Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED)

In 2024, CAMFED claimed to have helped 7.8 million children over its existence. The organization operates through a model it characterizes as the “Multiplier Effect,” in which graduates are supposed to financially support additional girls’ educations and serve as mentors in their communities. ^{3 4}

CAMFED has promoted what it characterizes as climate-smart agriculture and climate education. In partnership with Ministries of Education in Zambia and Zimbabwe, the organization launched an in-school climate education program. CAMFED Association Agriculture Guides supported 7,775 young women to develop businesses related to climate-resilient farming practices in 2023. ^{4 5}

Background

Campaign for Female Education was founded in 1993 by Ann Cotton, a British educator who traveled to Zimbabwe and concluded that poverty was the primary barrier preventing girls from attending school. The organization began by supporting 32 girls attending secondary school in two rural districts of Zimbabwe. ^{6 3}

CAMFED expanded from its initial Zimbabwe operations to multiple African countries over the following three decades. ³

By 2024, CAMFED operated programs across five African nations and had supported more than 2.6 million children through its educational initiatives. The organization focuses on what it describes as the most marginalized girls in rural communities, providing financial support, mentorship, and community engagement to address barriers to education. ⁷

Programs and Activities

In 2023, the Campaign for Female Education claimed to have supported 98,954 girls at 9,150 partner schools across 166 districts. The support included payment of school fees, provision of uniforms, books, sanitary products, and training of teachers to serve as mentors. ⁴

The CAMFED Association, established in 1998, connects graduates of CAMFED programs and provides pathways to post-secondary school opportunities. By 2024, the CAMFED Association reportedly had a membership of 312,747 young women, including teachers, business leaders, government officials, health professionals, and entrepreneurs. ⁸

The organization operates a Learner Guide program in which young women from the CAMFED alumnae association volunteer in local schools to teach a curriculum encompassing leadership, health, learning, and life skills. In 2023, 15,336 Learner Guides reportedly reached 1.1 million students across 6,576 schools. ⁴

CAMFED has promoted what it characterizes as climate-smart agriculture and climate education. In partnership with Ministries of Education in Zambia and Zimbabwe, the organization launched an in-school climate education program. CAMFED Association Agriculture Guides supported 7,775 young women to develop businesses related to climate-resilient farming practices in 2023. ^{4 5}

Leadership

As of 2024, Angeline Murimirwa was chief executive officer of CAMFED. Murimirwa was one of the first recipients of a CAMFED scholarship in the 1990s and worked as the group’s executive director for Africa before becoming CEO in January 2023. She succeeded Lucy Lake, who was CEO from 2012 to 2023 and continued afterward as an executive advisor. ^{9 10}

Financials

According to the organization’s 2023 annual report, the Campaign for Female Education received £92.5 million (roughly $124 million) in income that year. Of this total, £35.9 million (roughly $48 million) came from trusts and foundations, £33.8 million (roughly $45.5 million) from public donations, and £15.8 million (roughly $21 million) from legacies. The organization spent £40.6 million (roughly $45.5 million) on programs in 2023, with £16.5 million (roughly $22 million) allocated to what it characterized as “the Multiplier Effect” supporting girls through school, £9 million (roughly $12 million) for enterprise development, and £7.7 million (roughly $10 million) for the Learner Guide. ⁴

In 2025, the CAMFED received a grant from Yield Giving, MacKenzie Scott’s philanthropic initiative started in 2022. Scott is the ex-wife of Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos and gave over $7.16 billion to various largely left-of-center organizations in 2025. ^{11 12}