Reflecting on Year One and Scaling for the Future

The GPE KIX TUSEME Project consortium gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for its annual meeting, a pivotal moment to review the first year of implementation and strategize for year two. This meeting brought together key partners, including HERS-EA, ACER, and the founding partner IDRC, who joined online, to assess progress, share insights, and refine the project’s scaling strategy.

Year One Review: Achievements and Lessons Learned

The first year of implementation has been marked by significant milestones in advancing gender-responsive education and student empowerment. During the meeting, the consortium partners:
✅ Reviewed the Year One report, assessing key outcomes and challenges.
✅ Analyzed the effectiveness of program interventions and their impact on student engagement.
✅ Identified lessons learned to enhance program delivery in the upcoming year.

Planning for Year Two: Strengthening Implementation

With Year One insights in hand, the focus shifted to planning for the second year of the project. Discussions revolved around:
📌 Enhancing intervention strategies to deepen the impact on gender equity in education.
📌 Aligning project activities with emerging needs and opportunities in participating countries.
📌 Strengthening collaboration among consortium partners to drive innovation and sustainability.

Scaling Strategy: Expanding the Reach of TUSEME

A core agenda of the meeting was the scaling strategy, ensuring that the TUSEME model reaches more students and educators across diverse regions. The team explored:
🔹 Sustainable approaches to expand the project’s footprint.
🔹 Leveraging partnerships to amplify advocacy efforts and mobilize resources.
🔹 Integrating research findings into policy recommendations to enhance educational frameworks.

FAWE Ethiopia Showcases the Impact of Tuseme Clubs During IDRC GPE-KIX Innovation Project Meeting

FAWE Ethiopia hosted participants of the IDRC GPE-KIX Tuseme Innovation Project’s 2nd Physical & End-of-Year Meeting in Addis Ababa, at Millennium Secondary and Preparatory School. The event illustrated how Tuseme Clubs have improved school safety and inclusivity for all members of the community within their institutions.

The Millennium School Tuseme Club empowers students to speak out against gender-based violence and to take up leadership roles. Besides providing a safe school environment, it has fought discrimination among students, teachers, and parents, thus creating collaboration. The Tuseme Club members are emerging as advocates for positive change.

This visit re-affirmed FAWE Ethiopia’s commitment to scaling up the Tuseme model and embedding sustainability. The lessons learned will inform future approaches for increasing the impact of the program.

Empowering Voices Through FAWE’s TUSEME Model

Education is a powerful tool for transformation, and for many young girls across Africa, finding their voice is the first step towards empowerment. FAWE’s TUSEME Model is a groundbreaking approach that equips girls with the confidence, skills, and knowledge to express themselves, address challenges, and take active roles in leadership and decision-making.

As part of its continuous efforts to expand the impact of TUSEME, FAWE organized a Training of Trainers Program in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from February 28 to March 3, 2025. This training brings together representatives from FAWE Uganda, FAWE Kenya, and FAWE Ethiopia to deepen their understanding of the model and build their capacity to implement it in their respective countries.

Understanding the TUSEME Model

The TUSEME Model is based on the Swahili word “TUSEME,” which means “Let’s Speak Out.” It is designed to empower young people, especially girls, to identify social, cultural, and educational challenges affecting them and to develop solutions through advocacy, leadership, and artistic expression such as theatre, poetry, song, and drama.

This model recognizes that empowering girls is not just about education—it is about giving them a platform to actively participate in shaping their future. Through TUSEME, girls learn essential life skills, boost their self-confidence, and develop leadership abilities that prepare them for meaningful contributions in their communities and beyond.

The Training Program Agenda

Day 1: Setting the Stage for Empowerment

The first day focused on creating an engaging and inclusive workshop environment. Participants went through registration, introductions, and official opening ceremonies, setting the foundation for the next four days. They also defined their expectations and vote on training ground rules to ensure a smooth learning process. Leadership roles such as time manager, journalist, and morale booster will be assigned among participants.

The day continued with sessions on gender and empowerment, highlighting the importance of gender-responsive teaching and school management systems. Discussions explored how teachers can create an inclusive and empowering learning environment for both boys and girls.

Day 2: Exploring the TUSEME Approach

Day 2 introduced participants to the core principles and stages of the TUSEME Model. They gained insights into what TUSEME is, why it is important, and how it can be implemented effectively.

Group work activities allowed participants to examine real-life scenarios from their respective countries and analyze how the model can be adapted to address different challenges. The day concluded with data collection and analysis exercises, helping participants build a solid framework for implementing TUSEME programs in their communities.

Day 3: The Power of Artistic Expression

A key feature of the TUSEME Model is its use of theater, poetry, song, and drama as advocacy tools. Day 3 focused on theater creation and interactive activities, encouraging participants to develop performances that convey strong social messages.

The day culminated in a theater performance, where groups showcased their creative works. This served as a demonstration of how artistic expression can be used to engage communities, spark discussions, and drive change.

Day 4: Taking Action for Lasting Impact

The final day of training shifted from learning to action. Participants engaged in life skills training and learn how to form and manage TUSEME clubs in their schools and communities. These clubs will act as platforms where students can continue advocating for gender equality and leadership development.

To ensure sustainability, the training included sessions on stakeholder engagement, monitoring, and evaluation. By the end of the program, each country team developed an action plan to implement TUSEME in their respective FAWE chapters.

The training concluded with closing remarks, symbolizing the unity and commitment of FAWE in advancing girls’ education and empowerment.

The Road Ahead

FAWE’s TUSEME Model is more than just a training program—it is a movement that seeks to transform lives by empowering young people to speak out, take action, and become changemakers in their societies. The upcoming TUSEME training in Addis Ababa is a crucial step in equipping more educators and leaders with the skills needed to expand this model and inspire the next generation of empowered girls and boys.