USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education Final Report.pdf

DISCLAIMER: This report is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Winrock International and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

(Photo Credit: USAID) Youth ambassador and peer educator from Koro with the US Ambassador who came give testimonies on their work thanks to USAID GLEE at the close out workshop

FINAL REPORT: APRIL 11, 2018- SEPTEMBER

30, 2023

USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (USAID GLEE)

Draft Submitted August 31, 2023; Final Submitted December 31, 2023

USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (USAID GLEE)

Contract Number:

No. 72068818C00001

Activity Start and End Dates:

April 11, 2018, to September 30, 2021 (Base Period) October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022 (Option Period Year 1) October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023 (Option year 2)

COR Name & Office:

Ilias Konfe U.S. Agency for International Development Bamako, Mali

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROGRAM SUMMARY 3

Acronyms 4

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6

Program Context 6 Objectives 6 Key Results and Impact 7 GLEE Achievement by the Numbers 7 Key Learning Takeaways and Recommendations 9 Sustainability 10

INTRODUCTION 11

Program Overview 11 Geographic Focus 14

RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS 14

Impact and Most Significant Changes 14 Increased Enrollment and Educational Attainment 17 Best Practices and Lessons Learned 19

OBJECTIVE 1: DECREASED KEY BARRIERS FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS TO ACCESS QUALITY

EDUCATION 21

Sub-Result 1.1: Learning support opportunities for girls increased 22 Sub-Result 1.2: Teaching is more responsive and relevant for adolescent girls 26 Sub-Result 1.3: Communities and families support girls’ education 28

OBJECTIVE 2: IMPROVE SAFETY OF ADOLESCENT GIRLS IN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES 29

Sub-Result 2.1: Strategies and policies to safeguard adolescent girls adopted in schools and communities 31 Sub-Result 2.2: Effeective reporting and referral mechanisms for SRGBV established 33 Sub-Result 2.3: Perceptions of safety in communities and schools improved 34

OBJECTIVE 3: INCREASED KNOWLEDGE AND ADOPTION OF POSITIVE HEALTH BEHAVIORS

AMONG ADOLESCENT GIRLS 35

Sub-Result 3.1: Positive health behaviors adopted by adolescent girls 36 Sub-Result 3.2: Adolescent girls knowledge of and access to health services increased 39 Sub-Result 3.3: Health barriers to education reduced 42

CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNED 44

Objective 1 45 Objective 2 48

Objective 3 49

RECOMMENDATIONS 50

SUSTAINABILITY 51

Activities most likely to be sustained 52 Activities least likely to be sustained 54

ANNEXES 56

Annex A: Performance Indicator Table 57 Annex C: List of Tools and Training Materials, USAID GLEE, 2018-2023 64 Annex D: Final Financial Summary 73

USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (GLEE), Final Report 3

PROGRAM SUMMARY

Program Name: USAID Girls’ Leadership and Empowerment Through Education

(USAID GLEE)

Activity Start Date and End Date: April 1, 2018 – Sept 30, 2023 (Base Period plus Option Period)

Name of Prime Implementing Partner: Winrock International

Contract Number: 72068818C00001

Total Estimated Cost $23,997,964 USD (Base Period plus Option Period)

Name of Subcontractors/Sub awardees:

IntraHealth International, Œuvre Malienne d’Aide à L’Enfance du Sahel (OMAES), Groupe d’Animation, Action, au Sahel-Mali (GAAS-Mali), Centre d'Assistance et de Promotion des Droits Humains en Afrique (CPHDA)

Major Counterpart Organizations Government partners: MEN, MPFEF, MSHP

Geographic Coverage (cities and or countries)

Kayes, Douentza and Bandiagara, Mali. Main project office in Bamako, Mali.

Reporting Period: April 18, 2018 - September 30, 2023

USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (GLEE), Final Report 4

ACRONYMS

AE Teaching Academy (Académie d’Enseignement)

AME Mothers’ Association (Association des Mères d’Élèves)

AMELP Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan

APE Parents’ Association (Association des Parents d’Élèves)

ASACO Community Health Association (Association de Santé Communautaire ou Centre de Santé)

ASC Accelerated Schooling Center

CAA Community Asset Appraisal

CAP Centre d’Animation Pédagogique (Educational Activity Center)

CDA Community Development Agents

CGS Comité de Gestion Scolaire (School Management Committee (SMC)

CNIECS National Center for Health Information and Communication

COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease 2019

CP Instructional Coach (Conseiller Pédagogique)

CPFF Cost Plus-Fixed Fee

CPHDA Centre d'Assistance et de Promotion des Droits Humains en Afrique

CSCOM Community Health Center (Centre de Santé Communautaire)

CSE Comprehensive Sexual Education

CSREF Health Reference Center (Centre de Santé de Référence)

DE School Director (Directeur d’école)

DEF Diplôme d'Etude Fondamental

DNEF National Directorate of Fundamental Education (Direction Nationale de l’Enseignement Fondamental)

DNPEF National Directorate for Children and the Family (Direction Nationale de l’Enfant et de la Famille)

DNPF National Directorate for the Promotion of Women (Direction Nationale de la Promotion de la Femme)

