Education is the cornerstone of thriving communities, and when girls in marginalised rural African communities receive an education, it has a transformative impact. Catalyst Foundation’s S.H.E. Programme is dedicated to removing barriers to education for girls in Zimbabwe and Zambia, empowering them to become agents of change. In this blog, we will explore the challenges faced by girls in these communities and how the S.H.E. Programme provides essential support to help them overcome these obstacles.
Common Barriers that prevent Girls from attaining an Education
In marginalised rural African communities, girls face numerous barriers that hinder their access to education. These include, but are not limited to:
- Harmful cultural practices perpetuate the belief that girls should not be educated, leading to child labour, early marriages, and exploitation.
- Lack of legal documentation prevents girls from participating in examinations and regional/national sports.
- Financial constraints and long distances to school further impede their educational journey.
- Additionally, underfunded schools lack adequate infrastructure and resources, hampering the quality of education.
Learn how our S.H.E. Programme’s Bespoke Support removes these Barriers for our Beneficiaries
Our S.H.E. Programme identifies and addresses all educational barriers, ensuring our beneficiaries have consistent access to education.
This educational support involves the following:
- Processing of legal documentation.
- Provision of bicycles for our beneficiaries to overcome long travel distances, enabling them to reach school more easily.
- Termly food hampers to combat hunger.
- Provision of essential school supplies, such as stationery, new school uniforms, shoes, bags, textbooks, and exercise books.
- Financial support for school fees, examination fees, and additional lessons if required.
- Focusing on improving school infrastructure and educational resources to create safe and conducive learning environments for all learners, not just for our beneficiaries.
Promoting Community Engagement
We engage our beneficiaries’ parents/caregivers, community leaders, and stakeholders to challenge attitudes and beliefs that hinder girls’ education. Through awareness campaigns, community dialogues, and workshops, we strive for gender equality in education and create supportive environments that foster girls’ academic success.
Our Desired Impact
We aim to ensure that all beneficiaries in Zimbabwe and Zambia fully experience their right to education. By providing comprehensive support, we strive to empower our S.H.E. girls to stay in school, thrive academically, and develop into the best version of themselves.
