Turkana Girls Mentorship Project

This report outlines the key findings, achievements, challenges, and recommendations derived from an education and mentorship project conducted by ziziAfrique. The project aimed to empower marginalized girls in the education sector by providing mentorship and life skills support. The report encapsulates the essence of the project’s objectives, its impact on participants, and the valuable lessons learned throughout its implementation. Here, we delve into the core aspects of the project and its significance in the realm of education and community development.

Monitoring Learning and Evaluation Plan:

• Developed a robust ML&E plan before project initiation.
• Tracked indicators such as attendance, learning outcomes, co-curricular activities, and mentorship session attendance.
• Collected reliable data on attendance, mentorship sessions, and learning outcomes.
• Created data collection protocols and recorded frequently asked questions.

Baseline and End Line Data:

• Collected baseline data in March 2018 with 787 girls, 17 Headteachers, and 17 female teachers.
• End line data gathered in July 2018, involving 577 girls from primary and secondary schools.
• Used the same tools for baseline and end line assessments to measure mentorship’s impact on life skills.

Project Achievements (Objectives and Outcomes):

• Project objectives included piloting community mentors, proposing a sustainable approach, and generating evidence on mentoring for girls.
• Engaged community mentors like female teachers, alumni, and local role models.
• Demonstrated that community mentors enhanced contextual relevance.
• Female teachers played a key role in data collection and mentorship.
• Observed some improvement in learning outcomes, although termly scores didn’t fully support this.
• Facilitated the readmission of teenage mothers to school.
• A moderate increase in school attendance was noted.

Challenges Faced:

• Challenges included teacher shortages, government restrictions on school visitors, and financial constraints due to unmet partner commitments (e.g., UNICEF).
• Weather conditions affected school accessibility.
• Comprehensive data collection proved challenging, considering mentors’ varying education levels.

Lessons Learned:

• Simplicity is key in mentoring approaches.
• Align project design with desired outcomes.
• Carefully select data collection methods and focus on essential data.
• Collaboration with the government enhances success.
• Local mentors who understand the community and local language are valuable.
• Starting mentorship at the beginning of the school year is beneficial for outcome measurement.

Recommendations:

• Suggest extending the project’s duration beyond one year.
• Focus on selected mentoring components and streamlined data collection.
• Advocate for community involvement in project design.
• Strongly recommend the use of local mentors.

In summary, the report provides insights into the achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations of the education and mentorship project, emphasizing the importance of empowering girls in marginalized communities and offering guidance for future initiatives in similar contexts.