Institute of Continuing Education (ICE)
This lecture explores the history of girls' education in Africa over the past 20 years and describes the current status quo in the five countries in which Camfed International is working. Ann describes the Camfed Model that supports girls through primary and secondary education and on to securing livelihoods in the rural areas of Africa.
Ann Cotton is the Founder and Executive Director of Camfed International which is widely recognised and respected as an example of best practice in girls' education. It is at the local and national levels where Camfed’s influence is most strongly felt and where it exercises a leadership role, advising national governments and international organisations, and multi-stakeholder coalitions. Its advocacy of girls’ education and child protection is ensuring that the voices of rural girls and women are heard at the highest level.
Since Camfed's inception in 1993, 1,065,070 children, primarily girls have benefited from its education programme across a network of 2,798 schools. And on leaving school, 5,132 young women have received business training and start-up grants to establish their own rural enterprise.
Ann Cotton has won numerous awards for her work including an Honorary Doctorate in Law from Cambridge University, an OBE from the Queen and the Skoll and Schwab Awards for Social Entrepreneurship.
The Madingley Lectures take place at Madingley Hall, home of the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education (ICE). This lecture series, given by eminent speakers across a wide range of subjects, is an important part of ICE's commitment to public engagement.
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