Your Philanthropy Update: April 2024
Welcome to this update about how, together, we are helping girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa thrive and succeed.
Living into the possibilities
Earlier this month, CAMFED’s Lydia Wilbard shared a film at the Skoll World Forum capturing the personal struggles she overcame to complete her education in rural Tanzania.
Tunainuana: Together We Rise tells the story of how Lydia, now serving as CAMFED’s Executive Director: Learning and Engagement, went on to co-found the Tanzania chapter of our movement of educated women leaders, now numbering 278,900 across Africa.
Following the screening, Lydia joined in discussion with Sophie Hodder from Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and the film’s director, Lindsay Branham, about the power of storytelling.
“Stories help create the conditions for change in social norms. They help people see and believe, and live into the possibilities. It is like a magnetic pull.” – Lindsay Branham, Founder and President of Novo Film
You can watch this film on a private link here. As it will be premiered at a film festival in the coming weeks, we ask you not to share the film on your digital platforms at this time.
Transforming climate education
In March 2024, we launched our climate education partnership in Zimbabwe and Zambia with endorsement from the Ministries of Education in each country. The climate curriculum will be delivered in schools by peer mentors to help students build the broad range of skills needed to thrive in a climate-impacted world.
CAMFED CEO Angeline Murimiwa joined Hon. Torerayi Moyo, of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in Zimbabwe for the official launch of the climate education approach and handbook on March 6th. He singled out CAMFED’s peer mentor model–our Learner Guide program–for its transformational impact in Zimbabwe.
“I am excited to note that in the schools where Learner Guides operate, progression rates among marginalized girls have increased significantly and learning outcomes have improved. The Learner Guide program has also been associated with a significant reduction in the number of girls dropping out of school because of early marriage or pregnancy.” – Minister Torerayi Moyo
Severe weather in recent years has highlighted the critical need for agriculture practices and food systems that are resistant to the impacts of climate change, without which children’s education and women’s livelihoods suffer. Since your last quarterly update, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia have each declared a state of disaster due to severe droughts.
Championing changemakers in Australia
In March, the 27th Prime Minister of Australia and CAMFED Patron Hon. Julia Gillard joined CAMFED Association members Abigail Kaindu and Yvonne Chari in Melbourne Australia to co-host a lunch with CAMFED partner MECCA M-POWER.
The lunch brought together a group of champions and change-makers who have pledged their ongoing commitment to addressing issues of inequality across the world.
“We left our footprints here and the stories of our sisterhood. These stories show how powerful and resilient we are, we hope they will ignite change and make a difference for the girls coming behind us.” – Abigail, CAMFED Zambia and Yvonne, CAMFED Zimbabwe
Celebrating philanthropy in action
Earlier this quarter, CAMFED alumnae shared the power of collective leadership at two events. Our CEO, Angie Murimirwa, and CAMFED Association member Mwangala Mukelabai joined Radha Ruparell of the People First Community talking about the centrality of communities in making change happen at scale. The inspiring conversation is now available to watch. The following day, two alumnae and a founding member of the CAMFED Association joined a small group of our supporters to talk about how the network has evolved over its 25 years, but also how it stays true to the founding principles encouraging young women leaders to ‘shape the world’. Watch this Unstoppable Determination event here, and we welcome you to sign up for future events here.
“The joy of being together and the passion to help more girls out of poverty through education is always there in the CAMFED Association.” – Natasha Lwanda, CAMFED Association member
Fostering an intergenerational vision
More young people than ever are planning ahead for their future, with a record-breaking number pledging gifts to charities in their wills. We are joining them by looking to the future with our long term strategic planning and system transformation work. CAMFED’s legacy program, which recently received a Highly Commended Smee and Ford Legacy Award for Best Startup, celebrates the generational impact of supporting girls’ education. As girls succeed, they uplift future generations with them, moving the horizon of our support and impact into the future. Learn how legacy gifts allow you to make provision for the future of the work we have started together.
As one legator writes about CAMFED, “In my Will I want to leave more than just a sum of money – rather a lasting legacy which will provide assistance in perpetuity. The mentoring and support of other girls means my gift is ever growing and giving. How better to fulfill the wishes for my own legacy?”
Giving with your DAF online has never been easier
Our website now hosts a new feature allowing direct donations to CAMFED from Donor Advised Funds (DAFs). With just three clicks, you can contribute to CAMFED’s global movement for girls’ education more efficiently than ever.
This feature is now live on our website. We encourage anyone who has a Donor Advised Fund to click here and consider this simpler way to give.