Empowering grandmothers for children's education

Grandmother Project – Change Through Culture (GMP) promotes lasting change by engaging entire communities—elders, adults, and youth—through a culturally rooted, intergenerational approach. Central to this model is the active involvement of grandmothers, who hold strong influence over family decisions, traditions, and girls’ futures.

 By recognizing grandmothers as trusted leaders and allies, Grandmother Project builds dialogue across generations, uniting girls, mothers, and grandmothers to challenge harmful practices like FGM and child marriage, while fostering support for girls’ education. This inclusive method has led to remarkable results, including reduced teen pregnancy and stronger community backing for girls’ schooling.

 Community voices affirm this shift:

• “We must revitalize solidarity to develop our communities.”- a Grandmother leader
• “We need elders’ guidance to succeed in life.” – a young girl
• “The whole community must unite to educate children.”- an Imam

 By involving grandmothers alongside community leaders—imams, chiefs, mothers, and youth, Grandmother Projectcreates a collective responsibility for children’s wellbeing and girls’ holistic development. This culturally grounded, community-led approach not only strengthens education but also nurtures girls as future leaders who can shape their communities with confidence and vision.

 As one visitor reflected:

“This is a unique African model. Instead of isolating one group, it engages all generations to find sustainable solutions. Grandmother Project – Change Through Culture approach to empowering grandmothers for children education should be shared widely across Africa and beyond.”