Camfed
www.camfed.org T 01223 362 648 F 01223 366 859 info@camfed.org
Camfed Internatonal supports girls in rural areas of Africa to complete primary and secondary education and helps school leavers become the next generation of social and business entrepreneurs. Camfed began in 1993 by supporting 32 girls in rural Zimbabwe. In 2006, 300,900 children benefited from Camfed’s programme of educational support in some of the poorest regions of Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana and Tanzania.Camfed’s model creates a structure which is community led at the ‘grassroots’ level, democratic and transparent, ensuring that all community members know the criteria under which girls are selected for support. The model is designed specifically to empower the community so that they know their entitlement and gives them the confidence to stand up for their rights.After the girls complete their education, Camfed provides skills training and credit (micro finance) to enable educated women to establish their businesses and livelihoods. A long term condition of credit is that they must mentor new business start ups in their communities.Cama, a grassroots membership organisation, founded by young women who were supported through their education by Camfed, acts as an agency for change and gives young educated women a collective voice to demonstrate the knowledge, economic independence and confidence that their education has given them. To date, Cama’s membership stands at over 7,000 young women across Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana and Tanzania. Their education is life changing and its advantages are passed on to their own children and so a cycle of change is created.
