OCTOBER 2011—It is said that if you educate a girl, you transform a nation. From 2004 through 2011, the Ambassadors’ Girls’ Scholarship Program (AGSP), part of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Africa Education Initiative, did just that. By providing 215,000 scholarships to more than 70,000 girls and 7,500 boys, AGSP helped reduce gender gaps in education due to gender norms, the impact of HIV/AIDS and poverty. In the process, AGSP advanced development in 2,800 communities across 15 east and central African nations.
The young scholars received material support to help them succeed in school. They also received HIV/AIDS education, encouragement from their parents and community, and mentoring from adult role models. Conducted through FHI 360’s Center for Gender Equity and supported by a corporate foundation, the Ambassadors’ Girls’ Scholarship Program worked with 45 African nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) ranging from grassroots NGOs to the Forum for African Women Educationalists.
AGSP offered hope for children and their families in 15 countries in sub-Saharan African countries that have been challenged by conflicts within or across their borders, most with education systems reflecting the worst of past education practices: Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Djibouti, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
The goals of the program were clear: to increase access to a quality primary and secondary education for all children, and to increase retention and completion, with special attention to the unique needs of girls and young women.
Using a multitracked, integrated approach, AGSP was designed to address factors known to determine whether girls enroll and succeed in school.
EDUCATION: For children identified as the most needy in the community — particularly girls in rural communities, including those who had been orphaned, came from economically disadvantaged households or were affected by HIV/AIDS — AGSP provided full scholarship packages that included fees and uniforms, school bags, books and slates, pens and pencils, food and boarding, sanitary pads, toothpaste and toothbrushes, shoes and socks, and wrap skirts.
HIV/AIDS: HIV/AIDS has a particularly adverse effect on the enrollment and retention of girls in school. Girls are more likely to be infected and more likely to be affected when others get sick. They are often forced to drop out of school to become caretakers or to provide more or all of the family income. AGSP provided HIV/AIDS education and awareness to help prevent acquisition of HIV, so girls could stay on track with their education.
CIVIL SOCIETY: In country after country, parents and communities formed committees, organizations and associations to create an environment supportive of education and, in particular, girls’ education. They raised awareness, helped manage schools, ensured safe transport and generated income. They signed public declarations, went door-to-door and staged public ceremonies. The scholars were valued, and the quality of their school experience became a shared community responsibility. In addition to parent and community participation, 1,400 mentors were trained to work with the young girls — empowering them, supporting their academic work, encouraging them to stay in school, and providing a sense of safety and security. They were role models for scholars in need of role models, and they became the hallmark of AGSP.
Leadership for AGSP was shared by USAID’s Africa Bureau, FHI 360’s Center for Gender Equity, and 45 African NGOs, with financial support from a corporate foundation. The engagement of parents and community leaders at the local level, and their courage in many cases to challenge gender and cultural norms, made this program a success.
As it closes at the end of 2011, AGSP leaves a legacy of transformation not only for the girls whose lives it changed, but also for their families and communities, and the local NGOs and national governments that supported them.
The seven-year program provided over 215,000 scholarships to more than 70,000 girls and 7,500 boys, impacting 2,800 communities across 15 countries. Lessons and insights from the program can serve as resources for future efforts. AGSP’s online database, Fieldlink East and Central Africa, allowed partners access to information on all scholarships awarded, biographical data of the individual scholars, tracking data, and qualitative data on mentoring and community participation. Publications such as a Tool Kit for Girls’ Scholarship Programming and Related Enhancement Activities: Ideas, Instruments and Inspirations (AED, 2010) and the Girls Mentoring Resource Guides Series (AED, 2009–2010) provide guidance for those pursuing similar efforts in other regions.
But, the most profound outcomes of the Ambassadors’ Girls’ Scholarship Program can only be imagined. The world will be now different because thousands of African girls and boys from disadvantaged backgrounds have had the opportunity to go to school and will be able to use that education to contribute to society as they grow.
