overview
Girl Up in Sub-Saharan Africa
Girl Up Africa has trained over 5,000 girls on advocacy and gender equality. At the forefront of the 256 Clubs in more than 25 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are dedicated Girl Up Club leaders who seek to ensure that girls everywhere can thrive and reach their full potential. Through Girl Up programs, leaders can gain career guidance and participate in financial literacy workshops, STEM-related projects, and other programs to build their leadership.
Girl Up Clubs in this region focuses on advocacy, fundraising, storytelling, and organizing around:
- Menstrual hygiene
- Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice (SRHRJ)
- Climate change
- Gender-based violence (GBV)
- Female genital mutilation (FGM)
- Ending early marriage, and more.
As part of the youth-led movement, Girl Up Clubs in sub-Saharan Africa carry out their own initiatives and programs around issues affecting adolescent girls. In 2019 and 2020, Girl Up Clubs in 11 countries, including Malawi, Kenya, Liberia, and Ghana, conducted trainings on how to make reusable menstrual pads, organized community pad collection drives, and fundraised to buy pads for girls from underserved communities.
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370
leaders trained in STEAM
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1260+
Community members
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256+
Girl Up Clubs
Zambian Girls Lead the Way in STEM with Pioneering Tech Girls Project
A Milestone for Africa
For the very first time, Girl Up has hosted a Leadership Summit in Africa, celebrating empowerment, resilience, and the incredible potential of African girls and young women. Together, we’ve create waves of change that resonate across the continent with the theme “Girl Power, Girl Spaces.”
Stories of Change
Dorothy Tanga, 14, from Hellen Kaunda Secondary, once thought STEM was for boys. Now, as president of a school club, she’s inspiring others and dreams of becoming a software engineer. Liberty Illunga, a Grade 10 student at Mulakupikwa Secondary, gained confidence through leadership training and now mentors younger girls in STEM and gender equality.
Impact
The project’s impact extends beyond the classroom, creating a ripple effect in the communities. As these girls pursue STEM careers, they’ll become role models, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps. By sharing their stories, we hope to amplify the project’s impact and encourage others to join the journey towards a more inclusive STEM future.
Learn more about Girl Up Africa
WATCH INSPIRING MOMENTS FROM the 2023 Girl Up Nigeria Leadership Summit
Calling Partners and Sponsors!
If you’re passionate about empowering African girls and young women, join us as partners and sponsors on this transformative journey. Reach out to us at ssafrica@girlup.org, and let’s make history together!
Check out our quarterly newsletter + podcast!
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Girl Up Africa Digest
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Girl Up Africa Podcast
Club Spotlight!
Girl Up Namibia hosted a solidarity marathon run fundraiser to help purchase school uniforms, stationery, and sanitary products for students in nine schools in the Kavango West, Kavango East and Oshana regions of Namibia. Out of the 400 attendees, 100 adults and children participated in the run. Along with three other Girl Up Clubs, Girl Up Namibia raised a total of N$18,000 ($1,176 USD) through ticket sales, donations, and activity stalls.
Our mandate is to ensure that no child, especially the girl child goes without being given a chance where possible.
Joy, Girl Up Namibia, Regional Leader
Girl Up clubs can apply for up to $1,000 to support their projects.
Contact & Connect
Girl Up Sub-Saharan Africa Staff
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Musonda Chikwanda
REGIONAL DIRECTOR
Musonda is the Regional Director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at Girl Up, where she leads regional strategy and supports youth driven programs across diverse contexts. She works closely with young leaders, partners and institutions to design and scale initiatives that strengthen leadership, innovation and systems level impact. With a strong background in international development, youth engagement and program leadership, Musonda brings both strategic and technical expertise to her role. Her work focuses on building practical skills, expanding access to opportunity and advancing youth leadership in areas including advocacy, policy influence and STEAM. She is passionate about equipping young people with the tools, platforms and confidence to shape solutions, influence decision making and drive long term change within their communities and beyond.
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June Shimoushili
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
June Shimuoshili is the Manager of Communications, EMEA at Girl Up, where she leads strategic communications and storytelling initiatives that amplify girl-led leadership across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. An award-winning journalist and digital communications practitioner, June has over seven years of experience in journalism and six years in strategic communications, working with youth-centered and nonprofit organizations. June is passionate about using media as a tool for empowerment and believes in the transformative power of stories to inspire equality and change.
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Mulenga Chishala
PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Mulenga is the Program Coordinator for Girl Up Sub-Saharan Africa region and oversees SSA programming and club activation. She is a Feminist with over 3 years of experience in advocacy for gender equality and social change. She is passionate about ending Gender-Based Violence and promoting women and girls’ engagement in STEM and Sports.
Connect with us on the Community and social media.
Interested in learning more about Girl Up Africa? Email June at jshimoushili@girlup.org.
Interested in brand partnerships, sponsorships, or collaborations with Girl Up Africa? Email Musonda at mchikwanda@girlup.org.
