Camfed founder at the 2007 Clinton Global Initiative

On behalf of Camfed, Ann Cotton has accepted an invitation to become a 2007 member of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI). The CGI is a non-partisan catalyst for action, bringing together a community of global leaders to work together toward such common goals as improving education and leadership development, economic empowerment, and health security with an emphasis on HIV/AIDS. The CGI seeks specific, action-oriented commitments from members to help solve problems and improve lives around the world. The focus of the Initiative in 2007 includes education, poverty alleviation, global health, and energy and climate change.

As part of the third annual meeting of the CGI convening 26-28 September 2007 in New York City, Camfed and its CGI partners have pledged to work together to secure $15 million to implement the following commitment over the next five years:

“To increase girls’ access to secondary education, expand educational support and protection for the most vulnerable children – especially orphans - and improve the quality and safety of the learning environment for all children in rural partner schools in 7 sub-Saharan African countries, with the goals of alleviating poverty, reducing HIV/AIDS, and promoting rural regeneration in these countries.”

To achieve these goals, Camfed commits to providing at least 800,000 years of education to girls and vulnerable boys from extremely poor families in rural areas in Tanzania, Ghana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and up to 3 other African countries, including Malawi, Kenya, and Uganda; to develop local capacity to increase accountability in educational delivery in 4,000 communities, to expand government partnerships to deliver best practice in girls’ education in 10 countries; to support the creation of 5,500 new businesses by providing grants or micro-loans to young women entrepreneurs and training in business and leadership skills; and to measure the long-term effects of girls’ education through 10 research partnerships.

Camfed’s partners in this commitment include the Skoll Foundation, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, Financial Times, Edelman public relations, Ministries of Education in Africa, and the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools. Camfed welcomes additional partners into its “coalition for change,” and has identified a variety of opportunities for prospective partners to explore. For additional information about Camfed’s CGI commitment or about partnership opportunities, contact: Lynn West, Vice President for Development and Advocacy, Camfed USA.