PLAN International (Benin / Egypt)
Founded in 1937, Plan International is a development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.
In 2019/2020, the Eurofins Foundation provided a grant to the programme Saksham, within which 2,241 young people (55% of which were girls) in India benefited from Job Oriented Vocational Training to acquire professional skills. 67% of participants have already been placed in a company in the cities of Delhi, Lucknow and Deradhun. In addition, 765 young people (80% girls) benefited from Vocational Training for Entrepreneurship Promotion, out of which 80% are already self-employed in the cities of Garsain, Uttarkashi and Lucknow.
In 2020/2021, the Eurofins Foundation supported the first year of the project AGIR, Support for quality education in Benin, where, at a national level, gender-based violence, such as rape, transactional sex, unwanted pregnancies, and forced and early marriages, is significant among school-age girls. Early marriages and pregnancies are particularly common obstacles to girls accessing education.
This programme empowers girls with the knowledge and skills they need to build their future. Important sensitisation work is also carried out with the community and the national and regional institutions that play a key role in the process of achieving an equal status for women in Benin society.
During its first year of operation, the project has impacted more than 21,000 pupils, of which 46% are girls, across 90 schools:
- 1,826 students and candidates for the Certificate of Primary Studies (CPS) exam, including 831 girls, benefited from reinforcement courses in order to better prepare them for sitting the CPS exams.
- 4,329 people, of which 47.27% were women, were mobilised to set up local governance structures for school affairs. 1,347 pupils with learning difficulties, including 791 girls, improved their academic ability through the tutoring system.
- 34 solar electrification kits were installed in 102 classrooms and 34 principals' offices across 32 schools.
One of the objectives of the project is to work for equitable access for girls and boys in schools but also top strengthen their retention in the education system. The establishment and revitalisation of certain community-based organisations such as Parents and Mothers’ Associations contributes to minimising school dropouts, through mediation sessions with parents and personalised visits with students (especially those at risk of dropping out).
A system for monitoring absences from school has been set up, allowing teachers to provide weekly information on absences observed in class and to meet with families. Thus, the school dropout rate fell from 13% at the end of the 2019-20 school year to 10% at the end of 2020-21.
Working to improve the quality of education is also part of the project’s goal, through:
- Improving of teaching conditions (equipment, latrines, electrification),
- Training schoolteachers on issues of inclusion and gender-based violence in schools. This has enabled most teachers to review their teaching practices by integrating gender aspects.
Between 2021 and 2024, the Eurofins Foundation has also contributed to the success of PLAN International France’s Tamkeen programme, which seeks to help young people gain access to employment in Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt, through gender-sensitive and demand-driven skills training. The programme also promotes equal economic opportunities and gender-supportive environments at community and institutional levels.
Some notable programme achievements to date include:
- Since the beginning of the project, 414 young people (159 females and 255 males) have been employed by various companies.
- Additionally, 456 beneficiaries (402 females - 54 males) have initiated Income Generating Activities (IGAs).
- 54 information sessions were carried out in Cairo and Alexandria, reaching more than 2,000 young people;
- A new training centre was established in Cairo and a training centre in Alexandria was upgraded while the training curriculum was revised to integrate training on gender studies
- Finally, the project aimed at raising families' awareness of women’s role in the economic cycle and the challenges they face through gender training sessions.
This project contributes to the following United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals
