The Mastercard Foundation has partnered with the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) to implement a program titled "Second Chance Pathways for Increased Access to Tertiary Education for Marginalized Young Women and Men," also known as "FAWE-Mastercard Foundation Phase II." This program will be carried out in 10 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa (Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) over a span of 7 years (2024 – 2030).
Phase II builds on a previous initiative that supported bright girls and boys from economically challenged backgrounds in Rwanda, Uganda, and Ethiopia, helping them transition from secondary school to university. The new phase will expand this support to marginalized young women and men, aged 15 – 25 years, from economically, geographically, and climate-affected areas. These young individuals, who have completed secondary education, will be assisted in transitioning into tertiary education and eventually into employment, including self-employment.
FAWE’s overall approach for this program focuses on "innovation to create pathways for increasing access to tertiary education, skilling, and dignified work for young female and male graduates of secondary education in Africa.