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Reaching Out to Young Girls in Southern Africa
Date Published: 14 October 2008 Document Type: Briefs & Fact Sheets Issue: Education (including Non-formal), Youth Languages: English Country: South Africa Purchase Method: Download |
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According to an integrated report by UNICEF/UNESCO, worldwide some 115 million primary school-aged children are estimated to be out of school. Of the total, 53 percent (61.6 million) are girls. Primary school enrolment rates for girls in eastern and southern Africa are reported at 62 percent. However in secondary schools, girls’ participation plummets with the enrolment rate at only 24 percent. Often, girls who complete primary school are not equipped to handle the transition into secondary school and the accompanying academic and social pressures. Through its pilot project, Towards a Better Future, the Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA) is working to improve the educational and health outcomes of young girls in southern Africa by providing them with the knowledge and skills they need to stay in school. The pilot program is designed around CEDPA’s successful youth development framework, the Better Life Options and Opportunities Model (BLOOM). The BLOOM approach builds self confidence and self esteem in adolescents, using comprehensive non-formal education curricula, Choose a Future! Issues and Options for Adolescent Girls, which has been adapted to the context of southern Africa.