This study aims to identify the potential to scale up a program for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) through partnerships with the government school system (and potentially, other providers) in an after-school setting in Mityana and Mubende districts of Uganda. In addition, it aims to build a feasible, cost-effective proof of concept, and establish the optimal content and dosage, in terms of length and frequency of interventions to improve socio-economic outcomes for AGYW in an after-school setting.
Researchers: Dr Jenna Grzeslo, BRAC USA; and Esau Tugume, IERC
Partners: BRAC USA
Timeline: 2020–2022
Status: Ongoing
Contact: Esau Tugume
tugume.esau@brac.net
Context
BRAC’s ELA program is notable largely for the evidence generated through independent, third-party evaluations, proving that a multicomponent intervention can effectively jump-start adolescent girls’ and young women’s empowerment in a cost-effective manner. However, there is a need for programming for AGYW in an after-school setting as the impact of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been worse for women and girls, especially for those who are out of school, as they are subject to more unpaid care work and at risk of domestic abuse. This study aims to understand the feasibility of scaling the ELA programming through an after-school setting. Moreover, BRAC would like to explore the feasibility of school and government uptake of the programming to inform future experimental evaluations.
Research Questions
Methodology
In a formative phase, a cross-sectional informative study will be using qualitative research methods as well as an observational study in a prototype phase. The evaluation will use a randomized control trial (RCT) method to assess the impact of the after-school ELA program. The prototype phase will kick off for 12 weeks in nine government-aided secondary schools within the districts of Mityana and Mubende. With support from schools, the ELA program will open afterschool ELA clubs offering training to young girls and boys guided by trained teacher-mentors. The pilot will be carried out in approximately 70 ELA clubs, with 30 girls per club. Focus group discussions (FGDs) and observational data collection will be conducted on club participants during and after this phase.
Findings
Study ongoing.
