Two schoolgirls in Zimbabwe smiling

Helping girls with disabilities into education in Zimbabwe

An estimated 1 in 5 secondary school-age girls in Zimbabwe are not at school – and girls with disabilities are among those most likely to miss out. CBM is working in partnership with Plan International (open link in new tab) to help girls with disabilities aged 10-19, who are not currently attending school to access education as part of the Supporting Adolescent Girls’ Education (SAGE) programme.

As a part of the programme, 132 community-based Learning Hubs are being set up across 11 districts to reduce the distance girls have to travel to school, making education more accessible for adolescent girls, in particular girls with disabilities. CBM is providing assistive devices, hub modifications and community sensitisation strategies to reduce stigma and ensure girls with disabilities can access these accelerated learning programmes. CBM are also supporting the training of staff and community volunteers to ensure inclusive learning environments.

We are also working with local Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) to identify girls with disabilities and the barriers they face and to ensure they have access to the right assistive devices, as well as providing training and materials to enable community educators to make their teaching inclusive.

The 6-year SAGE programme launched in 2018 and aims to reach over 21,000 girls who have never attended school or have dropped out. It is part of the UK Aid funded Girls’ Education Challenge.

Girls' Education Challenge logo and UK aid logo Back

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