The Mastercard Foundation is taking a significant step to support young women and girls in Africa by expanding its partnerships with the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) and the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE). This renewed collaboration aims to break down financial and social barriers to education, impacting over 70,400 young women and girls directly and benefiting 3.3 million young people across the continent.
Over the next seven years, the Mastercard Foundation will invest an additional $360 million to help young women transition through education, entrepreneurship, and employment. This move is part of the Foundation’s broader commitment to building inclusive education systems and enabling Africa’s youth, particularly girls, to thrive.
Investment in CAMFED: Empowering Girls Across Africa
The partnership with CAMFED focuses on transforming the educational and economic landscape for girls in Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, and Malawi. Over the next six years, this investment will support 62,000 girls as they move through secondary and tertiary education, and into employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
In addition to directly supporting the educational journey of these young women, CAMFED will work closely with local communities and governments to improve education systems for millions of students. The long-standing collaboration between the Mastercard Foundation and CAMFED has already resulted in access to secondary and higher education for over 35,000 young women facing the highest financial and social barriers. This latest expansion aims to build on that legacy and accelerate progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa.
Reflecting on the partnership, Angeline Murimirwa, CEO of CAMFED, said, “This investment supercharges our ambitious vision for 2030 as we support millions more girls in rural Africa to thrive in secondary school, graduate into secure livelihoods and leadership, and in turn, mentor and support the next generation.”
Expansion of FAWE Partnership: Supporting Access to Tertiary Education
The Mastercard Foundation is also extending its seven-year partnership with FAWE to increase access to tertiary education, technical vocational and educational training (TVET), and job opportunities for over 10,500 young people across Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Ethiopia, Malawi, Ghana, Liberia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Senegal. This program includes bursaries for participants who are starting new businesses or innovating within existing ones.
With this expansion, FAWE will increase the number of post-secondary programs it supports to over 500 accredited tertiary institutions in Africa. This initiative will benefit an estimated 1.2 million young women, providing them with the skills and opportunities needed to contribute to their communities and economies.
Martha Muhwezi, Executive Director of FAWE Africa, highlighted the program’s growth and impact: “We are particularly thrilled to see this program expand from three countries to 10, a clear testament to its impact and potential. Education, skills development, and leadership will remain our priority to prepare the current generation to lead, innovate, and drive positive change across the continent.”
Driving the Young Africa Works Strategy
These partnerships with CAMFED and FAWE are part of the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy, which aims to enable 30 million young Africans, especially girls, to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030.
Tina Muparadzi, Executive Director of Education & Transitions at the Mastercard Foundation, emphasized the importance of these collaborations: “We’re incredibly proud to deepen our collaboration with CAMFED and FAWE. This partnership will be pivotal in establishing an inclusive and equitable environment required to fully unlock this opportunity, enabling the most vulnerable and underserved girls in society to thrive.”
By investing in education, entrepreneurship, and employment pathways for young women, the Mastercard Foundation is not just transforming individual lives but also driving progress towards a more inclusive and prosperous future for Africa.
