Building the tech that helps us keep girls in school
Across Africa, young women educated with CAMFED’s support are stepping up for children at risk of exclusion from education, and championing their rights.
Day of the African Child (June 16) – which honors students who campaigned for fair access to education in South Africa, in 1976 – is an opportunity to celebrate ‘big sisters’ who are spearheading our collective efforts to keep girls in school.
A new film explores the technology co-created by these peer mentors, known as Learner Guides, which is now supporting their vital work.
I have been involved in the co-creation of a digital platform called the “Learner Guide Hub.” It’s designed to help Learner Guides, who act as big sisters and deliver life skills sessions to vulnerable children in their local schools, to access training resources, submit reports, share ideas, and build on the program to support students and one another.
At the planning stage, I attended Zoom meetings to offer my ideas on how the Hub can be beneficial to our work. Now, I am among more than 16,000 Learner Guides who already have access to the app. Many more will be joining us over time.
Before the emergence of this mobile app, we used to complete printed forms. The Learner Guide Hub means you can sit in the comfort of your home and quickly submit your reports. It is going a long way to help us reduce stress and even cost.
Read Saviour's story
The Learner Guide Hub was made possible with support from the Yidan Prize Foundation and is available to young women across Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It has been co-designed with Learner Guides like Saviour to meet their needs – by providing online access to training and learning resources and enabling quicker completion of reviews and reports. It is accessible with low bandwidth and even offline, to allow access for users with slow or limited internet access.
With benefits including the automation of time-consuming administrative tasks, the Learner Guide Hub not only supports individuals but also the efficiency of the Learner Guide program as a whole. It is one of the innovations contributing to the model’s expansion, and our strategic goal to reach more than 15 million children in 15,000 schools by 2030, as we partner with governments to deliver youth-led mentorship at scale.
Watch the full-length film“The Learner Guide Hub is a game-changer for us. Navigating it was so easy, and it really helps streamline our tasks."Learner Guide, Cape Coast, Ghana
CAMFED works in close partnership with governments to ensure school systems better serve the needs of all children. A new research report draws on one of the most important examples of this, which has looked at how to integrate elements of our Learner Guide model into national education systems, so that millions more students can benefit from a peer mentor accompanying them through school.
In a memorable celebration of youth leadership and community action, CAMFED Zimbabwe, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth, Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, joined government representatives, civil society organizations, and community members in Chikomba East, Mashonaland East Province, to commemorate Day of the African Child.
The day was filled with vibrant performances of poetry, drama, and music, capturing the hopes, challenges, and calls to action of young people themselves. Youth leaders from across the province delivered compelling messages, highlighting the urgent need for inclusive education, child protection, and disability rights.
CAMFED’s longstanding partnership with the Ministry of Youth has supported thousands of young people—especially rural girls and young women—with entrepreneurship skills, vocational training, and leadership opportunities. CAMFED Zimbabwe, represented by its Co-Executive Director, Justina Hama, also celebrated the Ministry’s commitment to involving CAMFED and rural youth voices in shaping the new National Youth Strategy.
In a powerful solidarity message, Justina emphasized that: “Every moment delayed is a lost opportunity for a child ready to learn, lead, and contribute meaningfully to the development of our continent… The time for the African child is now.”
June 14, 2025
LBC (formerly London Broadcasting Company) invited Angie to share her thoughts on this important day. She recognizes our sisterhood of game changers, and the pivotal role education plays in securing the rights of every child, and our collective future.
A new research report by Aisha D. Sykes explores the methods by which CAMFED is successfully partnering with government entities responsible for education and young people’s lives.
CAMFED CEO Angeline Murimirwa shares key takeaways from a panel discussion with young leaders and education activists Dr. Vee Kativhu, Arshdeep (Arsh) Singh Randhawa, and Shakila Rehman at the 2024 Yidan Prize Summit.
James and Claudia Ingols $150
stephanie fu $50
Marie Pratt $63.40
Patricia Christian $106
Abi Graham £21
Colleen Kane $26.60
Benita Davis $5.60
Kathleen Root $21.40
Emma Miller $106
John Sun $2000
Lei Zhang $63.40
JoAnn Mazzei $25
Susan Gervasi $16.10
Isaac Lee II $5.60
Barbara Richards $20.30
