Annual Report: Empowering Adolescent Girls to Lead through Education (EAGLE) Project

The project aims to empower adolescent girls in peri-urban areas of Kinshasa and Lubumbashi to acquire education and skills necessary to play an active and positive role within their schools, families, and communities, and become agents of change. EAGLE implements various activities to improve the overall school environment in 54 schools, significantly mitigating the barriers students, especially girls, face to attend and succeed in their classes. The project works to implement a scholarship program for 1,665 girls and boys, provide after-school tutoring in core subjects, and provide in-service training to primary school teachers in core subjects and gender-sensitive pedagogy. The project also establishes a comprehensive life skills mentoring program for EAGLE scholars, conducts girls' leadership and critical thinking skills camps, and establishes a peer mentoring program. Additionally, EAGLE incorporates adolescent reproductive and sexual health education into existing Education a la Vie classes, supports community organizations and healthcare providers to reinforce accurate adolescent and reproductive health information, and trains existing healthcare providers and community leaders to provide youth-friendly services. EAGLE's geographic coverage includes Kinshasa and Katanga provinces, with a focus on peri-urban areas. The project's reporting period is from June 25, 2013, to June 24, 2014. The project's activities are designed to improve the overall school environment, increase access to education, and promote gender-equitable and safe learning environments. The project's scholarship program has reached 1,665 girls and boys, with a focus on underperforming scholars. The after-school tutoring program has provided support to scholars preparing to take the national primary school exit exam. The in-service training program has trained primary school teachers in core subjects and gender-sensitive pedagogy, while the comprehensive life skills mentoring program has provided support to EAGLE scholars. EAGLE's activities have also focused on promoting adolescent reproductive and sexual health education, supporting community organizations and healthcare providers, and training existing healthcare providers and community leaders to provide youth-friendly services. The project's efforts have aimed to create a safe and supportive learning environment for girls and boys, promoting their ability to stay in school and improve their lives. The project's results-to-date indicate significant progress in improving the overall school environment and increasing access to education for girls and boys. The scholarship program has reached a significant number of scholars, and the after-school tutoring program has provided support to underperforming scholars. The in-service training program has trained primary school teachers in core subjects and gender-sensitive pedagogy, while the comprehensive life skills mentoring program has provided support to EAGLE scholars. EAGLE's activities have been implemented in partnership with various stakeholders, including the Ministry of Primary, Secondary and Professional Education, the Ministry of Gender, Family and Children, and the Ministry of Health. The project has also partnered with community organizations and healthcare providers to reinforce accurate adolescent and reproductive health information and provide youth-friendly services. EAGLE's activities have been implemented in partnership with various stakeholders, including the Ministry of