-to-education-gate/

Government Affiliation

Non-governmental program

Years

2017 - 2021

Partner(s)

Handicap International. Open University and Action Aid

Ministry Affiliation

Ministry of Education, Science and Technology

Funder(s)

COVID-19 Response

Adapted

Geographic Scope

Sub-national

Meets gender-transformative education criteria from the TES  

Unknown

Areas of Work Back to Top

Education areas

Attainment

  • Primary to secondary transition

Other

  • Remote Learning

Quality

  • School facilities
  • Teacher training

Skills

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy

Cross-cutting areas

  • Community sensitization
  • COVID-19 Response
  • Economic/livelihoods (including savings/financial inclusion, etc.)
  • Gender equality

Program participants

Target Audience(s)

Girls (both in school and out of school)

Age

Not applicable or unknown

School Enrolment Status

Some in school

School Level

  • Upper primary
  • Lower secondary

Other populations reached

  • Fathers
  • Mothers
  • Teachers - female

Participants include

  • People with disabilities

Program Approaches Back to Top

Community engagement/advocacy/sensitization

  • General awareness-raising/community engagement
  • Parent Teacher Associations (PTA)
  • School management committees
  • Technical assistance/capacity building to civil society organizations or governments

Facilities construction/improvement

  • Construction/improvement of schools

Reducing economic barriers

  • Addressing cost of school supplies
  • Income-generating activities
  • Savings accounts
  • Unconditional cash transfers (including non-cash goods) to individuals/households
  • Vouchers/grants

Social/gender norms change

  • Engaging parents/caregivers of students or school-age children/adolescents
  • Group activities with students or school-age children/adolescents

Teaching

  • In-service teacher training – gender-responsive pedagogy

Tutoring/strengthening academic skills

  • Literacy - in the classroom
  • Numeracy - in the classroom

Program Goals Back to Top

Education goals

  • Improved academic skills (literacy and numeracy)
  • Increased progression to secondary school
  • Increased years of schooling
  • Reduced absenteeism
  • Teachers and learners have the knowledge and skills to promote gender equality

Cross-cutting goals

  • Increased employment/job-related skills