Overview
Building on the ‘English and IT for Adolescents’ (EITA) project which began in partnership with BRAC (Building Resources Across Communities) in Bangladesh in 2012, the project has since evolved to ‘English and Digital for Girls’ Education’ (EDGE), with implementation across the South Asia region and beyond. Working with partners, EDGE focuses on improving life prospects and building English, ICT and social skills among adolescent girls between 14 – 19 in countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, India and Sri lanka. Through EDGE, we specifically work with girls who are either currently out of school or living in socio-economically marginalised communities to support adolescent girls from marginalised communities to make more informed and independent life choices in order to contribute more fully to the family, the economy and society.
Using bespoke materials, EDGE trains peer group leaders to facilitate after-school clubs for girls within their communities. In these clubs, girls are able to discuss social issues, enhance their English proficiency and learn digital and other skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving. In contexts where learners speak only when called on to do so, peer-led clubs ensure voluntary participation and freedom of expression while enabling members to undertake learning at their own pace in an autonomous environment. A peer-led approach means that participants are able to share and learn from each other while also building the leadership skills of a cadre of peer leaders. There is also engagement at community level with parents, community leaders and members and religious leaders. ICT fairs give EDGE girls the opportunity to demonstrate their learning, often to crowds of more than 1,000 people.
Before EDGE I couldn’t even communicate in English but I can now give speeches in English in front of a lot of people.
Impact
- Over 18,720 girls have benefitted through EDGE and an impact study shows girls are able to use their personal agency to impact their lives, with examples of girls being able to return to school, delay an early marriage or seek paid employment whilst staying in school as a result of the new skills they have gained.
- 1,460 peer leaders have delivered 610 clubs within their communities to marginalised girls around Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri lanka.
- 17,000 parents, community leaders and employers have attended ICT fairs in the communities in Bangladesh and Nepal.
- 330 hours of materials have been developed which provide access to English and digital skills as well as raising awareness of social issues.
- 11 scoping studies were conducted in 2021 to inform programmes designed for adolescent girls in communities that are remote and/or socio-economically marginalised. The studies provide a unique insight into the lives and opinions of over 900 adolescent girls across 11 diverse countries: Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam and Syria. Download a summary of the findings here.