DNP National Directorate for Pedagogy (Direction Nationale de la Pédagogie)

DRS Regional Health Directorate (Direction Régionale de la Santé)

DTC Community Health Center Director (Directeur Technique de Centre)

ERF Environmental Review Form

FP Family Planning

FY Fiscal Year

GAAS Groupe d’Animation, Action, au Sahel Mali

USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (GLEE), Final Report 5

GBV Gender-based violence

GM Grandmothers

IED Improvised Explosive Devices

LSM Life Skills Module

M&E Monitoring and Evaluation

MEN Ministère de l’Éducation Nationale (Ministry of National Education)

MHM Menstrual Hygiene Management

MJECC Ministry of Youth, Employment, and Citizen Building

MOU Memoranda of Understanding

MPFEF Ministry of Woman, Child, and Family Promotion

MSDS Ministry of Health and Social Development

MSHP Ministry of Health and Social Development and Public Hygiene

NGO Non-Governmental Organization

OMAES Oeuvre Malienne d’Aide à l’Enfance au Sahel

PE Peer Educator

SBCC Social Behavior Change Communication

SCOFI Scolarisation des Filles

SERAT Sexual Education Review and Analysis Tool

SIRA USAID Mali Selected Integrated Reading Activity (SIRA)

SMC School Management Committee (Comité de Gestion Scolaire (CGS))

SRGBV School related gender-based violence

SRH Sexual and reproductive health

TOT Training of Trainers

TLM Teaching and Learning Material

TPD Teacher Professional Development

USAID

GLEE

USAID Mali Girls’ Leadership and Empowerment through Education program

WASH Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene

WHO World Health Organization

YA Youth Ambassador

USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (GLEE), Final Report 6

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This final report presents the results and accomplishments of the USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (USAID GLEE) project, which aimed to increase access to educational opportunities for out-of-school girls in Mali over a five-year period. The project was implemented through a Cost-Plus-Fixed Fee (CPFF) contract that consisted of two phases: a 3-year base period from 2018-2021, in the regions of Mopti and Kayes; and a two-year option period from 2021-2023, focused solely within conflict-affected regions in Mopti. Winrock International led USAID GLEE in partnership with international and national organizations: IntraHealth International, Groupe D’actions et d'Animation au Sahel – Mali (GAAS), Oeuvre Malienne d’Aide à l'Enfance au Sahel (OMAES) and Centre d'Assistance et de Promotion des Droits Humains en Afrique (CPHDA)1.

PROGRAM CONTEXT

Insecurity in Mali, exacerbated by political, social and economic instability, has resulted in a high number of out of school child and youth. Frequent school closures due to threats of violence, inadequate numbers and distribution of teachers, early marriage, and household economic pressures have limited educational access and student achievement, especially for adolescent girls. Mali ranks fifth among the top ten countries in child marriage prevalence and only 49% of learners complete primary school.

Preference is generally given to enrolling boys while girls are relied on for caregiving and other time-consuming domestic tasks that further constrain educational opportunities for girls and increase their vulnerability.

Throughout the course of implementation, USAID GLEE encountered numerous challenges that severely impacted the school calendar in Mali. During the base period, there was a coup d’état in 2020 followed by a second military coup in May 2021. Teachers observed a six-month teacher strike that began in December 2019 and continued through June 2020. Simultaneously, the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020 led to the closure of all schools and alternative education programs until June 2020.

However, classes in public schools did not resume until late September/early October 2020 due to teacher union negotiations with the government. Despite these compounded challenges, USAID GLEE was able to adaptively manage the project and provide girls a safe environment to continue their education by re-opening Accelerated Schooling Centers (ASCs) in June 2020 and by providing intensive life skills mentoring sessions in the community during the pandemic along with other measures to keep girls safe, learning, and healthy within their communities.

OBJECTIVES

In line with USAID’s Education Policy, the goal of USAID GLEE is to increase access to education for adolescent out-of-school girls ages10-18 in target areas and to empower Malian adolescent girls to achieve greater educational attainment. USAID GLEE provides an enabling environment for adolescent girls to achieve their education and life goals by decreasing barriers to quality education; providing life skills mentoring and quality education in a safe and supportive learning environment; and increasing the adoption of positive, healthy behaviors. USAID GLEE established ASCs for out-of-school adolescents;

trained teachers and school management committees (SMCs) to improve learning, transparency, and

1 The translated English names of the partners are Action Group in the Sahel (GAAS), Malian Work to Help Children of the Sahel (OMAES) and the Center for the Promotion of Human Rights and Development in Africa

(CPHDA).

USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (GLEE), Final Report 7 accountability; and, worked with parents and community members to improve girls’ enrolment and retention in primary and secondary schools.

USAID GLEE worked closely and collaboratively across three ministries – the Ministry of National Education (MEN), the Ministry of Health and Social Development (MSDS), and the Ministry of the Promotion of Woman, Child and Family (MPFEF) - to achieve results. The USAID GLEE team worked together with regional and local government actors to mobilize schools and communities (see textbox) in support of USAID GLEE activities. These networks of Peer Educators (PEs) in primary schools, Youth Ambassadors (YAs) at the secondary level, mentors, grandmothers (GMs), and aunts in households and communities, SMCs, and health center management committees all collaborated to address barriers to girls’ education, including security risks and emergency preparedness issues, forced early marriage, and School Related Gender-Based Violence (SRGBV). Through these local networks, USAID GLEE ensured greater education and health outcomes for girls.

