2022 Annual Report | DIGEST

EDUCATION

SPOTLIGHT Take 2 Girls get a second chance to study.

NEWS FEED – MALI IMAGINE THIS!

Patricia with her daughter

Girls in Mali are missing out on school. COVID-19, armed conflict and displacement have created an education crisis. Schools are closed, students are falling behind and youth, especially girls, can’t easily return to their studies after living through such upheaval. That’s why the IMAGINE program in Mali offers alternative learning options so out-of-school children have a greater chance of integrating back into class. Teachers are trained to provide inclusive, psychosocial and conflict-sensitive support. The team also teaches girls that getting an education is their right and a path to a better future. Here are some of the achievements we helped make possible with the support of Global Affairs Canada with matched funds from supporters: 1 , 190 youths participated in home-based learning programs in communities where schools were closed.

The Plan for Girls project in Benin and Cameroon offers hope to girls who have left their studies due to an early pregnancy, gender biases or poverty or because they live too far away from school. The Girls’ Advisory Committee is the backbone of the project, which is funded by Global Affairs Canada with matched funds from Canadian supporters. Seventy-five girls from 60 villages participate in creating Plan for Girls activities. Involving them in the decision making in this manner had not been done before. The committee members, nominated by their peers, develop action plans that include working with authorities on issues related to health, education, violence, employment and gender equality. The goal is to have decision makers listen to and involve adolescent girls so that together they can break the cycle of poverty. Joining the advisory committee in 2022 changed Patricia’s life. After an unplanned pregnancy, she dropped out of school. While she was home with her baby, she was asked to join the committee.

10 , 800 parents in Cameroon attended

She began to participate in activities that raised her awareness about her rights, which include the right to get an education. “I felt confident that I could succeed,” she says, “and that’s what convinced me to go back to school.” Today, Patricia plans to finish her studies and enroll in secretarial training. community sessions and workshops to discuss ways to prioritize girls’ education in 2022.

girls at risk of dropping out of school attended remediation classes to help them continue their studies. out-of-school girls attended accelerated-learning programs to help them re-enter school. teachers at 903 schools were trained to provide inclusive, psychosocial and conflict-sensitive support to students.