The United Kingdom Department for International Development has partnered Plan International, the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED International) and World Vision to improve education outcomes for marginalised girls through a campaign dubbed ‘Leave No Girl Behind.’
Through the Girls’ Education Challenge (GEC) launched in 2012 as a 12 year commitment to reach the most marginalized girls in the world, the United Kingdom has launched a project dubbed Leave No Girl Behind.
According to Annabel Gerry, Head of the Department for International Development Zimbabwe and South-Africa, the Leave No Girl Behind will enable the most marginalized girls to continue their schooling and transition on to secondary education and is targeting 21,780 hard-to-reach girls aged between 10 and 19 years old, up to 6% of whom are living with disabilities.
“The aim is for these girls to not only learn important literacy and numeracy skills but also gain vital life skills to help them grow into confident young women. DFID’s aim is to build on what we have learnt so far and further deepen global understanding of what works for girls’ education, particularly during adolescence and in the transition from education to work,” said Gerry.
Speaking during the same event, Tsungai Mahumucha, Head of Programmes for Plan International Zimbabwe reiterated his organisation’s commitment to empower the hardest to reach girls by providing then with pathways to enhance their life chances.
“Plan International aims to empower the hardest to reach girls by providing them with education so that they can lead, decide and thrive. LNGB provides the girls with a number of pathways to enhance their life chances, going beyond literacy and numeracy to support various transition options,” said Mahumucha.
She added that through the GEC,they are looking at transforming the lives of over one million of the world’s most marginalized girls through quality education and learning.
The, “Leave No Girl Behind” will be supported through Plan International up to 2024 and will offer learning activities and transition pathways for adolescent girls, who will participate in accelerated learning programmes, learn life skills as well as sexual and reproductive health and rights knowledge.
The girls will also gain valuable vocational skills training and take up employment or self-employment opportunities.