KEY RESULTS AND IMPACT

Under Objective 1, USAID GLEE helped girls catch up on missed years of learning through establishing ASCs, providing qualified teachers, and increasing support from families and communities. The project also decreased financial barriers to education, improved the learning environment and bolstered community support to adolescent girls. Through Objective 2, USAID GLEE established safety, reporting, and referral protocols to safeguard adolescent girls at school and in their communities. Under Objective 3, USAID GLEE reduced barriers to health education and services for girls. USAID GLEE promoted behavior change within communities, families, and local influencers focused on enrolling girls and preventing early marriages and migration from villages to cities. USAID GLEE trained local leaders, including grandmothers, peer educators and youth ambassadors, to share knowledge on reproductive health and other issues, such as SRGBV, early marriage, reproductive health, and pregnancy. Through this successful mentoring approach, USAID GLEE promoted gender equality and women’s leadership.

GLEE ACHIEVEMENT BY THE NUMBERS

GOAL INDICATORS

• 26,381 girls between the ages of 10-14 enrolled in ASCs for the first time (Indicator 1, Custom).

This includes 16,535 girls during the base period and 9.846 girls in the option period. This exceeded both the base period and option period targets, by 123% and 139% respectively. Over the life of the project, USAID GLEE opened 726 ASCs in target communities.

• Following their completion of the accelerated learning program, a majority of girls transitioned to further education or training: 83% in the base period and 90% in the option period. (Indicator 2, Standard ES. 1-46)

• Overall, 127,005 adolescent girls ages 10-18 were supported through USAID GLEE (Indicator 3, Custom), which included 31,318 unique beneficiaries in the base period and 19,966 in the option period (Indicator 4, Custom).

• 41% of girls in the base period and 51% of girls in the option period transitioned from primary to secondary school (Indicator 5, Custom)

OBJECTIVE 1:

• USAID GLEE provided 78,824 scholarships to support girls’ learning during the base period (166% of its target) and 61,944 in the option period (144% of its target) (Indicator 6, Custom).

USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (GLEE), Final Report 8

• USAID GLEE reached 102,774 primary school learners in the base period, exceeding its target of 62,000. In the option period, USAID GLEE reached 83,179 primary school learners, well above the targeted 71,804 (Indicator 7, Standard ES.1-3). In addition, 21,800 secondary school learners benefitted from USG assistance through the project (Indicator 8, Standard ES.1-4)

• Capacity development of education professionals was a key activity. 708 primary and secondary school teachers received training during the base period, including 113 women, with an achievement rate of 130%. During the option period, the project trained 869 primary and secondary school teachers, including 369 women, with an achievement rate of 203% (Indicator 9, Standard ES. 1-6). In addition, 776 ASC facilitators were trained (231% achievement of target) in the base period and 250 in the option period for a total of 1,026 ASC facilitators throughout the life of the project (Indicator 10, Custom). Finally, 377 education administrators and officials were trained over the course of the project (Indicator 12, Standard ES.1-12).

• USAID GLEE achieved 176 percent of its target for distributing primary and secondary teaching and learning materials in the base period (19,886 actual versus 11,277 targeted). During the option period, GLEE distributed 22,660 textbooks and other learning materials were distributed, achieving 97% of the target for the two-year period. (Indicator 11, Standard ES.1-10).

• 988 school management committees (and other community governance committees) engaged with USAID GLEE in the base period; 289 in the option period (Indicator 13, Standard ES. 1-13)

OBJECTIVE 2:

• The project supported the MEN with piloting the school code of conduct in 289 partner schools in Kayes and Mopti (including Bandiagara and Douentza); and worked with schools and youth to make it child-friendly thereby increasing adoption and adherence to the principles (GNDR-1, Indicator 14).

• USAID GLEE trained 9,916 individuals in the base period (5,859 female) and 4,473 in the option period (1,901 female) on gender equality and female empowerment. The targeted participants included teachers, administrators, SMC representatives, healthcare providers, mentors, PEs, GMs, ASC facilitators, YAs. (Indicator 15, GNDR-8):

• The project trained 604 SMCs, Community Health Associations, and Women Associations in the base period and 1,171 in the option period on SRGBV and effective reporting and referral mechanisms (Indicator 16, Standard ES.4-3).

• In the base period and the option period, 81% percent of SRGBV cases in target schools followed referral protocols, performing well above the target rate of 55% (Indicator 17, Custom).

• 1,580 people were trained during the base period in emergency preparedness (96% of the base period target), and 1,557 people during the option period, achieving 174 % of its option period target. (Indicator 19, Custom based on HA 2.1-1, Mali CDCS 5.2.1).

OBJECTIVE 3:

• USAID GLEE delivered a robust SBCC program to increase girls’ knowledge and adoption of healthy behavior. During the base period, the project conducted 20,164 sensitization events, followed by 18,083 in the option period (Indicator 20, Custom).

