Boosting girls' education in the Central African Republic is key

At the start of the new school year, Yassifette, a 17-year-old mother, joins other students of the Bambari middle school, capital of the Ouaka prefecture, to check that her name is on the list of enrollees. “In 2023, I was forced to join my daughter's father after pregnancy occurred. I couldn't continue my studies due to lack of financial support,” she explains, holding her daughter in her arms. Today, she is back in school.

In the Central African Republic, over 30%¹ of girls drop out of primary school due to household financial instability or early pregnancy. This situation is even more acute in rural areas, where the dropout rate for girls reaches 40%, significantly impacting the illiteracy rate.

To address this trend, the World Bank-funded Human Capital and Empowerment of Women and Girls Project (f) focuses on access to health, education, and employment opportunities. Known as "Maïngo," which means development in the Sango language, the national language, the project provides scholarships for girls to advance their education at least until the end of secondary school. After a year of implementation at Bambari Secondary School, the project is beginning to yield positive results.

Girls frequently face marginalization within the education system

The gender gap in school enrollment is significant, especially at the high school in Bambari, 385 kilometers from Bangui, the capital. Of the 1,340 girls enrolled at the start of the 2022-2023 school year, 47% dropped out during the school year. This is due to households lacking financial resources; most residents are low-income farmers who cannot afford education for all their children.

“Parents often prioritise boys' education over girls', allocating limited resources to them,” explains Abel Matchipata, mayor of the city. “Consequently, girls frequently stop studying early or are withdrawn from schools.”

Scholarships to support women's schooling

Yassifette's return to school after a year of disruption was made possible thanks to the 75,000 CFA grant awarded under the Maïngo project.

“The money I received allowed me to buy school supplies, pay school fees, and do small things. I was also able to start a small business that I plan to continue part-time to save money,” she explains.

Julie Gounaba, a 4th grader, expresses her perspective. At the age of 18, she moved with her parents to the neighborhood known as the “Cité de la Paix” where her father worked as a caretaker, and her mother as a farmer. She received her grant two weeks before the start of the school year. “My parents don't have the means to prepare for the start of the school year and pay the school fees. It was with the scholarship that I bought all my school supplies: bag, notebooks, etc.” Her goal is to continue her studies through high school and then become a police officer to help maintain peace in the city.

Committed local associations

The return of girls to school is facilitated by women, members of the Association of Educating Mothers (AME). These women play an essential role in the process by identifying beneficiaries and raising the awareness of young girls and their parents about the importance of education.

Elvine Mamadou, Secretary of the Bambari AME and Principal of the Maidou School, explains: “Many girls become pregnant during the school year and subsequently discontinue their education. Therefore, we intend to raise awareness among both the students and their parents to encourage them to return to school. Our message to them is that pregnancy should not be a barrier to continuing their education.” The educator further elaborates that a support system for newborns has been implemented in the selected schools, enabling young mothers to continue attending classes.

A positive and motivating factor

The provision of scholarships to girls is part of one of the sub-components of the Maïngo project, which aims to “facilitate girls' access to and retention in school” by addressing the main obstacles to their education. To achieve this objective, the specific program, Making Schools Accessible for Girls, has already been implemented in 98 primary schools and 21 public secondary schools. For the 2023-2024 school year, this program awarded scholarships to 1,528 young girls for an approximate CFAF 115 million, for the Ouaka prefecture.

During the 2023-2024 academic year, the program awarded scholarships to 1,528 young girls in the Ouaka prefecture, amounting to approximately CFAF 115 million.

At the national level, 10,476 secondary school girls from five prefectures have already received scholarships, totaling nearly CFAF 786 million. The program is expected to extend over the next two academic years.

Encouraging girls to return to school will contribute to a more prosperous future for themselves and their communities.

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¹ Source: MICS6-CAR, 2019