Page 38 - Aidlink AR 2021

LOOKING FORWARD
2021 was an important year for both reflection and planning
for Aidlink. The Kenya Inclusive Quality Education Project came to an end in June and we launched our new Every Girl in School Project in July. As Aidlink looks towards the future, we
are optimistic and committed
to continuing to deliver life- changing interventions targeting some of the world’s poorest and most isolated communities.
A formal external evaluation of the KIQEP was conducted in early 2022, and examined both project impact and the effectiveness of the Aidlink-GCN partnership. We are heartened by the positive results, validating not only the benefits experienced by target communities, but also recognising the unique strength of Aidlink’s long-standing localisation agenda through our partnership model.
Key recommendations f rom the evaluation are helping shape and strengthen the new Every Girl in School Project (2021-2024), co-funded by Irish Aid’s Civil Society Fund. A 23% increase on the previous funding cycle further validates the impact of Aidlink’s approach and enables us to reach more children, targeting 60 schools and over 20,000 children over the next three years.
Following a competitive process, Aidlink secured a significant grant of €350,000 from the Bank of Ireland Staff Charitable Fund to deliver a new project in Kenya in 2022. The Let Girls Learn Project was launched in the second
quarter 2022 and engages 15 public primary schools in new target communities in Turkana and Kajiado, Kenya. Activities will include
core improvements in infrastructure with the addition of classrooms and 2 dormitories, one in each county, which we believe will contribute to increased enrolment and retention, especially for at-risk girls, by providing a safe and secure learning environment during term and the holiday periods.
2021 saw the revival of projects in Uganda
and the establishment of new partnerships. In 2022 we will work to expand this work with our three Ugandan partners by implementing gender, education and WASH programmes, targeting rural communities.
We have commenced the process of developing a new strategic plan, building
on our learning to-date. Early developments suggest the new strategic plan will be dynamic and responsive, reflecting the need for Aidlink to continuously innovate and adapt to meet the needs of the communities we serve.
While we are excited for the future, challenges remain. In target communities, prolonged school closures throughout the Covid-19 pandemic have driven already at-risk children, particularly adolescent girls, out of education. The realities of the climate crisis, and
current severe drought means that already impoverished communities are facing extreme hunger and potential famine, further risking opportunities and the protection of rights
of girls and women. At home, fundraising remains challenging with competing crises both at home and abroad.
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