“The project gives the girls hope again”

In this week’s blog, we catch up with Emily Gilfillan, who recently helped to complete an evaluation of our scholarship programme which this year helped 44 expectant and young mothers return to school or learn a vocation. 

Some of the impact report’s key findings included:

• There was a fourfold increase in the girls’ self-reported confidence from an average of 2.2 out of 10 before enrolling onto the programme to an average of 9.1 afterwards 

• 93% of the girls benefited from the project’s family and reunification work, which enabled them to return to their family home.

• As a result, when asked to score out of ten the level of support they felt they had before and after the project, the average increased from 2.9 to 9.4.

Why is it important to evaluate the impact of the AdAmi Project’s programmes?

Monitoring and evaluation is very important to us because it informs how we adapt our programmes going forward. An advantage of being a small charity is that we can be very flexible and agile, and can tailor the programmes to what we see is working or what we feel needs to improve. 

The childcare support is an example of where we have done that previously. We had not originally factored childcare into our model, but when we visited in 2018, the need for that support was something we heard repeatedly from the girls. In this year’s evaluation, we’ve been able to see what a difference it makes: it helps them to get to school on time and to focus in class because they are reassured that their child is being well looked after.

Similarly, this time, we saw that the livelihoods programme is working well and very popular with the girls. By giving them small grants to purchase the materials and tools they need to set up a micro-enterprise, it allows them to start earning their own money while they pursue their studies. The girls on the programme this year told us that they appreciated the sense of independence it gave them and the opportunity to learn new skills. So, having piloted it with six girls this year, we are going to be expanding it in 2021. 

What are some of the differences you’re seeing in the girls enrolled in the scholarship programme?

They are a lot happier and more confident as a result. The mentors are a big part of that as they give the girls a role model – someone they can look up to – and a trusted confidante. Most of the girls have been kicked out of their homes, abandoned by the school system and their friends. So before they enrol, they often don’t have anyone to turn to, anyone they trust or who believes in them and sees their potential. All the girls we interviewed for the evaluation described how much of a difference the mentors have made in this respect - many of them said that their mentor was their best friend.

We’re also seeing changes in the community which surrounds the girls. We’re hearing from teachers and other members of community that their opinions of the girls, and about girls who get pregnant in general, are changing for the better. 

What are the plans to build on the impact the AdAmi Project is already having?

Currently the scholarship programme lasts for three years and we don’t yet have a fund to support young mothers through college or university. We want to develop a transition plan to support the girls after they finish secondary school so that their potential isn’t lost. 

We’re also looking to increase the support we give in terms of health and family planning because we’re seeing some girls getting pregnant again while in the programme. That will mean, in part, signposting more to family planning services so they can more easily access contraception. But it will also involve helping the girls to better understand their rights within sexual relationships, and the importance of consent.

What do you think the most valuable part of the AdAmi Project is?

I think it’s that the project gives the girls hope again. Before the girls enrol, they have been badly let down – by the men who impregnate them, their friends and family, the school system, and the legal system. So, it’s incredibly important that we are able to stand up for them and with them, and show themselves, their community and their peers that these girls do deserve being invested in and are worthy of a future.

Is there anything you find especially moving about what the AdAmi Project does?

I am always moved by the resilience of the girls. They have the most positive outlooks and attitudes, and are always able to bounce back or find a silver lining. Even when things are tough, they are able to see it as a lesson they can learn from, or a challenge they will overcome. It never ceases to amaze me how they talk about their lives with such gratitude and their futures with such optimism.