An entrenched system of patriarchy means that girls are grossly devalued and excluded in key arenas. Education is one such area. The female literacy rate is just 60%. Deprived of education, many girls are married off as early as 13 years old, and pregnancies at a young age are common. The prevalence of child labour and violence against girls in the home has also contributed to the situation where the number of female students dropping out of secondary school is double than that of boys.

The project will directly tackle current barriers to girls’ education. It will give them the materials needed to attend school, and out-of-school help, such as home visits and help to form peer groups amongst the girls where the focus will be on issues su