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CAMFED IMPACT REPORT
enabling rural communities to play the leading role in
effecting social change. Local ownership contributes to a
better environment in schools, greater enrollments and
higher retention rates, as documented throughout this
report. It also creates a supportive environment for young
women who leave school; having invested in supporting
girls’ education locally, the community feels a collective
interest in seeing those same young women succeed in the
future. Local ownership empowers whole communities with
information and the power to act, and ensures Camfed’s
investment is sustainable.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the lack of demand by the poor
remains a fundamental impediment to the achievement
of the Millennium Development Goals. Systemic change
requires that marginalized and disempowered communities
demand transparency and accountability from schools,
healthcare providers, government institutions and aid
agencies. Community ownership of the Camfed program
promotes a culture of civic responsibility and participation
where communities better understand their entitlement,
and can build the skills and confidence necessary to
articulate demands and mobilize for better public service.
The multiplier effect of educating girls
In sub-Saharan Africa, where girls marry as early as
13, and one in 22 women dies in childbirth, 4 Camfed’s
evidence suggests a significant reduction in the number
of children born to educated women, compared with
uneducated women. Educated women give birth to
fewer and healthier babies. They also encourage their
own children into education, perpetuating a healthy
cycle of progressive change.
Girls’ future health and prosperity are greatly improved with
every year of schooling, as demonstrated by the following:
• Family size: each additional year of schooling reduces the
average number of children born to a woman by 5%-10%. 5
In a context where population is expected to more than
Figure 1
A virtuous cycle of development
A girl completes
primary education
She becomes a leader
supporting herself and the
next generation
She enrolls in
and completes
secondary school
She becomes a
young woman
with economic
independence
and life choices
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