CAMFED's livelihoods programme for young women in Tanzania and Zimbabwe

Ifakara Health Institute is playing a key role in evaluating the impact of CAMFED's new Livelihoods Programme, which aims to support young women in Tanzania and Zimbabwe as they transition to secure livelihoods. Working alongside international partners like the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and THRU Zim, Ifakara will lead the cost-benefit analysis of the programme, focusing on its effects on the economic independence, health, and well-being of marginalized young women.

Simply known as the CAMFED Project, the programme, funded by the Smartcard Foundation, will run from August 2024 to July 2027. It is designed to empower young women from poor, rural communities through business training, career advice, and health information, helping them build sustainable livelihoods.

Project Overview
CAMFED, an international NGO operating in Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, is known for its work in supporting marginalized girls from disadvantaged backgrounds. Through education and post-school programmes, CAMFED helps these girls transition into positions of financial independence, enabling them to become community leaders and economic drivers. The Livelihoods Programme in Tanzania and Zimbabwe includes two core components:

1. Transition Programme: Provides young women with career advice, sexual and reproductive health information, and guidance on starting small businesses after secondary school.
2. Business Guide Programme: Offers ongoing support as these women set up and grow their businesses.

Research Objectives
Over the next three years, Ifakara and its partners will work to answer two central research questions:
i) Impact Evaluation: How does CAMFED’s programme help young women improve their livelihoods, income, leadership roles, health, and well-being? This will be studied by EDI-Global, THRU Zim, and LSHTM.
ii) Cost-Benefit Analysis: What is the economic value of CAMFED’s programme in improving the lives of these young women? Ifakara will lead this evaluation in collaboration with LSHTM and THRU Zim.

Ifakara’s Role and Responsibilities
In its collaboration with LSHTM, Ifakara will play a pivotal role in the following areas:
1.    Developing data collection and costing tools.
2.    Training data collectors recruited by EDI-Global.
3.    Overseeing the data collection fieldwork in both Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
4.    Compiling, cleaning, and analyzing data to inform findings.
5.    Producing comprehensive reports and journal publications based on the study.
6.    Disseminating results through presentations and conferences.

Dr. Peter Binyaruka, Senior Health Economist at Ifakara, will lead the economic evaluation, supported by Junior Health Economist Francis Ngadaya. Dr. Binyaruka will also mentor a junior economist in Zimbabwe, helping build local expertise.

This project also brings together a diverse range of experts from various local and international institutions including LSHTM, CAMFED International, CAMFED Tanzania, CAMFED Zimbabwe, EDI Global – Tanzania, Ifakara Health Institute and THRU Zim.

Through this collaboration, Ifakara and its partners aim to generate valuable insights into the economic and social impact of CAMFED’s efforts, contributing to the body of evidence supporting programmes that empower young women in Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and beyond.

>>Photo credit: Courtesy of CCAFS