Wikipedia

Camfed

CAMFED(also known as theCampaign for Female Education) is an internationalnon-governmental,non-profit organizationfounded in 1993 whose mission is to eradicatepoverty in Africathrough the education of girls and the empowerment of young women. CAMFED programs operate inZimbabwe,Zambia,Ghana,TanzaniaandMalawi.

CAMFED
FoundedIn 1993 byAnn Cotton
TypeNGO
Non-profit
Development
Education
Location
MethodsEducation of girls and empowerment of women
Key people
Angeline Murimirwa (CEO)[7]
Websitecamfed.org

History

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CAMFEDwas founded in 1993 byAnn Cottonto support girls to go to school who would otherwise be denied an education because of poverty. The idea forCAMFEDcame from after a research trip toZimbabwein which she came to believe that the low enrollment of females in school was due to poverty that did not allow them to cover the school fees.[8]It began with support for 32 girls to attend secondary school in two rural districts of Zimbabwe. By 2017, Camfed had supported more than 1.5 million children through education in a network of 5,500 schools[9]inGhana,Malawi,Tanzania,ZambiaandZimbabwe.By 2023, Camfed reported helping 6.4 million children in total, including 1.8 million girls in secondary education.[10]

Anticipating the need for post-school economic opportunities for young people in marginalized rural communities, theCAMFEDAlumnae Association[11](CAMA) was established in 1998 to connect young female school leavers and offer pathways to post-secondary school opportunities. CAMA provides a structure through which its members can develop their activism and leadership. By 2017, CAMA had a membership of 84,675[9]young women, among them now teachers, business leaders, government officials, health professionals and entrepreneurs. A hallmark of Camfed is the activism and philanthropy of its alumnae network, who are actively raising and administering funds to support the next generation of children in school.

Work

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CAMFEDfocuses on rural areas ofAfricawhere poverty is widespread, and girls and young women face massive exclusion from education and the opportunities that are afforded by education.CAMFEDworks to build around girls a supportive environment in which they can attend, and succeed, at primary and secondary school, and progress into young adulthood with opportunities that include professional training, higher education and job creation.

CAMFEDprovides aid by paying for school fees, providing school uniforms, books, and sanitary protection. They also work with the school by training teachers to be mentors.[12]

CAMA

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CAMA, theCAMFEDAlumnae Association, is the alumnae association forCAMFEDgraduates.[13]

CAMA provides a structure through which its members can develop their activism and leadership. This is referred to as the 'CAMA Multiplier Effect', where these young women graduates are now leading the movement for girls' education in their communities. The ability of CAMA members to lead and implement such long lasting change comes from their lived experience.[14]

The Learner Guide Program

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The Learner Guide program was started and is run by women in theCAMFEDalumnae association CAMA network who volunteer in local schools to deliver a tailored curriculum encompassing leadership, health, learning and life skills to their younger peers.[15]

This is a two part project that concurrently addresses equal access to quality education for children and the post-secondary school transition period for young women.[16]Firstly, the Learner Guide Program offers a training program for young women to become Learner Guides, opening up post-secondary opportunities, providing transferable skills training, and work experience. Secondly, Learner Guides deliver a tailored program that supports marginalized children through their education, alongside the standard schoolcurriculum.[17]

CAMFED and the Sustainable Development Goals

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TheSustainable Development Goals,a set of universal goals aimed to tacklepoverty,inequality,discriminationandclimate changeacross the world, came into action on 1 January 2016. As part of the2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,these goals are designed to mobilize global efforts to transform the world in fifteen years.[18]

CAMFEDis contributing directly to progress with SDG4: Quality Education. In addition, through the sustainable and scalable programs[19]introduced byCAMFEDin educating girls, and supporting young women through their transition into secure livelihoods,[20]CAMFED'swork contributes to achieving many of the Sustainable Development Goals including Goal 1: Poverty, Goal 3: Good Health, Goal 5: Gender Equality, Goal 13: Climate Action, and more.

