Empowering Girls Through Education in Mali
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DFID PPA Funded: Building Skills for Life for Adolescent Girls Empowering Girls through Education in Mali Final Report By: Théodore Nseka Vita, Main Consultant And Dr. Fatoumata DJENEPO, Co-consultant February 2013 Millenium Consulting Group – sarl Table of contents Acronyms and abbreviations ............................................................................................................... 3 Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 4 1. Project background in Mali ............................................................................................................. 9 1.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 9 1.2. Project main activities .................................................................................................................... 9 1.3. Context in Mali ............................................................................................................................ 10 1.4 Context in project communities ....................................................................................................... 12 1.5. Objectives of the half-way evaluation .............................................................................................. 12 1.6. Methodology and difficulties encountered in carrying out the survey ....................................................... 13 1.6.1. Methodology and tools ............................................................................................................ 13 1.6.2. Sampling .............................................................................................................................. 13 1.6.3. Data collection ...................................................................................................................... 14 1.6.4. Data entry ............................................................................................................................ 15 1.6.5. Drafting of report ................................................................................................................... 15 1.6.6. Difficulties encountered in carrying out the survey ..................................................................... 15 2. Findings ................................................................................................................................... 16 2.1. Changing attitude toward schooling .................................................................................................. 16 2.1.1. Change in the attitude of adolescents toward schooling .............................................................. 16 2.1.2. Domestic activities, schooling and gender ................................................................................. 16 2.1.3. Change in the attitude of adults toward schooling ...................................................................... 17 2.1.4. Attitude of the community ...................................................................................................... 21 2.2. Changing attitude toward the use of violence against adolescents ........................................................... 23 2.2.1. Change in the attitude of parents toward the use of violence against adolescents .......................... 23 2.2.2. Change in the attitude of adolescents toward the use of violence against them .............................. 24 2.3. Efficacy of the program in the dissemination of SRH information .......................................................... 26 2.3.1. Change in the attitude of parents ............................................................................................. 26 2.3.2. Change in the attitude of children ............................................................................................ 27 2.3.3. Attitude change in the community............................................................................................ 28 2.4. What policies were implemented or changed?..................................................................................... 29 2.5. Decision making and involvement of adolescents ................................................................................. 33 3.1. Challenges .................................................................................................................................. 34 3.1.1. Schooling related challenges ................................................................................................... 34 3.1.2. Violence related challenges ..................................................................................................... 35 3.1.3. Challenges in implementing SRH courses .................................................................................. 35 3.2. Conclusions and Recommendations ............................................................................................. 35 Rapport final MTE Mali 2 Acronyms and abbreviations CIDA: Canadian Agency for International Development SI: School Inspection IGA: Income Generating Activities SMA: Students’ Mothers Association BSFL : Building Skills For Life FLC: Functional Literacy Center PAC: Pedagogic Animation Center CBC : Communication for Behavior Change CRC: Child Rights Convention SDB: School Development Banks EDC: Education for Development Center CEFDW: Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discriminations toward Women PRSF: Poverty Reduction Strategic Framework SMC: School Management Committee NNF-ERC: National Non Formal Education Resources Center FSD; Fundamental School Diploma DFID: Department for International Development (Great Britain) NDBE: National Directorate of Basic Education DG: Discussion Group GOC: Government of Children KI: Key Informants INSTAT: National Statistics Institute JICA: Japanese International Cooperation Agency MoE: Ministry of Education CBO: Community Base Organization MDG: Millennium Development Goals NGO: Non Governmental Organization ESIP: Education Sectoral Investment Program IPSE: Investment Program of the Sector of Education PPA: Partnership Program Arrangement PU: Program Unit GPHC: General Population and Home Census M&E: Monitoring & Evaluation RHSH: Reproductive and Sexual Health GSR: Gross Schooling Rate EU: European Union UNICEF: United Nations Children’s Fund UNESCO: United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization USAID: United States Agency for International Development Rapport final MTE Mali 3 SUMMARY Plan Mali runs four program units in 292 villages. The «Empowering Girls through Education » project started in April 2011 in two program units spread across 15 communes divided between the Kangaba Program Unit (08 communes, 23 communities, 25 schools) and the Kati program unit (7 communes, 23 communities, 25 schools). The project is funded by DFID through the United Kingdom National Office of Plan (UKNO). The direct beneficiaries of the program are adolescents of both sexes aged 10 to 19, and the indirect beneficiaries are teachers, parents, school management committees (SMC), and students’ mothers associations (SMA). The project is being implemented with as main partners NGO, PAC, SI and NDBE. The objective of the half-way evaluation is to assess the changes occurred in project communities since the baseline survey and the beginning of project implementation. The methodological approach to the half-way evaluation was developed by Plan UK and made available to Plan Mali. The quantitative survey was carried out in 2 communities involved in project activities. One hundred (100) households were surveyed (50 households per community). Overall, 200 people were surveyed of whom 50 adolescent girls, 50 adolescent boys, 50 adult women, and 50 adult men. For the qualitative survey, 12 focus groups discussions were conducted. In each of the two communities, 2 groups of adolescent girls, one group of adolescent boys, one group of adult women, one group of adult men and one group of teachers of both sexes participated in the group discussions. This progress report is a compilation of the findings of research carried out in two communities: Balla Massala and Niagadina. The report presents data collected thanks to the tools used in focus group discussions with adolescents, adults, key informants, and project actors, and the tables used in the quantitative survey. It discusses the improvements resulting from project implementation, and concludes with the challenges to be overcome and recommendations on how to preserve the gains of the project and improve implementation. The leadership role assumed by girls in class activities is ground for satisfaction. Nowadays, girls take an interest in class activities and assume leadership. 72% of them agreed with this assertion during the baseline survey. They are now 87.8% to agree with it. The remediation courses conducted by the project have improved the performance of girls in school and encouraged them to continue their studies. The gifting of school materials has had the same positive impact on the schooling of girls, and sensitization and information sessions on sexual and reproductive health have contributed significantly to the reduction of cases of unwanted pregnancies. Rapport final MTE Mali 4 The review of the quantitative data shows that the sensitization campaigns carried out have improved decision making in families on the