In a context in which girls have least access to education and are most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, CAMFED's mission is to multiply girls' access to education in Africa and accelerate the benefits to individuals, their families and communities.

CAMFED operates education, health and micro finance programs in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana and Tanzania. In 2005, CAMFED worked with a network of 13,368 community activists to solve poverty-related problems that prevent girls from attending school, benefiting almost 250,000 children educationally; providing business training to 5,366 young women, 885 of whom have gone on to set up their own rural businesses; and training 216 young women as health activists, who reached out to 71,200 young people with vital health information, including on HIV/AIDS. An alumni network of over 4,700 young educated women is now working in partnership with CAMFED in their rural communities to extend the benefits of their education as activists for change, and last year this network, in partnership with other community groups, supported 16,226 children to go to school through their own philanthropic initiatives.

For 15 years, Camfed has been dedicated to fighting poverty and HIV/AIDS in rural communities in Africa by educating girls and investing in their economic independence and leadership once they complete school. When Camfed commits to supporting a girl’s education, she isn’t merely sent to school for a year or two. She is supported throughout her childhood and adolescence and into young adulthood. Our programs are designed to follow girls and young women through critical junctures in their lives – when they are particularly prone to drop out of school, or marry young, for example. Our mission is to help them escape poverty and realize their tremendous potential.

Girls who are supported through school by Camfed evolve into role models and leaders in their communities, providing inspiration to the next generation. Seeing women in their community succeed gives more children the confidence to pursue their dreams.

There is a growing consensus among global leaders that girls’ education is the single best investment that can be made in developing countries. Studies show that educated girls marry later, have fewer children, are half as likely to contract HIV, and increase their future incomes by 15 to 25 percent for every year of secondary school education that they complete.

And the investment reverberates through the community. Women who have been supported through school by Camfed go on to fund the education of younger relatives. They contribute to the local economy as successful entrepreneurs. They develop the confidence and skills to play an active role in shaping their communities and initiating change.