Building on the ‘English and IT for Adolescents’ (EITA) project which began in partnership with BRAC (Building Resources Across Communities) in Bangladesh in 2012, the project has since evolved to ‘English and Digital for Girls’ Education’ (EDGE), with implementation across the South Asia region and beyond. Working with partners, EDGE focuses on improving life prospects and building English, ICT and social skills among adolescent girls between 14 – 19 in countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, India and Sri lanka. Through EDGE, we specifically work with girls who are either currently out of school or living in socio-economically marginalised communities to support adolescent girls from marginalised communities to make more informed and independent life choices in order to contribute more fully to the family, the economy and society.
Using bespoke materials, EDGE trains peer group leaders to facilitate after-school clubs for girls within their communities. In these clubs, girls are able to discuss social issues, enhance their English proficiency and learn digital and other skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving. In contexts where learners speak only when called on to do so, peer-led clubs ensure voluntary participation and freedom of expression while enabling members to undertake learning at their own pace in an autonomous environment. A peer-led approach means that participants are able to share and learn from each other while also building the leadership skills of a cadre of peer leaders. There is also engagement at community level with parents, community leaders and members and religious leaders. ICT fairs give EDGE girls the opportunity to demonstrate their learning,
The global EDGE programme is based in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, and the Ethiopia project builds on learning from the programmes implemented in these countries. In Ethiopia we are now piloting this project in five high schools in the Sidama Region to support 250 students, and plan to extend into further regions, learning from the current pilot.