Entrepreneurial training for girls empowerment in Lesotho: A process evaluation of a model programme

Abstract

A Girls Empowerment Programme held in 2010 in Lesotho, Sub-Saharan Africa, focused on HIV/ AIDS risk reduction and prevention, life skills and entrepreneurial training (income-generating activities). Entrepreneurial training was a crucial part of equipping the camp attendees with basic skills to help them develop sustainable livelihoods. Such skills and financial independence are essential to enable rural girls to complete their secondary schooling (in a fee-based educational system) and to pursue a career, as well as to further help them be less susceptible to transactional sex and its significant risks. The results of a brief process evaluation with some nested supporting data showed considerable improvement in the girls' knowledge about income-generating activities. In addition, almost half of the camp attendees participated in further entrepreneurial training and

Is it time to RE-AIM? A systematic review of economic empowerment as HIV prevention intervention for adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa using the RE-AIM framework

“…Seventeen (68%) interventions were randomized controlled trials, three (12%) were cross-sectional interventions, three (12%) were quasi-experimental designs, one (4%) observational study, and one (4%) time-series design study. Six types of economic empowerment (EE) interventions were in the included in the review: cash transfers (conditional or unconditional) [ 18 , 41 , 68 , 73 , 80 , 86 , 88 , 91 , 96 , 97 , 107 ], job skills or business development [ 70 , 84 , 86 , 99 , 108 ], matched savings account [ 71 , 102 ], vocational skills training [ 75 , 77 , 82 , 101 , 105 ], payment of school fees and school supplies [ 23 , 78 ], and loan credit [ 92 ]. Several HIV prevention outcomes were targeted, including reduction in HIV incidence [ 18 , 22 , 68 , 80 , 82 , 97 ], increase in condom use [ 70 , 73 , 75 , 77 , 78 , 83 , 84 , 86 , 90 , 92 , 96 , 101 , 107 ], reduction in the number of sexual partners [ 70 , 73 , 78 , 86 , 101 , 107 ], reduction in transactional sex [ 41 , 71 , 78 , 82 , 88 , 90 , 91 ], increase in sexual and reproductive health knowled...…”

“…The number of high-risk sexual acts was significantly reduced in the pooled intervention group compared to the control. Attrition rate: 5.4% at 16 months follow-up; 4.6% at 24 months follow-up Individual level: follow-up at 16, 20, and 24 months to assess individual level change Program level: indicators of program level maintenance were not reported O’Neill Berry et al (2013) [ 99 ], Lesotho Cross-sectional survey of participants in the Girls Empowerment program Intervention: Girls Empowerment program—provided entrepreneurial training to develop concrete, feasible, and bankable ideas to start their own small businesses as well as HIV/AIDS risk reduction and prevention, life skills Increase knowledge on income-generating activities, reduce transactional sex, and promote HIV testing Study participants: 40 girls aged 17–22 Non-participants: characteristics of non-participants were not reported Program delivered by trained staff Girls Empowerment Program (GEP) camp focused on providing entrepreneurial training to develop concrete, feasible, and bankable ideas to start their own small businesses as well as HIV/AIDS risk reduction and prevention, life skills. Findings show considerable improvement in the girls’ knowledge about income-generating activities.…”

“…Among interventions using mixed methods, one of the interventions [ 92 ] was also found to have a 0.0% (low) risk of bias. The risk of bias for mixed methods interventions also ranged from 0.0% (low) [ 92 ] to 71.4% (high) [ 99 ]. The only qualitative study in the review had a high risk of bias (71.4%) [ 91 ].…”

“…However, one of the common weaknesses was the limited use of intent-to-treat analysis, although attrition was acknowledged by the majority of the interventions [ 18 , 22 , 41 , 70 , 71 , 75 , 78 – 80 , 83 , 84 , 88 , 92 , 96 , 97 , 101 , 102 ]. For the interventions that utilized mixed-methods [ 71 , 73 , 90 , 92 , 99 , 105 ], common strengths were the ability to triangulate data obtained from qualitative and quantitative methods and providing additional explanation for the quantitative data using qualitative data. The strength of the qualitative studies were the use of detailed quotes and narratives to explain study findings.…”

“…All interventions reported on sample size, defined as the number of participants who consented to participate in the study/intervention. Of the interventions that recruited only AGYW ( n =12) [ 18 , 22 , 41 , 70 , 72 , 73 , 75 , 84 , 87 , 92 , 99 ], sample size ranged from n =40 in the O’Neill Berry and colleagues study [ 99 ] to n =4800 in the study by Bandiera and colleagues [ 75 ]. In interventions that recruited other populations in addition to AGYW, the sample size ranged from n =46 to n =6576 (with the AGYW sample size being between 122 and 1705).…”