Highlighting impact of girls’ education project in Zimbabwe

Genesis collaborated with Research Methods International (RMI) to undertake a comprehensive endline evaluation of the Supporting Adolescent Girls’ Education (SAGE) Programme in Zimbabwe, assessing its relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and impact.

SAGE is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s Girls’ Education Challenge and led by Plan International UK and partners. The programme ran from August 2018 to July 2023 in Zimbabwe with the aim of empowering over 13,400 marginalised adolescent girls across 11 districts.

It focused on improving girls’ learning outcomes and facilitating their transition to formal education or employment, using gender-transformative and inclusive approaches.

The 2022 evaluation by Genesis and Zimbabwean firm RMI included household surveys, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. It played a crucial role in determining whether the programme was successful in achieving its targets on foundational learning improvements, inclusive teaching, and transforming gender norms among parents, families, community members and leaders within the participating districts.

The evaluation highlighted SAGE’s successes in enhancing girls’ learning levels and promoting inclusive teaching methods. However, it also identified areas for improvement, particularly in sustainability and financial inclusion.

Recommendations from this evaluation will inform future programmes under the Girls Education Challenge.