Introduction
The Leave No Girl Behind (LNGB) window is a new funding window announced in July 2016 under DFID’s Girls’ Education Challenge (GEC). The LNGB window aims to support interventions for highly marginalised, adolescent girls who are out of school (either because they have never attended school or have dropped out without gaining a basic education).
As part of this initiative, the 5-year project, entitled ‘Transformational Empowerment of Adolescent Marginalised Girls in Malawi’ or ‘TEAM Girl Malawi’, will be implemented through Link Community Development International’s partners in Malawi addressing the social, economic and educational barriers to education for adolescent girls.
TEAM Girl Malawi will operate in 40 communities in two rural (Dedza and Mchinji) and one urban (Lilongwe) district in Malawi’s Central region. It will improve learning and life chances for at least 5000 girls aged 10–19 who have never been to school or who dropped out of school without gaining functional literacy and numeracy.
It aims to achieve this through the adaption of Government curriculum, to specifically meet the needs of the most marginalised girls - who would otherwise not find a way back into mainstream education. This will be delivered through the mediums of Complementary Basic Education (CBE) classes addressing literacy, numeracy and life skills, and Girls Clubs/peer-to-peer buddying initiatives focusing on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, and learning capacity. Vocational and basic business training as well as a targeted micro-loan scheme will empower girls with a choice of pathway. Thus allowing marginalised girls to have significantly improved learning outcomes and transition to education, training, or employment; ultimately improving their life chances.
Implementing partners are: Link Community Development Malawi (LCDM) - Lead on Complementary Basic Education; Theatre for a Change (TfaC) – Lead on Child Protection, Safeguarding, community and Girls’ Club activities; Supreme – lead on vocational training; Charlie Goldsmith Associates (CGA) – Lead on internal M&E.
OUTPUTS
- Complementary Basic Education (CBE), and linked Primary Schools are high quality, inclusive and gender responsive.
- Girls are empowered with Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Knowledge
- Improved Leadership at national, district and local level supports the education of marginalised girls.
- Marginalised girls are safe, supported and protected
- Girls and their carers have Skills to earn
TEAM project design:
Will specifically focus on reducing barriers to education for girls.
Barriers including:
Social marginalisation
- Early/forced marriage; early pregnancy; gender based violence; initiation rites; care responsibilities; lack of community support; absent/ single parents; child headed households; HIV; lack of access to health services; poor mental health; disability; albinism; stigma; lack of role models.
Economic marginalisation
- Entrenched, severe poverty leading to pressure to work, hunger, lack of basic needs, poor health and an inability to afford school fees, transport, medication.
Educational marginalisation
- Lack of teachers; poor teacher quality; large class sizes; lack of inclusive learning facilities; inappropriate curriculum; poor literacy / numeracy; grade repetition; poor implementation of Readmission Policy; poor parental literacy/ numeracy; lack of SRHR education; lack of confidence.
- Will improve access to sexual and reproductive health
- Will explore and reduce stigma in communities.
- Will reduce economic marginalisation through providing free centres of education, and embedding financial literacy, micro-business training and loan provision for girls and their families
- Will pilot vocational training for sexually exploited girls
Reaching 5000 Girls in 40 communities across 3 districts (Dedza, Mchinji and Lilongwe urban) in central Malawi
TEAM Girl Malawi will balance meeting the urgent needs of target girls with addressing systemic barriers to education, in particular those created by gender and power inequalities.
Impact: Improved life chances for marginalised girls in Malawi
Outcome:
Address:
Link Community Development Malawi
Maula Mall
Off Kamuzu Procession Road
P.O. Box 1608
Lilongwe
Malawi