Call for Application for Girls’ Clubs Ambassadors

CALL FOR APPLICATION FOR GIRLS’ CLUBS AMBASSADORS

1. About the Building Learning Foundations (BLF) programme

Building Learning Foundations (BLF) is a programme of the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) and Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB) that is funded by the British people through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) as part of its Learning for All (LFA) Programme in Rwanda.

The programme is focused on improving learning outcomes at P1 to P5 in English and Mathematics. This is intended to improve the pupils’ learning achievement in higher grades, thereby increasing equitable access to primary and secondary education in Rwanda.

The programme is built on three foundations to ensure long term, sustainable impact: Teacher development, leadership for learning and system strengthening. Each Foundation has a focus on inclusive education practices for pupils with Special Education Needs to ensure no child is left behind.

In BLF, we embrace all the rights of children as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as in other international treaties related to the protection of children. At BLF, we are aware that abuse has profound negative effects on children, including poor academic performance and child poverty.

We believe that all children have equal rights to protection and that child abuse is a serious form of violation of these rights. We recognize gendered experiences of both boys and girls and risk factors associated to each category, and we understand how social inclusion and patriarchy feature in here. In particular, we are aware of the persistence of physical violence (especially the use of corporal punishments) and sexual violence in Rwanda, and we understand the wider issues around protection from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH) against adults. For this reason, we are committed to ensuring that children grow up in a safe environment that is conducive to their learning, and we take stringent measures against any person involved in BLF work who abuses a child or is involved in acts and behaviours related to SEAH.

Specifically on girls, BLF has developed its “Girls’ education strategy” and defined a clear goal to “contribute to the progressive elimination of normative, infrastructural, and governance-related barriers hindering girls’ access to equitable education in Rwanda, by September 2023”. The strategy has adopted a gender transformative approach that responds to the practical and strategic needs of girls and women throughout the programme implementation.

2. Background of the girls’ clubs

Gender is one of the most obvious areas where there is likely to be inequality in education and this inequality could hinder the realisation of the education mission which is “to combat ignorance and illiteracy and to provide human resources useful for the socio-economic development of Rwanda through the education system”. Girls in Rwanda – particularly those of adolescent age – continue to face barriers to achieving their full potential. This has implications not only for individual girls and communities but will continue to be felt at societal and economic levels if left unaddressed.

The inequality that exists between the sexes becomes more pronounced as the level of education gets higher and the tendency is reinforced in education management and administration positions where there are many more men than women in decision-making roles. In addition, despite the near equality in enrolment, discrepancies between the performance of boys and girls at both primary and secondary levels are still being observed.

Gender stereotypes also intersect with other stereotypes and attitudes linked to other identities such as disability and/or settings in which girls and boys live, e.g., rural vs. urban areas. As in many of countries, people with disabilities in Rwanda have been historically stereotyped in different ways many of which persist today. Incomplete information, mistaken perceptions, isolation, myths, and stigma have led to people with disabilities, including women and girls with disabilities, facing barriers to reaching their full potential. Girls with disabilities face a double disadvantage in terms of their gender and their disability which can limit their access to learning.

Analysis made by BLF has revealed that girls in Rwanda face normative, infrastructural, and governance-related barriers to achieving full gender parity in education. While looking at the barriers and challenges and considering the BLF programme design and its intended outcome, as well as matching it with the Government of Rwanda and FCDO’s priorities, BLF has selected a number of priorities, and those include the “Girls’ clubs” approach.

The mission of girls’ clubs is to provide club members and other young girls with a safe, supportive, fun, and inspiring environment in which they share their life and learning experiences towards addressing all barriers hindering their enrolment, continuation and performance in STEM subjects and English as medium of instruction.

Practically, girls’ clubs will help to achieve the following outcomes:

i. Girls are kept in schools.
ii. Increased knowledge about SRHR and educational achievement.
iii. Recognition of best performing girls.
iv. Life and learning skills enhanced.
v. Sustainment of girls’ gains and achievements.