• 28,972 students (16,351 girls) were reached through Youth Ambassador-organized programs during the base period; 18,179 (11,017 girls) in the option period (Indicator 21, Custom).

• Of those surveyed, 95% recalled hearing or seeing USAID GLEE messages about family planning or reproductive health; 61% in option year 2 (Indicator 22, Standard HL.7,2.1).

• During the base period, 27,626 students accessed health services at free or reduced cost, achieving 67% of the target. In the option period, USAID GLEE increased access to free or

USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (GLEE), Final Report 9 reduced cost health services for 63,001 students, achieving 1,220 % of its target (Indicator 23, Custom).

• In the base period, the project certified 42 health facilities as youth-friendly; 33 in the option period. (Indicator 24, Custom).

• USAID GLEE achieved 2,429 % of its target to train women/girls to make menstrual pads locally during the base period, training 3,158 women/girls compared to 130 women/girls targeted.

During the option period, 6,385 women and girls participated in this activity (112% achievement rate) (Indicator 25, Custom). At the end of the project, 87.1% of adolescent girls reported having access to menstrual hygiene products (Indicator 28, Custom).

• Students benefitted from improved basic sanitation facilities at schools, which included latrine stall renovations and menstrual hygiene management facilities. During the base period USAID renovated 702 basic sanitation facilities; 302 in the option period (Indicator 26, Standard HL.8.2- 4).

• In addition to latrine renovations, USAID GLEE also provided 730 handwashing stations in the base period; and 480 in the option period (Indicator 27, Custom). In Mopti, this represented 45.6% of schools (Indicator 31, Custom)

KEY LEARNING TAKEAWAYS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The following good practices and lessons learned were critical to USAID GLEE’s success and should be considered in future projects:

● Community-driven approach. Several stakeholders cited the community assets appraisal (CAA) tool as a best practice that promoted community ownership and sustainability. The intentional outreach to local women leaders and women groups before launching activities set the stage for their active engagement throughout the project. Establishing Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with SMCs and implicating Pedagogical Advisors, SMCs and communities in the monitoring of learners’ transition from ASC to formal school led to active community-level surveillance committees and improved engagement from government stakeholders. It was a very effective approach for embedding sustainability into the design from inception.

● Mentoring program. The life skills mentorship program is a best practice of USAID GLEE that is widely known and has been replicated by MEN implementing partners. Mentors have contributed to increased empowerment, learning and educational attainment of girls. It was the key activity that provided continuity of learning during school closures, preventing girl dropout and early marriage. The intensive mentoring sessions during school closures had a positive impact on girls’ confidence, motivation to learn, and interpersonal communication skills resulting in improved academic performance when they transferred or returned to formal schooling.

● Monitoring student retention. One lesson learned throughout the project was the importance of monitoring retention of transferred learners, which is not part of the initial design. Therefore, there was not a specific indicator to track retention of learners. However, local partners collected data of their own accord and USAID GLEE reported on the status of learners in the option period. SMCs and community-based surveillance committees were also instrumental in bringing ASC learners back to the ASC or school who had dropped out of the program. Thus, monitoring student attendance, retention after girls’ transition to formal school, and learning outcomes should be part of future USAID education projects.

● Language of instruction. The Balanced Literacy Approach was a systematic way to teach reading and writing to learners. USAID and the project decided to select French as the language

USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (GLEE), Final Report 10 of instruction. However, it was later learned that the use of the national languages in the initial months of the program would have produced higher literacy outcomes given the importance of teaching learners in a familiar language (L1) before transitioning to French (L2). Nonetheless, USAID GLEE succeeded in transferring thousands of learners to formal education. The monitoring of ASC facilitators was critical in reinforcing teacher professional development and ensuring their mastery of the balanced literacy approach. More could have been done to provide adequate support to facilitators in remote areas or to lower performing facilitators. The fact that the ASC was based in the village facilitated monitoring of the ASCs.

● Inter-generational and integrated Social Behavior Change and Communication (SBCC) approach. USAID GLEE’s SBCC community mobilization strategy worked with girls and women from all generations--- including peers in primary school (PEs), secondary school students (Yas), young adult female role models in the community (mentors), aunts and GMs, and youth-friendly health agents – allowing them to mutually raise the profile of girls’ education and promote girls’ rights to education, safety, and health. Pairing mentors with GMs who had influence among parents, community and religious leaders helped to combat harmful gender norms. This intergenerational approach, especially mobilizing GMs and aunts to intervene to stop early marriage and promote family planning among adolescent girls, significantly contributed to changing gender norms and increasing education outcomes.

● School-health partnerships. The USAID GLEE health component was critical for achieving objectives because health-related issues were a major cause of absenteeism and dropout. Girls’ testimonies indicated that the integration of schools and health centers was a major achievement and innovation. All activities including establishing the MOU between health center management committees and SMCs to provide reduced-cost or free health services, creating youth-friendly certified health centers, and monitoring health centers with the youth-friendly checklist – proved to be a highly effective approach and a positive lesson learned that should be replicated.