Accreditation

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In October 2014,CAMFEDwas recognized by theOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD) for best practice in taking development innovation to scale.[21]

In 2017, The Learner Guide Program was awarded the WISE Award.[22]

As of 1 October 2019,CAMFEDUSAis rated byCharity Navigatorat 96.30 out of 100 overall, with a rating of 96.64 out of 100 for its financials and a 96.00 out of 100 for transparency and accountability.[23]

Notable supporters

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CAMFEDhas been endorsed by actorMorgan Freeman,former US PresidentBill Clinton,authorDoris Lessing,former Prime Minister ofAustraliaand GPE Board ChairJulia Gillard,singer/songwriterJoan Armatrading,actress, singer/songwriter, and philanthropistRihanna,businesswoman and philanthropistMartha Lane Foxand actress, model and activistEmma Watson.Social entrepreneurAyisha Fuseinibecame a benefactor of theCAMFEDprogram when she submitted her pitch for hershea butterbusiness.[24]

See also

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Further reading

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References

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  1. ^"Meet our Senior Leadership - CAMFED".
  2. ^"Where we operate - CAMFED Ghana - girls' education & leadership".
  3. ^"Where we operate - CAMFED Malawi - girls' education".
  4. ^"Where we operate - CAMFED Tanzania - girls' education".
  5. ^"Where we operate - CAMFED Zimbabwe - girls' education".
  6. ^"Where we operate - CAMFED Zambia - Girls' education".
  7. ^"Our people".Retrieved26 October2023.
  8. ^"Our team – CAMFED - Campaign for Female Education".camfed.org.Retrieved9 April2019.
  9. ^abc"Annual report 2016"(PDF).Camfed.Retrieved13 September2023.
  10. ^Inman, Phillip (25 October 2023)."Girls in Africa quitting school over cost of living crisis, says charity".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.
  11. ^"CAMA: Young women leading change – CAMFED - Campaign for Female Education".camfed.org.Retrieved9 April2019.
  12. ^"How we operate - our unique model - CAMFED".
  13. ^"CAMA alumnae: Young women leading change",Camfed.
  14. ^"This Malala Day We Ask How Young Women Can Take Control Of Their Futures".HuffPost UK.11 July 2017.Retrieved9 April2019.
  15. ^"The Learner Guide Program – CAMFED - Campaign for Female Education".camfed.org.Retrieved9 April2019.
  16. ^"How Can We" Leapfrog "Educational Outcomes? (SSIR)".ssir.org.Retrieved9 April2019.
  17. ^Shapiro, Jordan."How Some Of The Poorest Girls In The World Get Exactly The Education They Need".Forbes.Retrieved9 April2019.
  18. ^Martin."The Sustainable Development Agenda".United Nations Sustainable Development.Retrieved9 April2019.
  19. ^Varma, Priyanka (22 November 2016)."Ensuring millions of children have the opportunity to learn".Brookings.Retrieved9 April2019.
  20. ^Thorpe, Devin."How Many Girls Can One Woman Teach? You'd Be Surprised".Forbes.Retrieved9 April2019.
  21. ^OECD."OECD DAC Prize".Retrieved22 January2015.
  22. ^"2017 WISE Awards".www.wise-qatar.org.Retrieved9 April2019.
  23. ^"Charity Navigator - Rating for Camfed USA Foundation".Charity Navigator.Retrieved28 November2019.
  24. ^Graphic Business,Ayisha Fuseini: The 'Shea' strength of Asheba Enterpriseby Elikem Kuenyehia (Monday, April 30, 2018)[1]Archived2019-03-23 at theWayback Machine(Retrieved 25 April 2019)
  25. ^Camfed Strategic Plan 2015-19Camfed
  26. ^Learning generationeducationcommission.org
  27. ^"How Can We" Leapfrog "Educational Outcomes? (SSIR)".ssir.org.Retrieved29 May2019.
  28. ^Millions Learning: Scaling up Quality Education in Developing Countriesbrookings.edu
  29. ^Shapiro, Jordan."How Some Of The Poorest Girls In The World Get Exactly The Education They Need".Forbes.Retrieved29 May2019.
  30. ^Shapiro, Jordan."Education Is The Key To All Global Development Goals (Q&A With Julia Gillard)".Forbes.Retrieved29 May2019.
  31. ^Shapiro, Jordan."To Fix U.S. Schools, Consider Camfed's Work In Sub-Saharan Africa".Forbes.Retrieved29 May2019.
  32. ^"Camfed Governance Accounting to the Girl"(PDF).Camfed.Retrieved13 September2023.
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