EMpower: Ensuring At-Risk Youth Have a Better Tomorrow
By Marta Cabrera, President, EMpower November 05, 2013 03:51 PM
Education is critical for young people to be able to transition to adulthood and capitalize on their potential. It helps to ensure young people can find jobs, be engaged in their communities, and become productive members of society. Sixty-five low and middle income countries lose approximately $92 billion annually by failing to educate girls to the same standard as boys. EMpower-The Emerging Markets Foundation- was founded with the mission to help such youth achieve their educational potential. We work exclusively in Emerging Market (EM) countries, partnering with locally-led organizations that share our mission of empowering at-risk young people between the ages of 10-24. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, we support relevant education strategies that address specific needs in different countries and communities, and are based on best practices in youth development.
Education is the largest of EMpower's four investment portfolios. We make strategic contributions in EM countries experiencing a huge bulge in the population of young people (nearly 1 billion youth in the 14 countries where we work), and widening inequalities in education, health, income and opportunity. Through these investments, we work with local grantee partners to grow, develop and, most importantly, transform, the lives of youth in their communities. And we have staying power: we are willing to fund organizations that demonstrate results for up to 10 years, an industry best practice.
Two nations where we've seen our commitments have measureable impact are South Africa and India. In South Africa, where the apartheid legacy has not erased yawning gaps and the quality of math and science education is substandard (South Africa ranked 137 out of 139 countries), EMpower is investing in 'second chance' programs that level the playing field. After-school and Saturday tutoring programs and math and science intensives for girls are just a few of the initiatives we've help put in place. Education-focused grantees include Ikamva Youth, Future of the African Daughter, Equal Education, Wilderness Foundation, Etafeni Trust.
In India, education is compulsory and free through grade 8. However, schools then experience high drop-out rates, especially among girls. We are investing in programs to keep girls in school through covering fees and uniforms, conducting outreach to mitigate parents' concerns about their daughters' safety and marriageability, and ensuring a high quality of education so it is seen as value-add not an opportunity cost. Education-focused grantees include Vidhayak Sansad, Lend a Hand India, Ibtada, Parivaar Education Society, Nishtha. See more examples of our work across the world.
We believe young people are a critical, untapped resource in every country. To ensure they have bright futures, EMpower remains committed to finding and funding the most promising, innovative and scalable models to help educate them and impart 21st century skills (computer literacy, English, etc.).
We are thrilled with the opportunity to partner with Citi's e for education campaign which will enable us to ramp-up our investment in the education of young people in disadvantaged and high-poverty situations in EM countries, unlocking their potential to create a better tomorrow.