Minister of State Raïssa Malu launches the Girls' Learning and Empowerment Project in Tshikapa

The Girls’ Learning and Empowerment Project (PAAF) was officially launched on Monday, September 2, 2024, by Raïssa Malu, Minister of State and Minister of National Education and New Citizenship (EDU-NC). The event took place during a ceremony that brought together numerous educational stakeholders and partners at the Vule marquee in Tshikapa, in the province of Kasaï.

In her remarks, Minister of State Raïssa Malu first paid a heartfelt tribute to the President of the Republic and Head of State, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, for his commitment to consolidating and ensuring the long-term sustainability of free primary education in the country’s public schools.

The head of the EDU-NC sub-sector then thanked the World Bank for its financial and technical support in implementing the PAAF in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Raïssa Malu called on education partners, parents, and civil society organizations to work closely together to ensure the success of this project, which facilitates girls’ access to education and increases their participation in school life. 

Thanks to this project, more than 6 million girls will gain access to school, 5,000 female secondary school teachers will be recruited, more than 2,000 classrooms will be built, and appropriate sanitation facilities will be installed to address menstrual hygiene needs. 

The PAAF, currently in its first phase, is funded by the World Bank to the tune of 400 million U.S. dollars and will be implemented in 10 pilot provinces over a four-year period, from 2024 to 2028.

Christian BELLA