Inside SMART Africa Updates from the Field

Anzansi Family Program- updates from the field

The ANZANSI Family Program seeks to pilot test the feasibility of an innovative combination intervention (Family economic empowerment and MFG) amongst adolescent girls at risk of dropping out of school and migrating to cities for work in Northern Ghana. Ten schools were selected based on high dropout rates using data obtained from Ghana Education Service. Initial individual meetings were held with schools, all of which expressed interest in participating in the study. The second meeting, which would provide additional details about the study to school stakeholders was unfortunately postponed due to COVID-19 preventive measures implemented in Ghana, including the closure of schools and ban on public gatherings. The team is in the process of buying textbooks on core subjects that will be provided to both control and treatment groups as part of bolstered care. The manual to facilitate MFG sessions was finalized and the team agreed on the criteria for selection of female facilitators for MFG sessions. The Financial Literacy Training (FLT) manual was also finalized. The team is in the process of finalizing a documented agreement with the Agricultural Development Bank of Ghana, where Child Development Accounts of participants will be opened and housed. Congratulations to the Anzansi team for all your work!