Oxfam Scotland has warmly welcomed Scottish Government funding to enhance education access and equity for marginalised communities in Zambia, Malawi, and Rwanda.
The funding was announced by First Minister John Swinney, as part of the wider Inclusive Education programme within the Scottish Government’s International Development Fund.
The funding – £1m in each of the next five years – will enable Oxfam and our partners in each country to help address the barriers that prevent girls, women, and people with a disability from accessing, transitioning, completing and remaining in secondary, Technical & Vocational Education & Training (TVET), and tertiary education.
The transformative project will provide scholarships to thousands of learners, with a special emphasis on supporting girls and young women, including teen mothers who have had to drop out of school. These scholarships will cover costs, such as school fees, uniforms, and learning materials..
Importantly, the scholarships will be complemented by activities that support women and girls to access education, including career guidance and mentorship activities to guide and support young women through their educational journey, providing them with the tools and confidence needed to succeed. The project will also seek to change harmful social norms, which act as a further barrier to women and girls’ education.
Working with our local partners, we will create safe and conducive learning environments, including the provision of menstrual hygiene kits and other necessary materials to ensure that girls can attend school without interruption.
The project, which will be tailored to reflect the specific context in each country, will also invest in the training and development of teachers, ensuring they have the skills and resources to deliver high-quality, inclusive education.
Eduard Francois Beukman, Transformative Education Policy and Programme Lead at Oxfam in Africa and Programme Manager for the Inclusive Education Project, said: “This enormously welcome funding from the Scottish Government will assist Oxfam and our partners in our work to tear down the barriers to education, reaching thousands of learners who would otherwise be left behind. Together, we’re creating a world where education is a right for all, not just a privilege for the few. This also aligns with Oxfam’s mission for education, where transformative public education is key to reducing inequality in society.”
The project is a collaborative effort between Oxfam and our partners, the Young Women Christian Associations (YWCA) of Zambia and Rwanda and the Concerned Youth Organization (CYO) of Malawi. Together we bring decades of experience, and we will work closely with local leaders, parents, and stakeholders to promote the value of education and support the enrolment and retention of students.
The project will be delivered in five different regions of Rwanda, as well as in Balaka and Machinga within Malawi, and the Central Province of Zambia.
Harvey Chimaliro, Executive Director, Centre for Youth Organisation, a partner of Oxfam in Malawi, said: “We are delighted to implement this project in Malawi. It will address the needs of the most vulnerable girls in the impact districts of Balaka and Machinga. By increasing access to education for these girls, this project will help improve the country’s learning outcomes, which were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Matrida Mukombo, from Young Women’s Christian Association in Zambia, said: “This programme will provide enhanced opportunities for learners to attend, progress and complete secondary and tertiary education in Zambia. The programme will allow for the removal of economic barriers and the possible re-integration of young parents into the education system. It is our firm belief that the programme will support the reduction of vulnerabilities and risks, and interrupt the transmission of poverty from one generation to the next in the communities where the recipients will come from.”
Eugene Rusanganwa, from Young Women’s Christian Association in Rwanda, said: “This project is a great contribution to the achievement of gender equality in Rwanda in general and in the Education sector in particular. More young women will get access to education in STEM and TVET but, more importantly, also to employment that is traditionally attributed to men.”
In 2016, recognising the importance of transformative education in driving deep and lasting change, Oxfam established the Education Community of Practice and Influencing (ECPI). Hosted by Oxfam, the platform links Oxfam staff and partners in over 45 countries to fight inequality through strengthening transformative public education for all.
