CAMFED Circle: Summer Philanthropy Update
As many countries begin slowly returning to pre-pandemic activities in the wake of successful vaccination programs, our colleagues and clients in sub-Saharan Africa continue to grapple with the significant challenges that COVID-19 has created. We are able to continue program delivery at this critical time because of your continued support of CAMFED’s work and the educated young women in the CAMFED Association, who will stop at nothing to make sure girls stay safe and keep learning. Read below* how together we continue to address the stark global inequalities heightened by the pandemic.
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A YEAR IN REVIEW
CAMFED’s 2020 Annual Review highlights the tens of thousands of young women educated with CAMFED’s support, for whose leadership through this crisis we are so grateful. And thank you for your unwavering support as a member of our global movement, which has meant we’ve been able to respond with urgency to the needs of the girls and communities we serve.
Our resolute focus remains on safeguarding girls, supporting their learning beyond the school gates, and enabling young women to develop secure and climate-smart livelihoods. Watch our video to see just how much we managed to deliver together, against all odds.
CAMFED’s annual philanthropy report, Together We Are, will follow in September with further highlights about what your partnership with us has made possible.
CELEBRATING EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Last month on Day of the African Child, CAMFED received the 2021 Princess of Asturias Award for International Cooperation, which counts Nelson Mandela among its esteemed past laureates. The jury was especially passionate about environmental sustainability, and our Agriculture Guide program.
“The international non-governmental organization CAMFED has contributed for more than two decades to social transformation aimed at remedying the exclusion and facilitating the access of millions of girls to education, as well as the empowerment of young women in sub-Saharan Africa. Based on a model of continuous support from childhood through to adulthood and on a network of solidarity and intergenerational help, its work has promoted a systemic change built on the pillars of equity and social justice which is committed to the leadership of the women.” - MINUTES OF THE JURY, Princess of Asturias Award for International Cooperation
Furthermore, in the run up to June’s G7 summit, The Guardian cited CAMFED as one of the most important aid agencies of the moment.
A GROUNDSWELL OF SUPPORT
A groundswell of support in response to Nicholas Kristof’s 2020 Holiday Impact Prize is providing an incredible $4.6M in financial, social and peer support for girls during times of continued uncertainty and upheaval.
More than 3,300 new donors responded to Kristof’s New York Times column in November, motivated by CAMFED’s Multiplier Effect — through which educated young women go on to support the next generation through school, and lead lasting change in their communities. With most donors choosing to give the $150 needed to keep a girl in school for a year, the astonishing cumulative result of this generosity embodies CAMFED’s rallying cry of ‘Together We Can’!
BY POPULAR DEMAND
The My Better World life skills series launched on Youtube last month, following successful broadcasts to more than 200 million children via radio and television before and during school closures. Based around the themes of CAMFED’s life skills and wellbeing curriculum, which is delivered in our partner schools by trained Learner Guides, the series has been adapted for broadcast by our partner Impact(Ed). The 55 part-animated episodes follow the adventures of six African teenagers as they face realistic challenges and make decisions relating to their education, family relationships and friendships.
IN PREPARATION FOR COP26
Ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) later this year, the vital link between girls’ education and climate action continues to receive growing recognition, most recently in a Reuters article that featured the work of CAMFED Agriculture Guide, Esnath Divasoni, and highlighted how championing women’s leadership is central to implementing scalable solutions.
“I work with young “forgotten” female farmers across 29 rural districts to devise solutions to the problems that women typically face in agriculture. Some of the pressing issues include lack of information which will enable them and their production systems to adapt to the harsh effects of climate change.” - Rufaro Chokera, CAMFED Association member and EARTH University-Mastercard Foundation Graduate Fellow, Zimbabwe
Agriculture Guides Rufaro Chokera and Forget Shareka spoke in depth in May about how they are helping thousands of women meet the nutritional needs of their communities in the face of extreme weather.
To watch their conversation visit: camfed.org/latest-news/films/event-women-africa-leading-climate-action/
As a member of the CAMFED Circle, you are at the forefront of our global community of supporters. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to a member of the team if you would like any more information about our programs and your impact ahead of our next quarterly update.
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