CAMFED Operations

All our operational functions are carried out in partnership and close coordination with the young women and communities we serve.

CAMFED’s Operations are not separate from — but rather tightly integrated with — the communities we serve.

CAMFED’s work in our partner communities is driven by local committees that comprise members of the CAMFED Association, and CAMFED Champions, including teachers, parents, traditional leaders and local government officials, all of whom volunteer their time and expertise to ensuring that more girls complete school.

They are supported by CAMFED Operations in national and district offices across Ghana, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, staffed entirely by nationals of those countries. Additional back office support is provided by small teams in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada.

Our tight integration is represented by the overlap in our operating model’s circles, indicating that many staff members employed in our district and national offices – and some in international offices – are also members of the CAMFED Association or part of our CAMFED Champions.

Above all, we account to the girl

All of our Operations teams work together with a keen eye on the welfare of the girls and young women we serve, accountable above all to our clients. To ensure this accountability is part of the fabric of our Operations, we have a ‘social control process’ in our governance framework that results in a deep investment by the wider community.

CAMFED monitors student entitlements (e.g. receipt of school uniform, books, sanitary wear, school supplies etc.) at three different levels: community, national and international level. Community Champions, CAMFED Association members and CAMFED Operations all visit schools to check on the welfare of clients, ensure entitlements have been received, and check school accounts to ensure school and exam fees have been recorded, for example. This is in addition to the conventional financial control and auditing functions that are in place.

In addition, elected CAMFED Association Chairs sit on the Board of each national CAMFED entity. Our national boards also include traditional leadership (CAMFED Champions), and experts with in-depth government, education and social welfare expertise.

Operational functions such as program development and delivery, finance, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, fundraising and communications are all carried out in partnership and close coordination with women leaders in the CAMFED Association and other community champions.

A model built on trust

"The involvement of community members is something that goes beyond conventional buy-in. It is a trust that CAMFED has built over many years by working in these environments. Our community partners, they trust us and we also trust our community partners. That is a differentiating factor between CAMFED and other organizations.” - Luxon Shumba, CAMFED Chief Financial Officer

Meet our Senior Leadership and Boards