“Sisterhood lifts us all” – CAMFED Sisterhood Week 2026
When girls are educated, they can grow into leaders who mentor others and help their communities thrive. Here’s how our sisters are turning hope into action…
CAMFED Association Summit 2026: “Don’t wait to be invited before you sit at the table”
When a young woman finishes school with CAMFED, she doesn’t stop there. She joins the CAMFED Association — our 355,000 strong sisterhood of women leaders who use their own lived experience to overcome barriers and break them down for the next generation.
Every year, this sisterhood comes together at the CAMFED Association (CAMA) Summit. In August 2026, Accra, Ghana came alive with the sounds of sisterhood as 126 selected leaders, representing members of the network from Ghana, Zambia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Tanzania, came together to share their lived experiences and look to the future as powerful agents of change.
Under the theme “Rooted in Lived Experiences: Shaping the Future,” the young women discussed how leadership, governance, entrepreneurship, digital transformation, inclusive education and community-led solutions can be used to shape the future.
Watch the opening ceremony
Discover energy, passion, and joyful moments at the opening ceremony of the CAMFED Association (CAMA) Summit, held in Accra, Ghana in August 2026. Young women leaders from across the African continent gathered to connect, reflect, and renew their commitment towards driving positive change.
Claiming our space at the table
The summit kicked off with a bold call to action. Delivering the keynote speech, Dr. Obaapanyin Oforiwaa Adu, Gender Advocate and Director General of General Administration and Consular Services at the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC), Ghana, called for CAMFED Association members to take up space where decisions are being made, including in traditionally male-dominated sectors.
“Don’t wait to be invited before you sit at the table. Grab your seat in the boardroom, in the decision-making room, at the executive management level — and make sure your voice is heard.”Dr. Obaapanin Oforiwaa Adu, Director General of General Administration and Consular Services at UniMAC, Ghana
Multiplying opportunity through business growth
When a young woman in the CAMFED Association thrives as an entrepreneur, her whole community moves forward with her. A CAMFED graduate running a business supports an average of 6 more children to go to school with her own resources, multiplying the investment in their education.
Entrepreneur and CAMFED Association member Ayisha, founder of Asheba Company Ltd, shared her path to scaling a successful shea butter processing business, showing how rural enterprises create vital local jobs and open the door to education for more children.
During the summit, CAMFED Association members also took part in practical sessions with partners such as Absa Bank Ghana LTD on the importance of developing a growth mindset, utilizing digital tools including AI, and using branding to grow businesses.
“It is not enough to have access to money or financial services; women must also have the knowledge and confidence to manage resources, plan the future, and make informed financial decisions.”Esther, CAMFED Social Media Ambassador, Ghana
“It takes investment and strong partnerships to help young women transition from education to employment, leadership and entrepreneurship.”Natasha, CAMFED Association member, Zimbabwe
Leading beyond community
From local activism to global influence, the CAMFED Association sisterhood is raising its collective voice. In a powerful plenary entitled From Clients to Builders, Fiona Mavhinga, founding member and Executive Director, CAMFED Association Development mapped out the movement’s vision for 2026–2036.
The message was clear: as the Association expands its reach, its core values of accountability, integrity, equity, and inclusion remain at the heart of the growing movement.
Later, delegates discussed shifting emphasis from local impact to wider influence by:
- Strengthening governance
- Ensuring greater visibility of achievements through data and evidence
- Engaging in national and international policy spaces
- Building systems that outlast any single leader or project
Above all, members agreed to continue using their collective voice to advocate for girls’ education, and promote inclusive opportunities for all CAMFED Association members.
Watch highlights from Day 2“Your voice must be heard even when your voice is shaking”Ms Janeth Edson, Head of Legal, Governance and Board Liaison, CAMFED
Learning from community innovation
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. It was with this African proverb in mind that CAMFED Association members visited groundbreaking community projects outside Accra, which provided inspiration for innovation and environmental sustainability.
Maflix Trust Ghana Ltd showcased hydroponic and greenhouse systems that use coconut peat rather than traditional soil, and demonstrated how farms can flourish on unconventional land.
At Accra Compost, the young women saw first-hand ways to turn environmental issues into opportunity through material recycling.
Businesses like these demonstrate the importance of combining practical skills with innovation, and the visits were designed to spark creativity, showing how young people can create sustainable livelihoods while transforming whole communities.
“The field visits have inspired me to embrace creativity in problem solving and think how I can create useful products from discarded materials.”Kate Chanda, CAMFED Association member, Zambia
Throughout the week, music, poetry, dance, and song filled the halls – a vibrant reminder of the deep pride, joy, and unbreakable sense of belonging that defines our 355,000-strong sisterhood.
But as the celebrations in Accra drew to a close, the work was only getting started. Delegates returned home armed with concrete national action plans: stepping up enterprise mentorship, rolling out digital tools, deepening safeguarding capacity, and creating more pathways for women into leadership positions across all six countries.
The true impact of the Summit won’t be measured by the speeches given on stage, but by the doors opened, the businesses launched, and the young girls supported in the months ahead. Grounded in their lived experiences, the women of the CAMFED Association aren’t waiting for a better future. They are already shaping it.
Hear more from our CAMFED Association leaders
Video: The CAMFED sisterhood: Turning hope into action
Sisterhood is a powerful force for hope, belonging, and collective action—not only for women, but radiating outward. When girls are educated, they can grow into leaders who share skills, mentor others, and help their communities thrive.
Our sisterhood on the global stage: CAMFED at Skoll World Forum
In April 2026, the Skoll World Forum in Oxford brought together global changemakers, including members of the CAMFED Association, Africa's fastest growing network of women leaders