Project profile — Equality for Girls' Access to Education in the Nord Kivu and Kasaï Provinces of the DRC

The project aims to improve access to education for girls and other vulnerable children in the provinces of North Kivu and Kasai in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It addresses the social, financial and gender-specific barriers that prevent them from attending school. It also contributes to improving the capacity of the education system by strengthening the quality and gender sensitivity of formal and informal education services. In addition, the project aims to increase the capacity of local, provincial and national authorities to provide educational services that meet the needs of girls. Project activities include: (1) raising community awareness of the importance of education for girls; (2) implementing a music therapy program for girls, young women and women caregivers who have experienced trauma, specifically, sexual and gender-based violence; (3) implementing alternative, traditional and accelerated learning programs for out-of-school girls and other vulnerable children; and (4) updating educational programs and policy at the local and provincial levels by including and/or reinforcing gender and conflict issues. The project expects to reach 461, 570 people, including 128, 500 girls, 136, 200 women, 70, 000 persons with disabilities and 8, 000 survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. School-based activities aim to reach 6,020 girls and 3,904 boys.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased equitable access to quality, inclusive, affordable, safe and secure education and teaching that is tailored to gender-based differences for vulnerable children and youth, particularly girls, at the primary and secondary levels; and (2) improved delivery of quality, innovative, inclusive, safe and gender-equal education and learning services provided to vulnerable children and youth, particularly girls, by local, provincial and national authorities.

Results achieved as of the end of the project (March 2023) include: (1) reached 657,028 people (205,846 girls, 204,607 boys, 122,792 women, and 123,783 men); (2) supported 6,793 students with school materials, including providing 5,442 students (4,277 girls and 1,165 boys) with school kits and supporting 1,351 girls with school fees; (3) built 22 six-door latrine blocks and distributed 185 handwashing kits and 1,900 Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) kits; (4) provided 2559 people (2,199 girls, 284 boys, 67 caregivers) mental health and psycho-social support through the Make Music Matter’s Healing in Harmony program; (5) conducted door-to-door and in-school sensitization in collaboration with different stakeholders. This includes 141 women’s groups members, 40 Community Child Protection Network members, 348 Parent Teacher Associations members ( 140 women and 208 men); (6) 130 inspectors (86 women) and 115 individuals with interest funds trained 188 teachers (100 women and 88 men) on gender-responsive literacy education (Unlock Literacy), positive discipline, and teaching in crisis context; (7) enrolled 3,000 children (1,908 girls and 1,092 boys) in the twenty established reading clubs across the three cohorts; and (8) trained 110 multi-confessional faith leaders (77 men and 33 women) and 550 community faith leaders on conducting exchanges. The project also led 550 weekly discussion groups on a theme related to children’s rights or the position of the holy scriptures on gender attitudes.