04 April 2007

More than 60,000 girls will be given the chance to transform their lives - they will be able to go to school for the first time thanks to money donated by people across the UK on Red Nose Day.

Transforming education for girls will address the underlying inequality which prevents girls from attending school. The work will be implemented by two local organisations, Maarifa in Tanzania and Community Action for Popular Participation (CAPP) in Nigeria, with support from ActionAid. All three organisations have an excellent track record of improving girl’s education.

This programme will invest in teachers by giving training and support so that they make sure girls get the help they need to complete their basic education. There will be a substantial investment in school management committees who will make sure schools get the resources they need to provide for the particular needs of girls, such as segregated toilets.

There will be close collaboration with the Ministries of Education and teachers unions in both countries to make sure lessons from the programme are widely shared and good practices are shared. There will be a strong emphasis on the participation of girls themselves in the programme so they have an active voice in decisions affecting their education.

The programme will work in over 120 schools in northern Tanzania and northern Nigeria where 4.3 million girls have never been to school. The grant will run for five years.

By getting girls to start school, stay in school and succeed in school, the project intends to establish a model of good practice that will engage both communities and schools in the campaign for universal primary education and enable teachers and communities to respond more effectively to HIV.

ActionAid’s Head of International Education, David Archer, said: "ActionAid is delighted Comic Relief has approved this vital grant. ActionAid believes the eradication of poverty and injustice can only happen if equality for women is achieved. By providing girls with an education, teachers and parents can transform the future for generations of girls in Tanzania and Nigeria."

Comic Relief’s Head of International Grants, Richard Graham said: "What's inspiring about this grant is how it brings together innovative education work in communities with our collective campaigning work for universal primary education."

CAPP’s Deputy Executive Director Emeka Ononamadu said: "This is the first time a grant of this nature has been given to a Nigerian organisation. It signifies a huge change for the future, placing girl’s education at the forefront of the national education agenda and encouraging the long term social, political and economic empowerment of Nigerian women."