Harare, Zimbabwe — June 6, 2025

The Forum for African Women Educationalists Zimbabwe (FAWEZI) with support from FAWE and the Mastercard Foundation, officially launched the FAWE/Mastercard Foundation Phase II Program alongside the FAWEZI Strategic Plan 2024–2028, a dual milestone that underscores a commitment to transforming the educational and economic futures of marginalised youth across Africa.

A Vision for Equity and Inclusion

The FAWE/Mastercard Foundation Phase II Program, titled “Second Chance Pathways for Increased Access to Tertiary Education for Marginalised Young Women and Men (2024–2030)”, aims to reach over 134,000 young people aged 15 to 25 across 10 African countries, including Zimbabwe. The program prioritizes vulnerable groups, including those from disadvantaged, conflict-affected, and climate-impacted communities, as well as refugee populations and individuals facing harmful traditional practices.

In Zimbabwe alone, the initiative will benefit 600 marginalised young women and men. The demographic focus is deliberate: 80% of participants will be young women, 20% young men, and 5–15% will be persons with disabilities, ensuring a transformative and inclusive approach to education.

Implemented through innovative pathways such as the Higher Education Access Certificate (HEAC) and Higher Education Access Program (HEAP), the program offers flexible, inclusive, and context-sensitive routes to tertiary education, vocational skills training, and economic empowerment.

A Distinguished Gathering of Partners and Champions

The historic launch, hosted at Golden Conifer in Strathaven, Harare, brought together an esteemed cross-section of stakeholders from across Africa, including academia, civil society, development partners, and government representatives. Officiating the event was Professor Fanuel Tagwira, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, standing in for Ambassador Fredrick Shava, the Honourable Minister.

Other high-level dignitaries included:

• Dr Martha Muhwezi, Executive Director, FAWE Africa
• Dr Fay Chung, FAWEZI Founding Member and Former Minister of Education
• Professor Ruth Gora, Chairperson, FAWEZI Executive Committee
• Lydia Madyirapanze, Executive Director, FAWEZI
• Queen Nozizwe Ka Mulela, FAWE Africa Board Member, Eswatini
• Daniel Mundeva, Representative, Mastercard Foundation
• FAWE national chapters from nine African countries
• Students from Seke Mhuriimwe High School, who added a youthful spirit to the proceedings

Strategic Planning for a New Era

The launch also marked the unveiling of the FAWEZI Strategic Plan 2024–2028, a product of extensive consultation, research, and collaboration. Developed through participatory engagement with stakeholders and guided by national data and literature reviews, the strategy addresses systemic barriers to education such as:

• Early marriage and teen pregnancy
• Poverty and economic exclusion
• School-related gender-based violence (SRGBV)
• Harmful cultural norms

“We are committed to working with all stakeholders to address the systemic barriers that prevent women and girls from accessing quality education,” noted Professor Ruth Gora in her remarks.

National and Regional Collaboration

Zimbabwe’s implementation of the program will be led by key higher education institutions including:

• Chinhoyi University of Technology
• Midlands State University
• Lupane State University
• Manicaland State University
• Bindura University of Science Education

These institutions will work alongside technical and vocational training institutions in Bulawayo, Harare, Gweru, Kwekwe, Mutare, and Esigodini.

Continentally, the program spans Ghana, Ethiopia, Liberia, Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Senegal, and Tanzania, reflecting FAWE and the Mastercard Foundation’s Pan-African scope and unified ambition.

Sharing Best Practices and Stories of Impact

A thought-provoking panel discussion brought together educational leaders from Uganda and Zimbabwe, including Professor Joy Kwesiga, Vice Chancellor of Kabale University. She shared Uganda’s experiences in rural education access, citing more than 700 students now pursuing degrees in medicine, engineering, education, and economics as a result of similar second-chance pathways.

“This proves the power of inclusive policy and responsive programming,” said Prof. Kwesiga.

A Legacy of Empowerment and Recognition

In a moment of tribute, FAWEZI recognised individuals whose dedication has shaped the organization’s legacy:

• Dr Fay Chung, Tsitsi Mudenha, Irene Mkondo, Sarah Kachingwe, Jannie Makawa, and Patony Musendo, were awarded for their contributions to FAWEZI vision.
• Enet Tini, Ndaneta Chivaviro,  and Eveline Gumbo were celebrated for their instrumental roles in program implementation.

Founded in 1998 by pioneering Zimbabwean women including Dr Fay Chung, Ednah Madzongwe, Mary Mubi, and the late Salome Nyoni, FAWEZI now boasts provincial chapters across all ten provinces of Zimbabwe. It is part of the wider Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) network, a continental organisation established in 1992 with over 34 national chapters spanning Francophone, Anglophone, and Lusophone Africa.

With the FAWE/Mastercard Foundation Phase II Program and the FAWEZI Strategic Plan 2024–2028 now officially launched, FAWEZI renews its call to all stakeholders government, academia, the private sector, and communities to walk together in dismantling the structural inequalities that hold back young women and men from accessing dignified, fulfilling lives through education.