Quality, lifelong education for all which is accessible, inclusive and relevant to the individual, national and global needs and value systems.
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Quality, lifelong education for all which is accessible, inclusive and relevant to the individual, national and global needs and value systems.
The Government of the Republic of Zambia and the World Bank entered into a financing agreement (IDA Credit) on the 6th of January, 2016 to implement the Girls Education and Women’s Empowerment and Livelihoods (GEWEL) Project.
• The GEWEL Project aims to increase access to livelihood support for extremely poor rural women and improve access to secondary education for disadvantaged girls identified from extremely poor households in selected districts
• The project commenced in January 2016 and was expected to be implemented for a period of four (4) years up to September 2020. The Project duration, has now been extended to end in April, 2024.
• The Ministry of Education is implementing one of the GEWEL Project component namely, Keeping Girls in School (KGS) Initiative in 39 selected districts across the 10 Provinces of Zambia
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON KEEPING GIRLS IN SCHOOL
Who is eligible for KGS?
• Girls or young women under 25 years living in Social Cash Transfer
(SCT) households who have qualified for secondary school.
• This includes girls currently attending grades 8-12 as well as girls who
have stopped going to school but passed grade 7 examination and
have a certificate or statement of results to prove it. Or, if they dropped
out while in Grade 9-12 and have a report form from their previous
school.
• Based on the Re-entry Policy and National Strategy on Ending Child
Marriage and the Education Act Number 23 of 2011 which prohibits a
man marrying a learner who is 16 and below, girls or young women
who have had children can return to school and are eligible for KGS
sponsorship as long as they are not married.
FAQ: How long will I (my daughter/dependent) receive KGS?
• You (daughter/dependent) will receive KGS support until you complete
secondary school, your daughter/dependent shall be allowed to reenter
twice.
• In an event that your daughter/dependent applies for re-entry more than
twice or gets married, the school should refer her to an alternative mode
of education (such learners lose the KGS bursary).
Why should only girls from SCT households be allowed on the programme?
• Because SCT households have been identified as the neediest in the
community and girls in such households are more vulnerable due to
poverty which hinders their educational progression.
What does KGS cover?
• In view of the Government policy to offer free secondary education,
KGS will cover boarding school fees. Boarding fees will be transferred
directly to the school on your behalf. In addition, KGS pays an
education grant to enable families buy other school requirements.
One of my daughters benefts from KGS but not the other.
Why is that?
What can I do so that my other daughter also benefts?
• There are many reasons why this might be the case. KGS beneficiaries
are selected based on lists from SCT – was your other daughter living
in the household at the time of SCT listing?
• Also, KGS beneficiaries are girls who are in secondary school – does
your other daughter meet the eligibility criteria?
• If yes to both these questions, please urgently submit a complaint in
the complaint box at the school or in your community and/or to your
community focal point or call 116 so we can investigate the case
Why can’t boys beneft from KGS too?
• KGS can only reach so many beneficiaries and it prioritizes girls
because there are more boys in secondary school than girls.
• It focuses on girls because they need more support than boys to attend
secondary school. When we looked at the schools in our country, we
noticed that there are as many girls as boys in primary schools, but
much more boys than girls in secondary schools.
• KGS helps families send their girls to school so that they have the same
opportunities as boys to learn and achieve their potential.
What should I (my daughter/dependent) do once I receive the KGS offer letter?
What are the conditions to benefting from KGS?
• You (your daughter/dependent) should report to the school indicated
on the letter and sign the payment checklist that you will find at the
school. The only condition is that you attend school regularly.
Can I (my daughter/dependent) be removed from the programme for having a child?
• No. According to the Government’s Re-entry Policy, your daughter/
dependent shall be allowed to re-enter twice.
• In an event that your daughter/dependent applies for re-entry more than
twice or gets married, the school should refer her to an alternative mode
of education (such learners lose the KGS bursary).
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