Girls' Education in the US
In the US, girls’ education is valued and many girls are empowered to not only complete high school, but pursue higher education as well. Today, younger women are more likely to graduate from college than men and are more likely to hold a graduate degree.  Higher percentages of women than men have at least a high school education, and participate in adult education.

However, trends and research show that girls are still far behind their male counterparts in certain areas of education. Despite educational gains, girls score lower in math and science in primary school. From a young age, these differences have a major impact on the fields that women pursue in college.  Women are significantly under-represented in science and technology-related fields, which typically lead to higher paying jobs. 

Sources:
The White House Council on Women and Girls


Girls' Education in Africa
In Africa, primary school enrollment is among the lowest in the world with limited funding, lack of teachers, classrooms, and materials negatively affecting the educational environment. Out of the world’s 130 million out-of-school youth, 70 percent are girls.

The following graph illustrates Grade 6 completion rates for various developing countries around the globe.
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By staying in school through their teenage years, girls align themselves for future social and health benefits. Educated girls and women are less vulnerable to HIV infection, human trafficking and other forms of exploitation, are more likely to marry later, raise fewer children who are more likely to go to school, and make important contributions to family income.

There is other compelling data to suggest that the longer a girl stays in school, the better her life will be because she will spend far fewer hours engaged in household labor.
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Sources:

USAID Africa Education Initiative
World Education
Human Rights Watch
Population Council

Stories of the Empowered

BeadforLife Program Awards Scholarships to Best and Brightest Students

In 2011, BeadforLife decided to augment our program by reaching out to very bright girls who are unable to afford secondary school fees.   These are girls who score highest on national exams, yet are in such poverty that their schooling would be over at age 12.  Watch “The Girl Effect” 3 minute video (listed under Resources in this Spotlight BeadParty) and you will understand why we are passionate about intervening at this critical age.  We are currently sending 30 girls to boarding school in two different towns, paying their tuition, room and board and other incidentals required to attend.  Our goal is to enroll 30 new girls each year.  Read on for more details about this program.

Schooling in Uganda

There are huge numbers of Ugandan youth that do not have the opportunity for a basic education, especially in rural areas.  Primary level (children anywhere from 6 to 13) is government subsidized (free), although a student would need some basic clothing and supplies to attend. 

This can be an impossible hurdle for the poorest families because they are unable to scrape together the money for a uniform and shoes.  Of the students that attend primary school, it is estimated that 72% complete this level of education*.

That is where schooling ends for most kids in Uganda.  Only 25% of those that finish primary school progress to secondary school (age 13-20)*.  The explanation for this huge drop off is simple: the schools require tuition.  Boarding schools (with the additional associated expenses) are common.  Also, there is a “Leaving Examination” that a student must pass to move from one level to the next.  It is unknown how many students complete secondary school and enter university.  However, the very small number of students who reach the pinnacle of university level classes are becoming professional in a specific area of study, such as accounting, nursing or engineering.  There is generally no liberal arts program that would open youth’s eyes to the world at large.

We can reasonably assume that the majority of the students who advance through the system are boys.  Culturally, girls are viewed as helpers in the home and caregivers of younger siblings.  When they are married, girls become part of the husband’s family, generating no income for their own

*UNICEF

How the Girls are Selected

For our current group of 30 girls, we searched the rural areas of Eastern and Northern Uganda for good secondary school candidates.  Specifically, we focused on the districts of Otuke, the selling center for the shea nut gatherers and Iganga, a new beading location outside of Kampala.  We select girls coming from very poor families, but with high grades in Primary Leaving examinations.  We also look for that important spark of motivation.  It can actually be challenging to find these bright, poor students because of the insurgency in the North that lasted 25 years.  This political disturbance caused school attendance to be sporadic and deprived so many children of basic education.  However, we are determined to find those with the greatest potential for providing leadership to their communities and country.

How the Schools are Chosen

We believe boarding school is the only option for this program as it eliminates long distance commuting and keeps the girls safe and focused on their studies.  While BeadforLife has no religious affiliation, we commonly find that the best option is a mission school as they are the most organized and well funded.  Here are some of the criteria we evaluate in selecting the best school in the district:

• Past academic performance
• Commitment of teachers to girls’ education
• Conditions of dormitories
• Health services (there must be a sick bay)
• Electricity (so students can study at night)

Ongoing Evaluation

Every 4 months, we arrange get-togethers where girls share their experience at school and we talk privately with them about their performance. We have games on increasing self esteem and a snack. On these days we provide the children with stationary, sanitary towels and other school requirements. We also visit schools once every term to check on the girls’ performance and speak to the teachers and matrons of the dormitories. At the end of the school year, we meet with girls’ parents to thank them and acknowledge their role in furthering their daughters’ education.  We remind them about their agreed-upon responsibilities and encourage them to support the girls at home by giving them some time during holidays to keep up with their studies.