● Competitive in-kind grants initiative. This was a very effective and innovative approach. In some communities, women started income-generating activities that enabled them to pay school fees, which helped to retain girls beyond the scholarships provided. It also enabled schools to implement their school development plans, and showed the government what was possible. This good practice should be replicated on a larger scale, especially to replace the scholarship and attract more government or private sector funding for schools because they will see the impact of the investment. Engaging the mayor or private sector on the grant selection committee is recommended so that they contribute additional funding in the future.

SUSTAINABILITY

In the final months of the project, USAID GLEE conducted interviews and workshops with key informants from the different partner line ministries, regional government representatives and community members to capture and plan for the sustainability of key interventions. From the inception of the project, USAID GLEE worked closely with the government to build on existing initiatives and ensure their ownership of USAID GLEE materials, training and students transferred into the formal school system. At the national level, USAID GLEE built on existing modules and approaches within the system (e.g., the balanced literacy approach, adolescent reproductive health and family planning modules aligned with MEN and World Health Organization (WHO) standards, and the MEN school code of conduct). USAID GLEE also integrated Ministry task supervisors into their supervisory visits, which

USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (GLEE), Final Report 11 helped to build relationships and engage them in monitoring USAID GLEE activities. At the regional and district levels, USAID GLEE worked with regional Teaching Academies and district CAPs to assess, place and monitor ASC learners to support their transition to formal schools. These regional and district levels of the MEN were essential in implementing the project. At the school level, USAID GLEE established a memorandum of understanding with SMCs who committed to supporting learners after their transition to formal schools. USAID GLEE also worked closely with the MEN for Objective 1, the MPFEF for Objective 2, and MSDS for Objective 3. Representatives from all three ministries expressed their satisfaction about the level of collaboration, particularly at the regional and district levels, and committed to the continuation, replication and scale up of USAID GLEE activities.

At the community and school-level, USAID GLEE embedded sustainability in all activities through the CAA approach and established MOUs with SMCs and health management committees. Stakeholders cited that the activities most likely to be sustained were those developed with the CAA approach, since they were entrenched in schools and communities from the beginning. These activities include building the ASCs, the community-based mentoring program, recruiting local ASC facilitators, installing incident boxes in schools, producing menstrual pads with local resources, and awareness-raising activities conducted by GMs, PEs, and YAs.

USAID GLEE’s exit strategy was embedded in the project's implementation and developed with local partners and stakeholders during the various sustainability workshops in Kayes and Mopti including Bandiagara and Douentza. During the sustainability workshops, mentors, GMs, health workers, SMC members, and teachers all committed to continuing to carry on their activities. Mentors in Mopti will continue with their sessions as they are currently doing in Kayes region (even two years after direct project intervention); teachers and students will continue promoting the code of conduct and using incident boxes; health workers will continue to provide free of cost consultations, and so forth. During closeout, USAID GLEE printed and handed over all the supporting documents in hard copy and on flash disks to mentors. The CAPs are also committed to monitoring the students as they transfer to formal school and to ensuring that SMCs and community health associations (ASACOs) continue their collaboration.

INTRODUCTION

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The $24 million Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (USAID GLEE) activity was a five-year (2018-2023), USAID-funded project aimed to increase access to educational opportunities and outcomes for out-of-school girls in Mali by supporting and leveraging existing efforts by the Government of Mali (GoM) and civil society. The USAID GLEE project targeted adolescent, out-of-school girls aged 10- 18 in 289 target communities of Kayes and Mopti regions, including Bandiagara and Douentza. The project was implemented through a Cost-Plus-Fixed Fee (CPFF) contract that consisted of two phases: a 3-year base period from 2018- 2021 in the regions of Mopti and Kayes; and a two-year option period from 2021-2023, implemented solely in conflict-affected regions in Mopti, including Bandiagara and Douentza.

USAID GLEE Partner Roles

Winrock: Prime contractor, Objective 1 and 2 technical lead

GAAS: Community mobilization and school safety lead in Mopti

CPHDA: Community mobilization and school safety lead in Kayes

OMAES: Technical lead for ASC and teacher professional development

IntraHealth: Technical lead of SRHR and WASH activities (Objective 3)

USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (GLEE), Final Report 12

Winrock International led USAID GLEE in partnership with international and national organizations:

IntraHealth International, Groupe d’Actions et d'Animation au Sahel – Mali (GAAS), Oeuvre Malienne d’Aide à l'Enfance au Sahel (OMAES) and Centre d'Assistance et de Promotion des Droits Humains en Afrique (CPHDA)2.

RESULTS FRAMEWORK

USAID GLEE aims to achieve its goal of increased educational attainment for adolescent girls ages 10-18 through three primary objectives and their sub-results:

As a central activity, USAID GLEE provides accelerated learning programs that help girls transition into formal school. Using a cross-sectoral approach, USAID GLEE coupled accelerated learning with mentoring in life skills and SRHR to help girls more effectively navigate social and cultural pressures that keep them from pursuing their education and life goals. USAID GLEE’s theory of change posits that to increase girls’ enrollment in ALCs, as well as in formal school, change is needed at the individual level (the girls themselves) and within their social groupings and institutions: their peers, families, schools, healthcare facilities, communities, and the structures that support them.

