Location and general information
Employability - 
Gender Equality - 
Personal developmentContext
Across the Democratic Republic of Congo, only 16.8% of girls complete secondary school. In rural communities like Kalebuka, that percentage is even lower. This low level of educational attainment has direct consequences: girls and women who do not complete secondary school have twice as many children as those who do, reinforcing cycles of poverty and limiting their life choices. Only 62% of women are active in the labour market, and those who are employed earn an average of 77.3% less than men, while average profits for female entrepreneurs are 66.5% lower than for their male counterparts. These figures reflect restricted access to capital, networks and training.
Project goals
- Deepen mentorship and post-training support for girls and young women graduating from entrepreneurship and vocational programmes
- Launch and monitor seed-funded businesses, and help young women to operationalise and sustain income-generating activities
- Increase the visibility of female role models and strengthen community awareness of female economic leaders
- Expand women’s access to and inclusion in the economy
- Strengthen monitoring, evaluation and learning, and establish long-term pathway tracking to monitor educational, employment and business outcomes.
- Embed learning into programme design
Project content
The project is designed to equip girls and young women with the tools they need to move into employment or entrepreneurship. The core activities cover five areas:
A. Mentorship and post-training support
- Matching each Entrepreneurship Club graduate with a mentor for six months of structured post-programme support
- Establishing an Alumni Mentor Circle, preparing Malaika graduates to serve as peer mentors
- Hosting quarterly Career Insight Talks with professionals from STEM, creative industries and the world of business
B. Seed funding and business coaching
- Running the annual Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition
- Awarding seed grants to between six and ten promising business projects
- Delivering a structured coaching package for each funded business, including monthly check-ins, help to refine business plans and mid-year and end-of-year performance reviews
C. Role model engagement and community visibility
- Hosting the second annual Entrepreneurship Festival, showcasing student innovation, guest speakers and community stalls
- Producing five to ten digital case studies to inspire younger students and the wider community
D. Expanding access and inclusion
- Piloting flexible vocational training specifically designed for young mothers and girls who are not in school
- Offering childcare support to ensure that mothers can participate
- Adapting entrepreneurship materials for people with lower levels of literacy to increase accessibility and inclusion
E. Monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL)
- Rolling out a graduate tracking system that captures education, employment and business progression every six months
- Conducting focus groups and interviews with participants and recipients of seed funding
- Providing annual staff training on data collection and participatory MEL methods
- Producing mid-year and final reports for the UEFA Foundation, plus an annual Learning Brief documenting progress and insights
Partner
