CAMFED
Supporting disadvantaged girls and young women to complete their education in Zambia
Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) has been supporting girls to go to school, learn, thrive and become leaders and changemakers in communities across sub-Saharan Africa for decades. Since 2022, Be That Girl Foundation and CAMFED have partnered in Zambia to help vulnerable girls remain in school and build the skills, confidence and support networks they need to thrive.
Despite progress in girls' education in Zambia, completing secondary school remains a significant challenge. In 2024, an estimated 55% of girls completed lower secondary education and only 31% completed upper secondary education. Girls living in rural and low-income communities face intersecting barriers including poverty, food insecurity, early pregnancy and child marriage, which can increase their risk of leaving school.
A central part of our partnership to date has been CAMFED's Learner Guide Programme. Learner Guides are young women who have themselves experienced educational disadvantage and return to their communities as mentors and role models. They deliver CAMFED's My Better World curriculum, helping students develop confidence, resilience, problem-solving and leadership skills, while providing more intensive support including home visits, counselling, and links with families and schools for girls at greatest risk of dropping out.
In 2025–26, BTG's support enabled 390 young women to serve as Learner Guides, including 30 newly trained Guides. Together, they reached 30,897 children with life skills and wellbeing support, exceeding the target of 22,000, and provided more intensive support to 8,766 particularly vulnerable children. Components of My Better World have also been incorporated into Zambia's revised national secondary-school curriculum, which began its phased rollout in 2025.
Building on these achievements, the next phase of the BTG–CAMFED partnership shifts our direct support to CAMFED's Transition Guide Programme, extending the journey beyond secondary school. The programme supports young women school graduates as they navigate their next steps into further education, employment or entrepreneurship. BTG's 2026–27 investment supports the recruitment, training and ongoing support of Transition Guides, curriculum delivery, learning resources, mentorship and peer support, program coordination, and strengthened wellbeing and safeguarding.
Together, Be That Girl Foundation and CAMFED are supporting girls and young women across a critical transition from succeeding in school to building the skills, confidence and opportunities they need to shape their futures.
Key numbers
REACH
In 2025, through BTG, CAMFED supported 390 young women as Learner Guides in Zambia.
Learner Guides reached a total of 30,897 secondary school students, including 14,392 girls.
8,766 ‘particularly vulnerable’ children received more intensive psychosocial support.
In 2025, an estimated 350,000 learners have been reached by components of the CAMFED Learner Guide through its integration into the revised national secondary school curriculum.
IMPACT
89% of girls and young women in the program have successfully transitioned into the next academic year of their education or training course.
48% of young women are taking positions of responsibility in university, community, or other settings.
42% of young women proactively lead advocacy efforts on a specific cause, and 48% are involved in supporting or campaigning for the rights and/or wellbeing of others.