3. Scope of work

a. About girls’ club’s ambassadors initiative

Girls’ clubs’ ambassadors initiative is one of the interventions BLF has designed to ensure adolescent girls in primary schools have access to useful and age-appropriate information on their health and rights. This includes access to appropriate Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials, mentorship and career-guidance opportunities, and other peer-to-peer support to challenge normative, infrastructural, and governance-related barriers hindering girls’ access to equitable education in Rwanda. Girls’ ambassadors will work with programme staff, especially field teams, headteachers, adolescent girls and their chaperones/matrons, as well as the entire school community to ensure girls’ clubs are operational in selected schools and have enough time and space to share and discuss on the issues pertaining to their health and rights.

Girls’ ambassadors will also serve as interlocutors between the schools and BLF Programme, but also between clubs from different schools. They will act as BLF/Girls’ clubs social media ambassadors, by spreading BLF girls’ education messages and clubs’ success stories to their social media accounts.

b. Purpose.

Girls’ clubs ambassadors will work with BLF Programme to ensure the activities and campaigns of girls’ clubs in 10 pilot districts are always aligned with their mission, as stated above.

c. Specific objectives and activities

Girls’ clubs ambassadors will perform the following duties, as per agreed plan:

Meet young girls at their schools, hear from them and document good practices and success stories to share with other young girls and other stakeholders.
Support young girls to have access to useful Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials around Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), life/learning skills, either developed by BLF or others.
Facilitate girl-targeted events, radio/TV talk shows.
Liaise with other girls’ clubs, girls’ networks and/or alliances to inform BLF on how girls’ clubs can better achieve their mission.
Link young girls with potential role models.
Facilitate the signing of performance contracts (Imihigo) between the girls’ clubs and their schools.
Raise girls’ awareness on their rights to education and life skills.
Produce video and audio materials for radio and TV audiences.

4. Methodology

In line with the agreed schedule of events and activities, Girls’ clubs ambassadors will use some of the following methods (not limited to) to perform their duties:

Conduct field visits to meet girls in their clubs.
Organise interviews with young girls.
Organise Focus Group Discussions.
Produce documentary films involving young girls, teachers, and school authorities.
Hold radio/TV talk show.
Organise online events.
Organise face-to-face meetings and events (e.g., dialogues, open days, and exhibitions).
Facilitate girls’ competitions.

5. Nature of the work and key deliverables

This will be a part time consultancy in line with the agreed schedule. While detailed terms and conditions will be defined in the contract, the following are key activities and expected deliverables:

Month	Events/task	Activities	Specifications/details
August 2021	Launch of the Girls’ Clubs.	Organize and book time and date for the radio/TV shows, participate in and facilitate the shows.	One radio talk show and one TV show for one hour each on the importance of investing in girls’ education and the girls’ clubs’ approach. The radio/TV shows involve the ambassadors and BLF staff and will be on one popular radio (radio talk show) and RTV (TV show).
August 2021	Visits to the clubs.	Conduct one field visit to each club.	A one-day visit to each club: visit and document concerns, expectations, and fears of young girls in the clubs; compile (pre-recorded audio/video) and use them in the next radio/TV shows.
September 2021	Radio /TV shows.	Organize one radio/TV talk show on young girls’ fears, concerns and expectations from the clubs.	One radio talk show and one TV show for one hour each on fears, concerns, and expectations of young girls in the clubs. The radio/TV shows involve the ambassadors and BLF staff and will on one popular radio (radio talk show) and RTV (TV show).
October 2021	National Dialogue towards International Day of the Girl child (IDG).	Facilitate a two-day national dialogue on girls’ education.	Facilitation/moderation of panel discussions during the national dialogues, highlighting the areas, ideas and recommendations mentioned by young girls (during field visits), draw conclusions and recommendations from the dialogue and make dialogue report. Cover the event and report the national dialogue to Radio and TV.
November 2021	Visits to the clubs with role models.	Conduct one field visit to each club together with selected role models and facilitate their discussions.	Selection of potential role models and accompany them to schools; facilitation of discussions and document the event; reporting with areas of improvement and recommendations.
December 2021	Boot camp.	Organize and facilitate one boot camp for young girls (clubs’ committee members) and their chaperones.	A 3-day boot camp with young girls and their chaperones; the signing of performance contracts between young girls and their headteachers (last day); covering the event and reporting it to Radio and TV.
January 2022	Webinar/face-to-face meeting.	Organize and facilitate a webinar/face-to-face meeting based on the findings from the P4-P5 KAP survey in pilot schools.	Together with the MEL manager, facilitation of the webinar/face-to-face meeting to present the findings from the P4-P5 KAP survey in pilot schools. Presentation of key recommendations on radio.
February 2022	Clubs’ exhibition.	Facilitate clubs’ exhibition.	A two-day girls’ clubs’ exhibition of clubs’ work, proper use of the girls’ safe room, life skills, learning skills and the progress of the signed performance contracts. Covering the event and reporting it to Radio/TV.
March 2022	Numeracy competitions and talent shows towards the celebration of the International Women’s Day (IWD).	Facilitate girls’ talent shows and awarding best performing girls at National level.	Competitions will be held at 10 selected schools. At national level, awards will be given to the best performing girls and those with exceptional talents in Maths.

