Causes: Children & Youth, Civil Rights, Education, Philanthropy, Public Foundations, Secondary & High Schools, Women, Womens Rights, Youth Centers & Clubs

Mission: Founded by Grammy Award-winning, Benin native and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angelique Kidjo, Batonga’s mission is to support both secondary school and higher education for girls in Africa. We are doing this by granting scholarships, building secondary schools, increasing enrollment, improving teaching standards, providing school supplies, supporting mentor programs, exploring alternative education models and advocating for community awareness of the value of education for girls.

Results: In Ethiopia 140 girls from Konso and Derashe received scholarships for secondary education along with uniforms, sports outfits, stationary, school bag, and supplies. 100 mothers were given a micro-loan as an opportunity to generate additional income while her daughter stays in school. In Benin, since 2006, 229 girls have been aided by Batonga. Most of the girls are graduates of the USAID Ambassadors' Girls Scholarship Program. In Mali, since 2006, 76 girls have been supported by Batonga. Currently, Batonga is working with 44 girls who received scholarship packages to continue their secondary education along with mentorship opportunities and community activities. In Sierra Leone, 78 girls enrolled in Waterloo Junior Secondary School and have been provided with scholarships along with school uniforms, bags, shoes, and text books. 25 girls who were rescued from brothels and enrolled in the Vocation Training School in Freetown are receiving funds from Batonga. In Cameroon, 20 girls who were orphaned or whose families have been affected by AIDS and are completing their secondary education or post-secondary ed were granted scholarships.

Target demographics: Target demographic is girls ages 12-17, attending secondary schools, grades 7-12.

Geographic areas served: Benin, Mali, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, and Ethiopia

Programs: BENIN: Our NGO Partner is World Education. Batonga is supporting 229 girls in continuing their education in secondary school. All the girls were selected by community members who are closely involved in ensuring their success. Batonga is supporting these students from grade 7 through grade 12 with scholarship packages that include tuition, uniforms, school supplies, mentoring, and community awareness activities that broadly promote girls' education. CAMEROON: Our NGO Partner is African Action on AIDS. In Cameroon, 20 girls, all AIDS orphans or from families affected by AIDS, have been awarded secondary school or post-secondary scholarships. This scholarship is paid annually by Batonga until they graduate. The scholarship includes tuition, uniforms, school supplies, mentoring, and community awareness programs. MALI: Our NGO Partner is World Education and our In-country NGO Partner is Aide à l’Enfant du Désert et du Sahel (AEDS). In Mali, 75 girls have been awarded scholarships in Kidal in northern Mali. Batonga is supported the scholars from grade 7 to grade 12 with scholarship packages that include tuition, uniforms, school supplies, mentoring, and community awareness activities that broadly promote girls' education. SIERRA LEONE: Our In-country NGO Partner for our scholarship programs is Forum for African Women Educationalists. Our In-country NGO Partner for Vocational school is Children Associated with the War. 78 girls have been awarded secondary school scholarships to attend Waterloo Junior Secondary School. Batonga scholarships are paid annually until each girl graduates. Each scholarship includes a set of school uniforms, a school bag, a pair of school shoes, 7 core text books, 12 exercise books, mat set, school fees, and mentoring activities. Funds are being provided for 25 girls to attend a Vocational Training School in Freetown that currently has 48 girls enrolled. They are currently enrolled in two-year training programs in sewing, photography, carpentry, basket-weaving and pottery, tie dying, tailoring, and soap making. Batonga provides "employment kits" to graduates so they have the tools needed to start their own business. ETHIOPIA: Our In-country NGO Partners are Hope for Children, Gemini Foundation, and Mercy Corps. Batonga works in Addis with the Hope for Children organization to support college education for girls orphaned by AIDS. Scholarship recipients are enrolled in various university programs including nursing and law. Batonga provides 17 girls with annual scholarships. Batonga is supporting Hope for Children's Youth Learning Center in Addis, which is a center that offers after school tutoring programs and summer learning programs. Batonga also partnered with the Gemini Foundation to provide educational support for girls from Gemini families, which are destitute families with twins living in poor areas of Addis. Batonga provided school supplies to 31 girls attending universities in Ethiopia and 500 girls attending school is Addis. Batonga also has a partnership with Mercy Corps and developed a new project called PROSPER (Promoting Sustainable Partnerships for Economic Recovery). PROSPER is a program that targets vulnerable communities in the Konso and Derashe districts of Ethiopia. Its objective is to empower marginalized women to enable girls to complete their secondary school education and well-being. As an incentive to keep the girl in secondary school, mothers/female care givers are provided with a loan of up to $150 linked to the secondary school enrollment of the girl. The project will provide secondary school scholarships for 140 students. The project will support up to 50 girls in continued vocational education an apprenticeship opportunities after graduation. Each girl will be provided with $30 per month for a period of 10 months to cover daily subsistence and transportation costs.