Accordingly, USAID GLEE implements a holistic implementation approach that mobilizes youth, extended families, SMCs, parents’ associations (APEs), mothers’

2 The translated English names of the partners are Action Group in the Sahel (GAAS), Malian Work to Help Children of the Sahel (OMAES) and the Center for the Promotion of Human Rights and Development in Africa

(CPHDA).

Figure 2: USAID GLEE Theory of Change

Figure 1: USAID GLEE Results Framework

USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (GLEE), Final Report 13 associations (AMEs), schoolteachers and administrators, and local healthcare providers as well as sub-regional, regional, and national ministry officials (Figure 2).

USAID GLEE collaborated with three Ministries to implement girl-friendly policies and plans: the MEN for Objective 1; the MPFEF for Objective 2; and the MSDS for Objective 3. At the regional level, USAID GLEE partnered with local regional and district governments, schools, health centers, and communities to build an enabling environment for girls. Within target communities, USAID GLEE increased awareness and support for girls’ education by strengthening the capacity of families, mentors, GMs/aunts, and peers to conduct SBCC activities and to advocate for girls’ education.

To achieve its objectives, USAID GLEE adopted six strategies proven to be successful in Mali and other West African education programs and tailored them to Mopti and Kayes. As shown in Figure 3 below, USAID GLEE strategies included:

• Com m unity m obilization and affirmed collaboration with SMCs, APEs, AMEs, religious and traditional authorities, schoolteachers, school administrators, local healthcare providers, mentors, GMs, and female role models.

• P articipatory capacity building to enable local trainers to facilitate hands-on exercises that allowed participants to absorb new information and apply it to their own situations.

• Mentorship/peer learning through localized recruitment and training of USAID GLEE mentors, PEs, and YAs to serve as role models and student advocates.

• Targeted S BCC through intimate conversations between trained SMC/APE/AME representatives and their friends and neighbors to advocate for girls’ education, safety and health.

• S cholarships in the form of mobile money transfers paid directly to schools to address the financial barriers to girls’ education, including accessing accelerated learning programs.

• Quality Materia ls including teaching and learning materials (such as visual aids, maps, radios, USB Keys with audio supports and training modules, blackboards and quick references for teachers) provided to schoolteachers and administrators; stationery supplies to USAID GLEE mentors for use in study groups;

and Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) information materials to health workers and YAs.

• Im proved school WAS H facilities to complement menstrual hygiene management (MHM) and WASH behavior change activities.

Figure 3: USAID GLEE Strategic Approach

USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (GLEE), Final Report 14

GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS

USAID GLEE operated in the two regions of Kayes and Mopti during the base period (FY2018-FY2021) and in Mopti during the option period (FY2022-FY2023). During the base period, the project targeted three CAPs per region for a total of six districts, plus a newly created CAP of Sangha, Mopti. The target districts included Rive Droite, Rive Gauche, and Kéniéba in Kayes, and Bandiagara, Douentza, and Bankass in Mopti during the Base Period and expanded to include Koro in Mopti in the Option Period. In 2021, when the government enacted a new administrative breakdown, Mopti was divided into several new regions. Due to this shift in territorial boundaries, USAID GLEE ended up working in two regions (Bandiagara and Douentza) and seven districts during the option year period.

RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Results from the May 2023 USAID GLEE final evaluation3 and the internal collection of best practices and lessons learned (June 20234) provide ample evidence that Malian adolescent girls are empowered to achieve greater educational attainment because of their experience with USAID GLEE. There are numerous testimonies, success stories, and data confirming that adolescent girls have reached higher levels of education and have become catalysts for change within their school, home, and community.

Through decreasing barriers to education, improving the safety of schools and communities, and creating linkages between schools and health centers, USAID GLEE has successfully increased access to education and retention in school, combated harmful gender norms such as forced early marriage, and changed perceptions about the value of girls’ education in target communities.

IMPACT AND MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGES

Respondents in the USAID GLEE Final Evaluation described how girls’ newfound knowledge and empowerment manifested into girls’ refusing to be forced into early marriage and insisting on staying in school. A mayoral official in Bandiagara represents this outcome well in the statement, “Before the parents were in control. Now, the girls themselves say they are going to study. They say, ‘You’re not going to force me to have a husband. First, I am going to study . We have heard many cases.”

This sentiment was echoed in the Most Significant Change (MSC) stories collected through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with 71 adolescent girls who benefited from USAID GLEE. The girls who participated in the FGDs shared their testimonies and then as a group, selected one story to capture the

3 The USAID Final Evaluation commissioned by Winrock International was conducted by EdIntersect in May 2023 and the draft report submitted in July 2023.

4 Winrock International conducted informal interviews with GLEE staff, partners and government counterparts to capture key achievements, challenges, lessons learned and recommendations for this final report. Results are included in the section below and in the Other Evidence of Impact sub-sections under each objective.

Figure 4: USAID GLEE Target Regions of Intervention

USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (GLEE), Final Report 15

MSC among all the stories shared. The most significant changes were girls’ increased empowerment and agency to make life choices related to education, marriage, and family planning; increased learning and educational attainment; and improved access to quality education.

