VOICE OF HOPE January - March 2015
FAWE Speaks out Documentation & Research: FAWE added their voice and perspectives Sharing lessons at various critical global events including: 2015- Year of Women’s Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063 In January, FAWE participated at the African Union Summit to promote women’s education rights. Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Ministerial Consultation Conference on Education Post 2015 FAWE ensured that issues of girls and women’s education are included in the post 2015 priority agenda for Africa. Mrs. Aicha Bah Diallo, former Minister of Education in Guinea and former Board Chair of FAWE had the honour to make the first remark at the opening ceremony, where she highlighted the role and contribution of FAWE in promoting girls’ education in Africa. In addition, the Executive Director of FAWE, Ms. Hendrina Doroba and Ms. Christine Dranzoa (current Chairperson), participated in several discussions on various perspectives of education priorities for the post 2015 agenda. Working together with CARE USA Learning and sharing of experiences with CARE USA. FAWE was invited as a technical expert to discuss and contribute
While progress in education has been made over the last fifteen years in Africa and elsewhere, enrolment rates still remain very low in many regions. The persistence of gender inequalities in education raises many questions about the coordination and harmonization of initiatives in place, but also about the adequacy of measures, actions and political advocacy efforts. In West and Central Africa, 13 million girls do not attend primary school and has the lowest literacy rates in the world. In addition, less than onehalf of the women aged over 15 years are able to read or write. In 2014, FAWE, Aide et Action, Plan international, the African Network Campaign for Education For All (ANCEFA), and UNICEF, - supported by UNGEI created a regional partnership around a project on documentation of good practices in education for girls and women in West Africa. One of the targets is to combine the efforts in this area and also to create a framework for the exchange and sharing of knowledge and experiences for better coordination of activities and improving access and quality of education of girls and women in West Africa. This report highlights the best practices of relevant partner organizations in the field of education for girls and women. This document is also intended as an additional tool to identify and promote proven solutions in education of girls and women in West Africa.
CHAPTER NEWS FROM AROUND THE CONTINENT FAWE Mali
School against Ebola
In order to effectively fight against Ebola, FAWE Mali Alumni, chaired by Togola Hawa Séméga, initiated an awareness campaign called “School against Ebola”. The official launch of this campaign was held on February 20, at the Bamako International Conference Centre, chaired by the First Lady of Mali, Aminata Keita Maiga. The Secretary General of FAWE, Maiga Kady, welcomed the commitment of the First Lady for the cause of Malian youth and FAWE’s vision of providing quality education for all African youth.
FAWE Ethiopia
FAWE Ethiopia and The MasterCard Foundation launch a Scholars Program for 800 boys and girls in Ethiopia. In partnership with The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program, FAWE launched a ten year national level scholarship in Ethiopia. The partnership will enable the organization to provide a comprehensive scholarship package to 800 girls and boys. The program targets those who are academically promising and are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds thereby enabling them to access quality education throughout upper secondary and the majority of them, in tertiary education. The Program will be implemented in eight partner schools located in four marginalised localities where gender disparities in education are most notable.
FAWE Rwanda Alumni Launch at FAWE Rwanda on February 2015
FAWE Rwanda has access to approximately 800 former beneficiaries of its programs over the years since its inception. In keeping with the FAWE Africa agenda to not only build its leadership pipeline but also tap into this invaluable resource to enhance our voice in advocating for the rights of the girl child in education, FAWE Rwanda formally constituted an alumni body that will be linked with the other alumni chapters across the FAWE Network. The inaugural event was conducted on 8th February 2015 with a total of 20 participants drawn from Alumni members, Staff and representatives from the FAWE schools in Rwanda. The alumni present were taken through an orientation on what it entails to be part of the FAWE Alumni and then they established an interim committee that would help to not only enroll more members, but be the central coordinating body for the FAWE Alumni in Rwanda. The Alumni thereafter launched their activities with a site visit and a group mentoring session at the FAWE Girls School Gisozi.
FAWE Burkina Faso
Improving the participation and achievement of girls in Science, Mathematics and Technology (SMT)
Education statistics in Sub-Saharan African countries show that women continue to lag behind men in education in general and specifically in SMT. In January 2014, FAWE entered into a two year partnership agreement with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB). Introduced in Burkina Faso as a pilot project, the initiative aims to improve girls’ participation and performance of girls in SMT subjects in five educational institutions: secondary, vocational training and teacher training college by improving teachers’ pedagogical skills. During phase 1, we have reviewed the national education policy for Burkina Faso for gender responsiveness; reviewed of the teacher training curriculum for gender responsiveness, launched the SMT project through a policy dissemination workshop held in the presence of the key education stakeholders that created synergies and understanding of the key concerns in education that call for joint effort of all the education stakeholders and conducted a Baseline study on the status of girl’s participation in SMT. For phase 2, the team will continue with the implementation of the capacity building activities, such as conducting school based training to the young people through the FAWE Youth Empowerment Model (TUSEME).
The 51st EC Meeting held in Nairobi
The 51st FAWE Africa Executive Committee meeting was held on 3rd March 2015 at FAWE House in Nairobi, Kenya. In Attendance was Prof. Dranzoa (Chairperson), Mrs. Bah Diallo Aicha, Prof. Rosalie Kama, Ms Mbaye and Ms Malala attended virtually and Hon Fay Chung provided feedback through email. The EC considered and approved the following: - FAWERS 2014 implementation report and the Audited accounts - FAWERS Work programme and budget for 2015 - FAWERS salary Structure and the re/opening of FAWE Chapters in Niger, Côte d’Ivoire, Botswana and South Africa for 2015.
From left to right
Ms. Mwatumu Jasmine Malala, Prof. Rosalie Kama-Niamayoua, Ms Mbaye Amicoleh, Hon Fay Chung, Hon. Gahiru Rose, Ms. Hendrina Doroba (ED), Prof. Christine Dranzoa (Chairperson), Senator Iyabo Anisulowo, Hon. Alice Tiendrebeogo
STAFFING AND LEADERSHIP CHANGES IN THE FAWE COMMUNITY Additions to the FAWE Africa Family
During the first quarter of 2015, the FAWE Regional Secretariat outsourced short term consultants, interns and volunteers to provide back up support and also take lead on some of the planned activities for 2015. To date a total of three short term consultants, and one intern were recruited, as well as two AU volunteer’s contracts renewed as follows;
Consultancy Support:
• Faith Metiaki- Resource Mobilisation recruited for two months from January 2015 to support the programme department with the resource mobilisation efforts. • Network Specialists based in Mali, Zambia and Senegal recruited for three months from February 2015 • A consultant for the documentation of good practices in GRP.
Program Intern:
• Michael Onguss- recruited for six months to support the programme department from January 2015
Africa Union Volunteer:
• Larissa Esmiralda- Attached to the Communication Departments for one year from March 2015
Leadership Transitions at the Chapters.
Zanzibar National Chapter FAWE Zanzibar has been through a reform process following the resignation of the coordinator Khadija Shariff at the end of January 2015. Therefore, through a competitive recruitment process, EC Zanzibar has recruited a new chapter coordinator Madam Hindah Ajmy and a programme manager, Madam Nassra Mohamed.
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