ACCRA, Ghana – In a significant demonstration of the power of strategic partnership, the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Africa recently paid a courtesy visit to the Mastercard Foundation office in Ghana. The delegation, comprising Ms. Teresa Omondi-Adeitan, Deputy Executive Director and Head of Programmes of FAWE Africa, and Mr. Kossi Tsenou, Coordinator of FAWE’s West and Central Africa Sub-Regional Office and Senior Communications Officer, met with Ms. Larisa Akrofie, Program Lead for Girls’ Education at the Mastercard Foundation.
The meeting provided a vital platform to reflect on the progress of the two organisations’ collaboration in implementing the Second Chance Pathway Program, a transformative initiative aimed at increasing access to tertiary education for marginalised young women and men across Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Second Chance Pathway Program, currently in its second phase, represented one of the most ambitious education initiatives on the continent. With over 4,000 participants already benefiting across ten African countries—including Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Malawi, Ghana, Liberia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and Senegal—the program was creating life-changing opportunities for young people who might otherwise have been excluded from higher education.
The program targeted the most marginalised youth, with a particular focus on young people with disabilities and refugees, ensuring that 10-15% of participants came from these vulnerable populations. By providing comprehensive support that included tuition, stipends, and mentorship, the initiative was breaking down the barriers that had historically prevented marginalised young people from accessing tertiary education and, ultimately, dignified employment.
A central focus of FAWE’s current strategy was amplifying the voices of young people. During the courtesy visit, Ms. Omondi-Adeitan and Mr. Tsenou emphasised FAWE’s commitment to ensuring that young people were not merely beneficiaries but active partners and co-creators of change in their educational journeys. This aligned with the Mastercard Foundation’s own philosophy that sustainable impact thrived when young people were engaged as partners in shaping their futures.
The meeting in Ghana reflected FAWE’s broader commitment to ensuring that its work remained connected to regional priorities. By engaging directly with the Mastercard Foundation’s Ghana office, FAWE was strengthening the alignment between its programs and the Foundation’s strategic objectives, particularly the goal of enabling 30 million young people, especially women, to secure dignified and fulfilling employment by 2030.
The FAWE-Mastercard Foundation partnership, now spanning over a decade, had become a cornerstone of girls’ education advocacy across Africa. Under Ms. Omondi-Adeitan’s leadership, FAWE had secured significant funding from the Foundation, including support for the 7-year Second Chance Pathway Program. This sustained collaboration had reached thousands of young people, creating pathways to education and employment that were previously unimaginable.
Ms. Larisa Akrofie, as Program Lead for Girls’ Education at the Foundation, played a pivotal role in this partnership. With over nine years of experience stewarding complex, multi-country initiatives across Sub-Saharan Africa, she had built a reputation as a formidable architect of change in the education sector. Her leadership in designing high-impact initiatives enabled young women to transition successfully into education and employment pathways, making her an ideal partner for FAWE’s mission.
As the courtesy visit concluded, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to deepening their collaboration. The meeting underscored the importance of such engagements in ensuring that FAWE’s work remained connected to regional priorities and enhanced its commitment to advancing education for girls and young women across Africa. The FAWE-Mastercard Foundation partnership stood as a testament to what could be achieved when organisations united around a shared vision. By strengthening financial systems, amplifying young voices, and creating second chance pathways, this collaboration was building a future where every young person—regardless of their background—could access the education and opportunities they deserved.