It is imperative that girls stay in schools and remain safe to complete their education. The classroom must be a place of learning and can not entertain the problem of school-related violence against girls. In schools were sexual violence against girls is the norm, the education system itself may increase a girls chances of dropping out, interrupting her studies, experiencing an unintended pregnancy or becoming infected with HIV. Sexual abuse may occur outside the school with adult men engaging in sex for exchange of gifts and money. The act of aggressive and intimidating behavior as well as unsolicited physical contact such as grouping and touching coercive sex and rape all are forms of abuse.
Program Objectives:
- To protect the
rights of girls special needs and any child at risk of exploitation or abuse in or outside schools
- To sensitize key
actors in the importance of girls’ education and mobilize policies and programs
that will ensure quality education for all girls.
- To enable girls
to participate in decision making about their education.
- To provide girls with opportunities to develop and exercise their leadership and technical skills.
- To tap the potential of boys, men and women to work in partnership with girls to promote equitable, accessible, high quality education in Greater Edendale & Surrounds and through education to create equitable, justice societies.
Challenge Empowerment and Education Fund (CEEF)
Challenge for women education fund provides financial assistance to all girls in need. The organization will be launching a Challenge Empowerment and Education Fund (CEEF), our assistance is granted primarily to girls who are in poverty-stricken areas, and those in child-headed families with no other means of survival and who cannot support their education due to poverty, discrimination, and gender inequality. The CEEF project will support the following activities:
- Carry out self-help projects to earn income
- Pay school fees to complete high school
- Pay university tuition fees to pursue a professional occupation
- Offer emergency support in violent situations
This is designed to provide 24-hour emergency services to abused girls, especially for those who want to disclose abuse following CFW awareness campaigns. CFW carries out rescues for potential abuse victims, accompanies them to the police, social welfare agencies, and other children’s service and women’s organizations as appropriate. They also provide referrals for legal aid, shelter, counseling, and relocation of rape survivors. Finally, CFW conducts self-empowerment courses to aid victims of sexual, physical, emotional, and economic abuse and offers follow-up rehabilitation, scholarships, and reinstatement into school. In summation, the program provides:
- Emergency rescue assistance for girls at risk.
- Reinstatement of sexually abused, orphaned, and vulnerable girls into schools
- Rehabilitation of girls in safer family homes.
- Sister Act (SA) Program to link women achievers with poor girls for educational sponsorship
- Effective referral service to all survivors of abuse especially rape
Sister Act Program
There are many local influential women who have made a success of their lives & want to make a difference in the lives of girls in Greater Edendale & Surrounds. The Sister Act Program intends to mobilize successful women in all sectors of the community to do small acts of charity in their own communities in order to support disadvantaged girls, especially in Greater Edendale & surrounds. A woman role model is described as one who is a great leader and achiever in all spheres of her life. She is best described as a female who has worked hard to overcome patriarchy and works as an equal partner with men in her field and inspires girls to achieve the same through moral and financial support.
A woman role model is a clear example of a leader who, through sheer hard work and determination, has overcome numerous obstacles to achieve success educationally, socially, economically, and politically. Activities include:
- Mobilising women role models to fundraise for girls in poor communities.
- Visiting “Model C” schools and registering girls to donate yearly contributions deemed to be meaningful to them to support girl’s education in poor communities.
- Connecting with a group of girls within a poor community and making donations such as soap, books, clothes and other such basic necessities.