Successful Transition and Advancement of Rights for Girls (STAR-G)

Project completed implementation in June 2021

STAR-G has worked to improve the life chances of 15,430 targeted marginalised girls by equipping them with functional literacy and numeracy skills in gender sensitive and inclusive environments, and empowering them with necessary skills to transition to the next stage of education.

It focused on raising the skills and motivation of teachers, tutors and education facility managers. It provided secondary school bursaries to the most vulnerable girls and focused learning activities on girls who may be left behind. The project also aimed to generate long-term changes in the way the community perceives girls' education through awareness-raising activities as well as strengthen existing complaints, response and feedback mechanisms in the school environments to ensure safe and protective environments for children (girls and boys). This included support to child protection structures such as child protection community committees and district referral groups. It worked with the Ministry of Education on identifying and addressing the barriers to girls’ learning at secondary level.

Activities

• Established 75 distance learning centres for vulnerable girls to continue their secondary studies.
• Provided focused learning in literacy and numeracy for girls needing extra support and established learning camps.
• Provided bursaries to in-school girls to assist with the costs of school fees, uniform and materials.
• Created Girls' Clubs that provided ‘safe spaces’ to address issues such as girls’ rights, sexual and reproductive health and gender equity.
• Trained teachers on literacy, numeracy and gender-sensitive teaching and positive discipline while supporting schools to develop strategies to increase teacher motivation.
• Worked with communities, including adolescent boys, on girls' sexual and reproductive health rights.
• Strengthened school complaints, response and feedback mechanisms as well as the community child protection committees and district referral groups.
• Trained the men and women who managed the Girls’ Clubs and sensitised communities on girls’ rights including sexual reproductive health.
• Trained gender focal points for primary and secondary schools to support girls from girls’ clubs with management, including menstrual hygiene management.
• Conducted research, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and partners, to identify the factors that undermine girls’ learning in secondary schools, in order to design a programme for a second phase.
• Established community-based education centres to absorb vulnerable girls dropping out of primary, distance learning and secondary pathways.

Save the Children: https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/