Education in Africa

Agility recently partnered with the Campaign for Female Education (Camfed) to fund the schooling of 100 female students in rural Ghana in West Africa.

Camfed is an international organization that works with rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa to address the barriers marginalized girls face getting access to education and transitioning to an independent livelihood.

Agility is building logistics infrastructure to support the growth of trade in Ghana. In many of the 100-plus countries where it operates, Agility has put health and education for girls and women at the center of its volunteerism and corporate contributions, particularly in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. By partnering with Camfed, Agility is making a powerful impact on the lives of some of the world’s most disadvantaged girls and their communities.

In sub-Saharan Africa, 28 million girls are out of school, according to the Global Initiative on Out-of-School Children published by UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics. In rural Ghana, Agility’s support will cover the costs of tuition, uniforms, supplies and other items for girls whose families do not have the means to send them to secondary school.

“In the rural communities where we work, chronic poverty excludes many girls from education, especially at secondary level, where costs rise sharply, and distances to schools are much greater. Girls are so determined to access education that they put themselves at considerable risk to raise the money, heading to towns to work as street porters or maids, vulnerable to abuse and exploitation,” said Dolores Dickson, Executive Director of Camfed Ghana. “Camfed works with communities, schools, authorities and generous donor partners like Agility to rewrite the future of these girls, who then become mentors and role models for other girls.”

Geoffrey White, CEO of Agility Africa, said: “Social development alongside our commercial development is important to Agility. Without it our businesses can’t grow and operate as we would wish. Social inclusion is a core value for us. Education is one of the best investments we can make to alleviate poverty and create a better world. It has an incredible multiplier effect, and it provides returns for generations.”

Research shows that better-educated women tend to be healthier, take part in the formal labor market and earn more. Data also indicate that the children of educated women benefit by receiving better health care and education.

In addition to its support of basic and secondary education, Agility is establishing training programs to groom logistics professionals and skilled warehouse and distribution specialists in Africa.