These initiatives are expected to benefit 3.3 million young women and men, says the foundation. 

The Mastercard Foundation says that it will support young women in their pathways through education, entrepreneurship, or entering the world of work with an additional USD$360 million investment over the next seven years.

The investment to CAMFED over the next six years will support the transition of 62 000 girls into secondary and tertiary education, employment and entrepreneurship while partnering to improve education systems for millions of young people, says the Mastercard Foundation.

According to the foundation, the investment will support girls from:

  • Tanzania
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe
  • Ghana, and
  • Malawi. 

The foundation says that the extended seven-year FAWE and Mastercard Foundation partnership will bolster access to tertiary education, post-secondary technical vocational and educational training (TVET) and job opportunities for over 10 500 young people, primarily in:

  • Uganda
  • Rwanda
  • Zambia
  • Ethiopia
  • Malawi
  • Ghana
  • Liberia
  • Tanzania
  • Zimbabwe, and
  • Senegal.

The programme includes bursaries for participants starting new businesses or innovating within existing businesses. The expanded partnership will increase the number of post-secondary school programmes supported by FAWE to over 500 accredited tertiary institutions in Africa, benefiting an estimated 1.2-million young women, says the foundation.

"We're incredibly proud to deepen our collaboration with CAMFED and FAWE, building on years of shared commitment to supporting girls across Africa to complete their education and gain the skills they need to become transformative changemakers within their communities," says Tina Muparadzi, Executive Director of Education and Transitions at the Mastercard Foundation.

"Currently contributing just 11% of Africa's GDP, the continent's young women have huge potential to drive its economic transition. We believe this partnership will be pivotal in establishing the inclusive and equitable environment required to fully unlock this opportunity, enabling the most vulnerable and underserved girls in society to thrive," adds Muparadzi. 

This partnership expands more than a decade of collaboration between the Mastercard Foundation and CAMFED, which have worked together to improve access to secondary and higher education for over 35 000 young women facing the highest financial and social barriers. It has also created opportunities for a further 35 000 young women to access dignified and fulfilling work, says the foundation.

Reflecting on this continued partnership, Angeline Murimirwa, CEO of CAMFED, says, "CAMFED is thrilled to embark on the next phase of our long-standing collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation. 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, multiplying partner investment."

"With the commitment of every member of our global movement, we can transform education systems and economies across Africa, driving progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals," adds Murimirwa. 

The foundation says that it launched its partnership with FAWE in 2013 as part of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme.

The partnership was established to provide 1 200 secondary education scholarships for girls in Rwanda and 600 girls in Ethiopia. Since then, over 705 of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars have transitioned into tertiary education and 300 enterprises have been established through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Entrepreneurship Fund, says the foundation.

Martha Muhwezi, Executive Director of FAWE Africa, says, "This collaboration reaffirms FAWE's shared vision with the foundation's Young African Works strategy and the Africa Union strategy for employment of the youth. We are particularly thrilled to see this program expand from three countries to 10, a clear testament of its impact and potential."

"We are confident, with support from partners such as the foundation, we will scale to reach all our 34 chapters across Africa. Education, skills development and leadership will remain our priority to prepare the current generation to lead, innovate and drive positive change across the continent," adds Muhwezi. 

The foundation concludes that these partnerships with CAMFED and FAWE will significantly accelerate 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.

For more information, visit www.mastercardfdn.org. You can also follow the Mastercard Foundation on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, or on Instagram. 

*Image courtesy of contributor