Early Marriage

Among the MSC stories girls shared in FGDs, early marriage was the topic most often selected; five of 12 stories reflected this theme. Personal narratives regarding early marriage described how USAID GLEE’s interventions empowered girls to change their lives and enabled them to remain in school and focus on educational achievement. The stories also illustrated how these girls were able to impact the lives of other girls in their communities.

Most Significant Change Stories: Early Marriage

Changing Trajectories: Before USAID GLEE arrived in her community in the region of Bandiagara, a girl said she had envisioned herself having a child at the age of 15. She thought there was no risk of having a child at that age. However, now as a 15-year-old ninth grader, she says that girls should not get married until they are at least 18 or 19, thanks to what she learned through GLEE. She also learned about the complications of teenage pregnancy, including fistula, which changed the outlook for her future. Instead of planning to have a child, she devoted herself to school.

Empowering divorced girls: An 18-year-old ninth grader in a community in Kayes was married when she was 14 in 2020. Her marriage soon ended in divorce because she defied her mother-in-law by leaving her community to spend a week at her father’s bedside while he was in the hospital. She received news about the divorce as soon as she reached the hospital. Afterward, her father encouraged her to re-enroll in school.

“After the divorce, people treat you like a nobody,” the girl said. “[They say] the girl has left home to become a prostitute, you’ll be a disgrace to everyone, including your mother, it’s destiny.”

After participating in USAID GLEE activities, the girl has become an active advocate in her community, raising awareness about the harmful effects of child marriage. As part of USAID GLEE sensitization activities, she played a role in a sketch as the friend of a girl forced into an early marriage. She goes to her friend's home to tell her and others the dangers of early marriage and then takes them to seek help at the police station. In her community, she plays a similar role. “If I see another girl in the same situation, I tell them about the dangers and the consequences,” she said. “Early marriage has never worked; all the consequences fall on the girl.” She is not afraid to speak to elders about the topic. “I’ve always challenged old people about the consequences of early marriage and the dangers associated with the practice,” she said.

USAID GLEE-trained girl protects sister from being forced into early marriage: A 14-year-old ninth grader in a community in Kayes said USAID GLEE changed her life significantly. Before USAID GLEE, she was not aware of early marriage, but it stuck in her mind when she learned about it. Then when she found out one of her sisters was going to get married, she utilized her newfound knowledge to intervene and stop the marriage:

“I told her not to get married because she might get sick. She asked me how I knew that, and I told her I had learned it at school. I told her to listen to me and not to marry as a child, and she said there was no problem. I made my father sit down and told him: “Dad, you must not agree to give my sister away in marriage, because she might get sick.” I told him it was our project that told us at school. He said he understood. I spoke to my mother about it, and she said not to get involved. I told her I had to get involved because it could have consequences for my sister … and if she gets pregnant, she could have problems giving birth. Finally, my sister says she’s not getting married anymore, and she’s still not married.”

This girl said she was grateful for the awareness that USAID GLEE raised in her community. “What struck me the most is that if I had not listened carefully to what the project said, my sister was going to make a mistake,”

USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (GLEE), Final Report 16 she said. “I listened carefully to the messages, I understood them, and they stayed in my mind. That’s why I went to give her advice.”

Sexual and Reproductive Health

In the FGDs, adolescent girls shared notable stories of empowerment and agency related to sexual reproductive health and family planning. One group selected an MSC story about a girl learning how to use birth control implants, while others focused on improved knowledge and resources for menstrual hygiene management.

Most Significant Change Stories: Improved Sexual Reproductive Health and Family Planning

Using a birth control implant was the most meaningful change in her life!: A 15-year-old seventh grader in the region of Bandiagara explained how using a birth control implant was the most meaningful change in her life. The girl recounted how the project raised awareness about family planning and birth control, contradicting what older women said about implants causing girls to get sick. “What’s more,” she said, “when we use it, they spread bad rumors about us.” Unfazed by the community gossip, the girl discussed the benefits of family planning, including the risks of unintended pregnancy and the ability to continue in school instead of dropping out to raise a family.

Learning about menstruation and training girls to produce sanitary pads: A 16-year-old ninth grader in Kayes recounted that when she was younger, she was so eager to learn about menstruation that she asked her sisters, only to have them chase her away and tell her she was too young to learn. Thanks to USAID GLEE, she finally learned about menstruation at school and how to make sanitary pads. She performed so well, that she was selected as a group leader, and people have started to call her “nurse.” “If those in need come to me, I teach them how to make [the pads], unlike my older sisters. But I’ll keep on fighting to teach them with the little knowledge I’ve gained.”

Learning about menstruation was the most meaningful change in her life!: A 15-year-old ninth grader in Kayes explained that the most meaningful change in her life was learning about menstruation thanks to USAID GLEE. She described how she had shared her knowledge about menstruation, including helping one girl who thought she had hurt herself after seeing stains on her clothes. Although she did not know how to make sanitary pads, she knew they were available in the community, so she went to get some for the girl and gave them to her.

