Correction to this article IT IS, says Gabriel Demombynes, of the World Bank’s Nairobi office, “a tremendous success story that has only barely been recognised”. Michael Clemens of the Centre for Global Development calls it simply “the biggest, best story in development”. It is the huge decline in child mortality now gathering pace across Africa. According to Mr Demombynes and Karina Trommlerova, also of the World Bank, 16 of the 20 African countries which have had detailed surveys of living conditions since 2005 reported falls in their child-mortality rates (this rate is the number of deaths of children under five per 1,000 live births). Twelve had falls of over 4.4% a year, which is the rate of decline that is needed to meet the millennium ... Continue reading →

Now that one lady has braved the odds to climb the ladder and become the country's President, there is no excuse for early marriages and pregnancies among the country's girls. Apart from President Joyce Banda, there are also a numerous role models that girls can emulate, proving that education is a gateway to a successful future. Experience in the lakeside district of Mangochi gives testimony of how for many years, girls have fallen into the trap of early marriages and pregnancies. Mangochi District Commissioner, Thomas Chirwa is worried that the school dropout rate among girls in the district is ever high. He cites, among other things, poverty and peer pressure. "It is a big problem here hence initiatives to keep the children, especially girls in ... Continue reading →

George Mungai is an unlikely TV star. The softly spoken farmer and father of six lives in a tidy compound of houses, all wood and corrugated iron, among the cool, misty hills outside Nairobi. But thanks to Shamba Shape-Up, a reality show that does for Kenyan farms what Extreme Makeover does for homes, Mungai is a minor celebrity here in Limuru."[The programme] has taught me to practise better farming," says Mungai, 54, during a break from filming on a damp May day. "I've learned to plant potatoes well … poultry keeping, dairy farming. It has almost doubled my yields."Perhaps more importantly, Mungai has also become a teacher. His neighbours are always popping over, eager to learn his secrets so they can likewise boost their farming ... Continue reading →

Investing in science education in Zambia May 16th, 2012 Tweet A Camfed/Credit Suisse partnership is bolstering the quality of education in the Chinsali district of north-eastern Zambia. Funds from Credit Suisse helped Camfed to equip two secondary schools with computers, solar panels to power them, and a mobile chemistry laboratory, providing students with invaluable hands-on learning. The result: between 2009 and 2010, pass rates in Chinsali district increased by 20 percent. Watch the video now. This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 16th, 2012 at 2:51 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Continue reading →

The ability – and courage – to tell our own stories is one of the most powerful tools we possess. But in some of the world’s poorest communities, men and women – but especially women — can struggle to make their voices heard. To amend this power imbalance and to help amplify their voices, Camfed – a charity that provides education for young girls in rural Africa – began training some as filmmakers. It was a process that showed how this kind of storytelling can help individuals to flourish, can galvanise communities, and drive change. All of the women Camfed worked with came from backgrounds of deep poverty: many had never had the opportunity to learn outside the household. Today, their films are capturing international ... Continue reading →

Become a Camfed Champion – help send girls to school in Africa February 27th, 2012 Tweet As Olympic excitement reaches fever pitch in the UK, why not join Camfed’s 10K run team and raise funds for girls’ education in Africa – by taking part in the prestigious British 10K Run this July? Just weeks before the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, the run will take tens of thousands of runners through the very heart of the nation’s capital on July 8th – offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to run along part of the Olympic marathon route! Runners will pass historic London landmarks along the way, including Big Ben, Westminster Abbey (where Kate and William got married), Trafalgar Square and St Paul’s Cathedral. As a Camfed Champion, ... Continue reading →