Empowerment and Livelihood of Adolescents (ELA)

What it is and how it works

ELA starts with “safe spaces” close to the home, where teens can discuss problems with their peers in small groups and build their social networks, away from the pressures of family and male-centered communities. The program seeks to offer hundreds of thousands of adolescent girls the opportunity for a better life by empowering girls socially and economically, with life-skills, livelihood training, vocational training and startup kits to start small-scale businesses.  

ELA in Africa works independently from the public education system, but works closely with the national ministries of youth and gender. It targets girls from disadvantaged backgrounds, aged between 10-22, particularly those at risk of dropping out of school, with the majority being out of school. For younger girls, the emphasis is on social skills development and creating a savings mentality, but by their mid-teens – the exact age differs from context to context – there is a demand among adolescent girls for livelihood training, financial literacy and sometimes microloans.

Their adolescent clubs also serve as a social space for girls and provide relevant learning materials and support recreational activities such as reading, dancing, and indoor and outdoor games. 

These clubs deliver a dual-focus curriculum:

• Life skills training: Topics include reproductive health, gender equality, and rights awareness, aiming to boost confidence and reduce the risk of sexual exploitation.
• Livelihood skills training: Vocational training, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship education equip participants with tools to achieve economic independence.

Community engagement ensures local buy-in, and trained mentors lead the clubs, fostering a supportive environment.

Program outcomes

There was significant improvement in participants' self-confidence and agency. See Uganda and Sierra Leone for country-specific outcomes.

Due to violence against women and early pregnancy, Uganda has progressed at a slower pace in socio-economic empowerment of women compared to high-income countries. 

The ELA programme is the largest youth empowerment platform in the country targeting girls who have dropped out of school, and are at the risk of early marriage or pregnancy. Its safe spaces are run by older girls selected from the communities - trained to deliver life-skills and sexual and reproductive health education, as well as mentor younger girls in exchange for a small lump-sum incentive. The clubs opened five afternoons a week.

In later years, livelihood training on income-generating activities and financial literacy was delivered by entrepreneurs and professionals for the senior out-of-school girls (above 15). After the training, they were eligible for a small loan to capitalise on their acquired skills. To further support girls, meetings with parents and village elders were organised periodically.

With the support of BankNetherlands Partnership Programme, Africa Gender Innovation Lab, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Mastercard, Nike, the World Bank and the IGC, BRAC Uganda implemented the ELA programme between 2008 and 2012. It served 50,000 in- and out-of-school girls 14 to 20 through 1,200 ELA clubs in 27 districts.

Outcomes in Uganda

In Sierra Leone, women frequently face gender-based violence and exploitation, experiencing physical, sexual, or emotional abuse by a husband or partner. Sierra Leone is also one of the least equal countries in the UNDP Gender Equality index and has the highest maternal mortality rate of any country. Even among those not married, early pregnancy is a significant risk factor. 

West Africa’s 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic further exacerbated girls’ risk of pregnancy, sexual abuse, and school dropout. About half of all cases during the epidemic came from Sierra Leone, and the country closed all primary and secondary schools, both reducing girls’ education and increasing their exposure to older men.

Countering the school-to-work transition for young women in high Ebola-disrupted villages, these adolescent clubs operated in 10 communities, mentoring 300 girls between the ages 10-22. This intervention bundled health education, vocational skills training, and micro-credit. While girls experienced higher teen pregnancy and lower school attendance post-Ebola, ELA clubs mitigated many of these negative effects of epidemic-spurred school closures. Girls above 17 benefited from vocational training and at 18 they were offered microfinance loans to capitalize on acquired skills. 

In partnership with IPA, the World Bank and UNICEF, BRAC implemented the ELA programme in Sierra Leone from 2014 to 2016. It served 4,800 in- and out-ofschool girls 12 to 25 through 160 ELA clubs in Port Loko, Kambia, Moyamba, and Pujehun.

Outcomes in Sierra Leone

Details of program implementer goes here