6. Quality assurance and reporting line

Girls’ clubs ambassadors will work closely with BLF gender and safeguarding specialist. They will also work with the Education Technical Lead on the technical aspects of the activity. Regular meetings will be held to share experience, review progress, and provide feedback.

Start Date: 20^th August 2021.

Reporting to: Gender and Safeguarding Specialist.

7. Profile of the individual/Ambassador/company

A girls’ clubs ambassador is a young girl/woman identifying herself as “woman”, interested in being a part of the BLF team and convinced with the mission of the clubs. Two girls’ ambassadors with a technical and experienced production team are required.

a. Required:

Be a self-motivated ambassador.
Be a person of high moral integrity, trustworthy and role model.
Be able to build effective working relationships with young girls at school, school authorities and teachers.
Be able to advise and support young girls at all levels within the school.
Act with integrity and respect when working with others.
Be knowledgeable with the school administration.
Have knowledge on personal development skills and career guidance, sexual reproductive health/rights (SRHR), and sexual and gender-based violence (S-GBV).
Have knowledge on life skills, learning skills and barriers to girls’ education in Rwanda.
Be knowledgeable with existing legislation, Government guidance and national frameworks for safeguarding children.
Experience with gender equality, women empowerment, inclusion, and other girls related programmes required.
Be willing to work with young girls from all over the country (rural/urban settings), including travels to remote areas.
Be aware of key local safeguarding agencies, including social services, the police, and Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB).
Have enough time and availability to carry out the ambassador’s responsibilities.
Be willing to work with BLF on other aspects of girls’ education including branding and visibility.
Have a strong and experienced production team/knowledge/skills for audio and video materials.

b. Desired/preferred:

Only Rwandan female ambassadors aged between 21 and 40.
Celebrities/influencers/TV presenters/radio presenters preferred.
Experience in events organisation (e.g., MC, facilitator).
A company, group/crew of two, three or four (maximum) candidates applying together is preferred.
Fluent in English and Kinyarwanda, French command also necessary.

8. How to apply:

Interested companies or individuals should send the following documents to BLF-procurement@educationdevelopmenttrust.com not later than 11:00am 15^th August 2021, Kigali time.

a. Registration and Tax clearance certificates for the company.
b. Detailed CVs of the proposed ambassadors.
c. Detailed team’s capacity statements (i.e., production team/company’s profile with constituency and experience).
d. One-page document describing the understanding of the Terms of Reference (ToRs).
e. At least 5 Evidence of similar works.
f. The financial proposal clearly indicating the monthly costs for 2 girls ambassadors’ and costs for each of the items above, all tax inclusive).

Note: Only Ms Word/Excel and PDF accepted.

Pre-selected candidates/companies will be invited to interviews with the BLF team and part of the interview will be a defence of their individual skills and experience (i.e., ambassadors will have to present to the panel their skills and experiences and then be asked questions) together with their production team’s capacity.
The technical proposal carries 70% while the financial proposal is 30%.

Questions/clarifications

Any questions regarding girls clubs ambassadors may be submitted by email to: BLF-procurement@educationdevelopmenttrust.com no later than 05:00 PM/Kigali time on 5th August 2021.
Questions must be submitted in writing only; phone calls will not be accepted.

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Call for Application for Girls’ Clubs Ambassadors

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