Transforming Education for Girls in Nigeria and Tanzania (TEGINT)

TEGINT works in 57 schools in northern Tanzania and 72 schools in northern Nigeria, with the strategic goals of:

• building the capacity of girls (and boys) to challenge gender discrimination;
• promoting participatory modules on gender and HIV/AIDS in national pre-service and in-service teacher training;
• building capacity and provide ongoing support to school management committees and the wider community addressing HIV/AIDS and girls' rights in education;
• facilitating the development of legal and policy frameworks and good practice that will enhance and protects girls’ rights in school; and
• building the capacity of national NGOs - CAPP and Maarifa Ni Ufunguo - as leading national organisations in education, gender and HIV/AIDS.

Girls in and out of school are the focus of the project. According to ActionAid, TEGINT has grounded itself in a participatory and dialogic approach. The TEGINT Toolkit of participatory tools was developed to facilitate a level of conversation by community members on girls’ education issues. A mid-term evaluation of the project found that violence against girls in and around schools is being more openly discussed in some schools and communities as a result of TEGINT.

Girls clubs are also designed to encourage girls' attendance at school, as well as improve performance in class, girls' confidence, and relationships between boys and girls. The clubs also work to increasing girls’ knowledge on HIV/AIDS and life skills.

The programme has also included training for incoming teachers, matron and patron teachers, and school management committees (SMC). Matrons and patrons (selected teachers) are trained by TEGINT on HIV/AIDS, gender, and participatory methodologies to improve engagement with girls and boys. SMC training has been designed to strengthen management processes (budgets and planning) and community activities including out-of-school children mapping and subsequent household visits and parental support for enrolment and attendance.

Education, Gender, HIV

According to the project’s mid-term review TEGINT has successfully contributed towards:

• increasing enrolment and completion rates in primary schools by up to 50%;
• establishing Girls Clubs in all schools with fully trained ‘matron’ facilitators, providing girls with a safe space to meet, articulate their school needs and rights, learn, and share their learning with the wider community and duty bearers;
• supporting participatory and gender sensitive teaching methodologies, which girls' testimonies show make lessons more interesting, fun and inclusive;
• putting in place School Development Plans enabling school management committees to effectively raise funds from the government and local donors for the school;
• changing the mindsets, attitudes, and behaviour of traditional and religious leaders, parents, and other community members that have negatively affected girls’ education and wellbeing; and
• supporting local and national campaigns, advocacy initiatives, and media work to promote girls education and gender equality.