Community-level health workers were surprised by girls’ increased visits to health centers and demands for sexual reproductive healthcare services.

Stakeholder Testimony: Increased Health Visits by Adolescent Girls

A healthcare worker in Bandiagara said she was surprised by girls' interest in birth control. “Despite the rumors about the implant, adolescent girls are coming to the health center in the evening—or when it’s less busy—to access family planning methods. A lot of adolescent girls are doing that, and I wasn’t expecting that.” The healthcare worker went on to explain how it is much less of a taboo to discuss family planning in communities now:

“Before it was hard to find anyone talking about family planning, and in some communities, you were even chased away and not allowed to continue your awareness-raising session. But today, that’s no longer the case, and when you go into schools to raise awareness, you just have to start, and even the children [contribute], because they know so much.”

USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (GLEE), Final Report 17

Girls’ interest in healthcare services also surprised other healthcare workers who were interviewed. “I didn’t expect the massive attendance of young girls at the health center,” said a healthcare worker in the region of Kayes. “Girls’ early marriage and unintended pregnancies are almost a thing of the past for us thanks to USAID GLEE’s activities in our community.” A healthcare worker in Douentza stated: “After our awareness-building sessions, girls sometimes come to the community health center to express their needs, and that’s something I didn’t expect.”

These stories about early marriage, reproductive health, and menstrual health, demonstrate not only how USAID GLEE had helped change girls’ lives but also how their newfound knowledge and agency empowered them to make a difference in the lives of their peers. For instance, an 18-year-old ninth grader in Kayes shared how she was not afraid to talk to elders in her community about the dangers of early marriage, and a 14-year-old ninth grader in Kayes talked about how she not only convinced her sister to refuse an early marriage but also persuaded her father into understanding the violation of girls’ rights. Other girls shared how they had taught girls in their community about menstruation and helped them access sanitary pads. These personal stories corroborate what other respondents in the final evaluation described girls finding their voice and becoming more vocal advocates for shaping their future.

Girls participating in USAID GLEE activities changed their vision of what they could accomplish in their lives, and their actions demonstrate a level of increased agency around key life decisions. Girls transferred from ASCs to formal schools and became the highest achievers; girls trained to produce their own sanitary pads trained others; and girls sensitized about health took it upon themselves to seek contraception and treatment at community health centers. Their actions created a shift in community perceptions of girls’ trajectories and a ripple effect among adolescent girls in USAID GLEE communities.

The USAID GLEE Final Evaluation also found evidence that the project had changed the community’s perception about what girls could achieve. Various key informant interview respondents, including teachers, principals, and health workers, described how adolescent girls’ progress and accomplishments surprised them. Many detailed how they did not expect out-of-school girls to learn so much in less than a year and then excel when they transferred to government schools. Many health care workers reported they did not anticipate so many girls coming to community health centers to access contraception and seek out other medical care. These findings indicate that USAID GLEE not only achieved its expected outcomes, but also exceeded communities’ expectations of the project.

INCREASED ENROLLMENT AND EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

USAID GLEE’s performance on goal-level indicators compared with targets demonstrates success in achieving the goal of increased access to education for out-of-school adolescent girls. Overall, USAID GLEE exceeded base period and option period targets for Goal Indicator1, enrolling 26,381 adolescent girls ages 10-14 into ASCs or formal schools throughout the life of the project. This exceeded both the base period and option period targets, by 123% and 139% respectively. This could be explained by the target communities’ positive response to the various SBCC strategies employed throughout the project and recognition of the importance of schooling for girls. In addition, the formal school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic and rising insecurity may also have contributed to higher enrollments in the ASCs.

Across objectives, USAID GLEE reached 127,005 female beneficiaries 10-18, also exceeding the base and option period targets (137% base period; 112% option period). This target was exceeded because project activities were extended to 17 new partner schools in the option period. Another reason can be attributed to the accumulated effects of the project. For instance, children felt increasingly safe at school and no longer dropped out. Some communities took actions to bring recent dropouts back to school, USAID Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (GLEE), Final Report 18 working one-on-one with families to address their specific challenges. As a result, the number of learners attending and retained within the 289 partner schools was higher than expected. All learners benefited from the various interventions, including the provision of teaching and learning materials; birth certificates; access to health centers with reduced cost or free visits; and awareness-raising sessions on sexual reproductive health and menstrual hygiene. Each of these factors contributed to retaining children in school and resulted in a high number of female beneficiaries at the end of the project.

Table 1: Total number of girls ages 10-18 enrolled and supported by USAID GLEE

No. Indicator Base Period (FY18-FY21) Option Period (FY22-

FY23)

Target Actual % Target Actual % 1 Number of new female entrants to

ASC or formal school ages 10-14 (Custom, Outcome)

13,362 16,535 123% 7,100 9,846 139%

3 Number of female beneficiaries supported with USG assistance 10- 18 (Custom, Output)

57,707 78,824 137% 42,996 48,181 112%

USAID GLEE increased out-of-school girls’ educational attainment and improved their literacy and numeracy skills by enrolling them into ASCs. These alternative education programs offered adolescent girls’ opportunities to learn, become literate and continue their basic education.