CAMFED Makes Commitment to Support the Secondary Education of One Million Girls at 2014 Clinton Global Initiative
CAMFED today announced our goal to support one million girls through their secondary school education and into successful, secure livelihoods.
The announcement came as part of the Clinton Global Initiative’s CHARGE (The Collaborative for Harnessing Ambition and Resources for Girls’ Education) Commitment, which was announced by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Clinton Foundation Vice Chair Chelsea Clinton and former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on the final day of the tenth annual Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York City.
“Our goal is to reach marginalized and excluded girls in rural communities in sub Saharan Africa and support them to complete a full cycle of secondary education,” said Lucy Lake, CEO of CAMFED. Our commitment to these students doesn’t end with graduation. We will work with them and support them to move forward from school into economic independence and positions of leadership.”
CHARGE is a top-priority promise that unites the efforts of Government, civil society organizations, and private sector corporations to work together towards one common goal in supporting the education of girls around the world. “We are excited to sign up for this Commitment,” said Lake. “This is an ambitious undertaking that will multiply opportunities for girls and young women in rural areas of Africa.”
In addition to CAMFED’s own announcement, Pearson, in partnership with CAMFED, committed to offering Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) qualifications to 5,000 CAMFED Learner Guides in Ghana, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. The 5,000 Learner Guides are young women school graduates who will return to school to teach and guide more than 150,000 girls to improve their attendance, retention and education in secondary school. Through the BTEC, a transferable vocational qualification, Learner Guides will acquire an important, internationally benchmarked qualification that provides a stepping stone into formal higher education and teacher training.