Improving Girls’ Education, Life Skills & Job Prospects
When thinking about girls’ education in Africa, there’s nothing wrong with picturing happy smiling faces in primary schools. But to really help young girls in Africa to succeed in life, this will not be enough.
We need to pay equal attention to what happens before and after primary school if we are to increase the benefits of educating girls. We need to also think about how to improve job prospects by enhancing life skills and boosting self confidence and self esteem.
Girls and young women entering the 21st century job market will need skills and knowledge that can be added to, fine tuned and developed throughout their lifetime. They need our support at every step along the way. Give a girl an education and watch her change everything around her
Improving Girls’ Education, Life Skills and Job Prospects
Remember that there is no better way to empower girls and transform lives than through education.
We are committed to educating girls and young women in The Gambia by addressing the following issues
Increase School Enrollment and Attendance
Data suggests that in 24 low-income countries, only 34% of girls in the poorest 20% of households complete primary school, compared with 72% of girls in the richest 20% of households. We aim to increase school attendance and enrollment by helping to reduce the burden on the family budget and provide the costs of schooling for girls to include fees, fares and food.
Improve Academic Performances
In addition to increasing school enrollment and attendance, we also need to ensure that all girls who go to school will actually learn something. We believe in giving girls a strong foundation through early childhood development by building stronger schooling systems with clear learning standards, good teachers, adequate resources, and a proper regulatory environment that emphasizes accountability.
Improve Job Prospects
Education for its own sake certainly has an intrinsic value, but education and training that proves useful in the workplace is also essential. We aim to provide them with job-relevant skills and training that employers actually demand, or that they can use in launching their own business.
Encourage Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship
We also aim to create of an environment that encourages investments in knowledge and creativity to help facilitate innovation and increase the rates of self-employment and entrepreneurship among girls based on local market conditions in Africa.
Expand The Role Of Women In The Work Place
Girls are often more constrained and have limited access to job opportunities, which in turn can lead to diminished expectations. But this can be overcome, at least in part, by providing information on how markets really work. For example, research suggests that women who were shown videos of other women working in traditionally male occupations, such as auto repair, and who were told that wages were higher in such fields, were more likely to choose and enroll in training in those traditionally male-dominated fields.