Stories of the Empowered

As you probably realize by now, BeadforLife identifies impoverished women that are highly motivated for our 18 month program.  The members learn to roll beautiful beads from recycled paper and sell their products to us.  What you may not know is, at the same time, we provide extensive entrepreneurial training and coaching so that they may start a myriad of sustainable businesses.  Only sustainable situations are truly empowering.  This section describes the selection process, the types of training the members receive and the kinds of businesses they develop.

The Entrepreneurial Program is at the heart of our strategy to assist members  to leave poverty and be independent of BeadforLife.  These businesses will provide them with a source of income after graduation from BeadforLife. The businesses tend to fall in one of the following categories:

1. Retailing: selling vegetables and produce in their neighborhoods, selling fabrics and ready made clothes and setting up a small grocery store for every day necessities like bread, flour, sugar, beans.
2. Food: small restaurants or preparing snacks for sale
3. Other Services: tailoring, knitting, hairdressing, houses for rent, hiring out motorcycles for transport.
4. Agriculture/Animal rearing: Cultivating yams, sweet potatoes, rice and rearing chickens and pigs

Rose with her fish scraps ready for transit to congo

Members are selected into the BeadforLife program based on a competitive selection workshop. Four major criteria are used for screening:

1. Demonstrated ability to solve problems
2. Basic numeracy skills
3. Attitude towards work/motivation levels
4. Determination and a belief in their own ability to change their lives

Savings accounts are opened  for each woman in the first month.  Savings is critical to escaping poverty.  Members are encouraged early to develop an “entrepreneurial” mindset. After they learn to make beads, they receive preparatory business training sessions on managing their incomes, costing and tracking profitability of their beads, looking for business ideas and so on.

Sanyu member Alice Kisakye in her earings stand

They also go through a formal numeracy training program for two months to improve their arithmetic skills and learn to use a simple calculator.

This is followed by a seven day business training workshop where topics covered include customer relations, advertising, pricing, keeping records of income and expenses, market research and how to prepare a business plan. Many of the sessions are facilitated by alumni who have successful businesses.

Members are then required to submit a business plan for their future business. Those who have difficulty in coming up with a plan or a business idea are provided additional mentoring by staff and successful alumni.

Members are divided into case loads and have a designated member of staff from the Entrepreneurial Program who guides and supports them. The same staff member also recommends disbursement of the business fund, depending on the requirement of the specific business.

The Business Fund provides the capital for each member”s business and is built up from compulsory savings from their income from selling beads. Each member accumulates one million shillings or approximately USD 500 in this account. Members with viable businesses are also recommended for a further Business Grant which is a contribution by BeadforLife to support members’ businesses.

Skills training, inspirational talks, opportunities to apprentice with alumni and visits to markets and businesses in Kampala are some other services provided by the Entrepreneurial Program to the members in order to help members with their ability to succeed as entrepreneurs.

Faridah's business grows to selling bunches

Living Fund Period
The last three months of the membership period at BeadforLife are known as the Living fund period when members do not produce beads for sale but instead focus entirely on nurturing and growing their businesses. They receive money from BeadforLife to meet their living expenses and regular visits and guidance from the Entrepreneurial team to help with their business. As a result members have the opportunity to build and strengthen their business before they graduate from the program.

Recent Evaluation of Graduates of the Program 
Evaluation is an important aspect of our work.  Here are the results of two recent groups shortly after graduation.

Suubi and Sanyu groups are the most recent graduates of the BeadforLife program. Suubi members graduated from BeadforLife in September 2010 and Sanyu in November 2010.

Suubi spent 22 months in the program and at the time of graduation, 68% of the members had a business.  58% of the members had businesses that provided an income of Shs 200,000 or more per month (about USD 100). About a third of the members who started in business had an average of two businesses.

Sanyu was the first group that spent 18 months in the program and had the benefit of a Living Fund period when they did not make beads but focused on growing their businesses.  Interestingly, 87% of the Sanyu members had a business at the time of graduation and 67% of the members had businesses earning Shs 200,000 a month or more which would allow them to be out of poverty. 23% of those in business had an average of two businesses.

Type of business	Suubi %	Sanyu %
Farming and animal husbandry	14	30
Trading ( clothes, produce etc)	49	48
Food  (restaurants, snacks, bar)	16	16
Services (salon, rental houses etc)	21	6

A portion of the funds raised by your BeadParty will go directly to help with purchases like these and will be invested in our Girls’ Education program, making a huge impact on the lives girls in Uganda! 

What your dollars can do:

• $65 USD can provide class materials for one year at boarding school for one student.
• $100 USD can provide supplies needed to attend boarding school, such as a mattress.
• $250 USD can pay for tuition fees to send one student to a 3-6 month vocational training course in subjects like bee keeping, agriculture, brick laying or carpentry. 
• $450 USD can provide start-up capital for a woman to start a small business allowing her to lift herself out of poverty.
• $750 USD can enable one girl to attend a private, high-quality boarding school in Lira, Uganda.  The school is known for good teachers, a clean facility and has electricity, so students can study after dark.
•  $1500 USD  can pay for tuition fees to send one student to a 1-2 year vocational training course in subject areas like nursing, catering or electrical work.