Why Girls’ Empowerment Matters in Dzaleka

Living and working in Dzaleka, I have seen how difficult it can be for a girl to hold on to her dreams when opportunities are limited. Poverty, interrupted education, unemployment, and the lack of safe ways to earn a living can leave many girls facing an uncertain future. For some, early marriage or pregnancy can begin to seem like the only option available.

I believe our girls deserve choices. They deserve the opportunity to learn, develop skills, earn a living, make informed decisions, and become confident young women who can shape their own future.

That is why CRS focuses on more than assistance. We work to give girls protection, education, practical skills, confidence, leadership, and opportunities. When a girl has the tools to support herself, she can make better choices for her life, contribute to her family, and become a source of strength and inspiration within her community.

CRS empowers girls to stay in school through vocational training, mentorship, education, and safe, supportive spaces, helping them build confidence, develop life skills, gain practical vocational skills, and unlock their full potential to become independent, resilient, and active contributors to their communities.

What We Do

CRS, we know that empowerment does not happen through one training or one activity. A girl needs knowledge, practical skills, confidence, protection, and opportunities to use what she has learned. We therefore work with girls and young women in Dzaleka and the surrounding communities in several connected areas.

AREA OF SUPPORT & HOW CRS SUPPORTS GIRLS

Card 1 — Vocational Skills Training
We provide practical skills training in areas such as tailoring, hairdressing, soap making, and other livelihood skills that can help girls develop skills they can use to earn an income.

Card 2 — Entrepreneurship Skills
We help girls understand how to turn their skills into small businesses, including basic business planning, saving, pricing, marketing, and managing income.

Card 3 — Life Skills
We help girls develop practical life skills that can strengthen their confidence, decision-making, communication, problem-solving, and ability to make informed choices about their future.

Card 4 — Leadership Development
We encourage girls to find their voices and develop leadership skills so they can participate confidently in their families, schools, communities, and other spaces where decisions are made.

Card 5 — Protection and GBV Prevention
We provide awareness and support that help girls understand their rights, recognize harmful situations, seek help, and protect themselves from gender-based violence, exploitation, and other forms of abuse.

Card 6 — Education and Learning Support
Where possible, we support girls to remain connected to education and learning opportunities because education gives them knowledge, confidence, and a stronger foundation for their future.

Card 7 — Economic Empowerment
We help girls connect their skills with opportunities to earn an income, become more independent, and contribute to their own wellbeing and, where possible, support their families.

Card 8 — Mentorship and Encouragement
We create spaces where girls can learn from others, share their experiences, receive encouragement, and see that their circumstances today do not have to determine their future.

Our Hope for Every Girl
We hope girls leave our programmes with more than a certificate. We want them to leave with a skill they can use, confidence in themselves, knowledge of their rights, and the courage to believe that they can build a different future.

Who We Support

Living and working in Dzaleka, I see that girls and young women face different challenges, but many share the same need: a safe opportunity to learn, develop skills, and build a more secure future.

We support vulnerable girls and young women in Dzaleka Refugee Camp and the surrounding host communities, especially those facing poverty, interrupted education, unemployment, and limited opportunities to develop skills and earn a living.

We pay particular attention to girls who may be more vulnerable to early marriage, early pregnancy, exploitation, gender-based violence, and other protection risks. Our aim is to give them opportunities to learn, build confidence, develop practical skills, and prepare for a more independent future.

WHO WE REACH

Vulnerable Girls & Young Women

We support vulnerable girls and young women in Dzaleka Refugee Camp and surrounding host communities, especially those facing poverty, interrupted education, unemployment, and limited opportunities to develop skills and earn a living.

RISKS WE ADDRESS

Protection from Harm

We pay particular attention to girls who may be more vulnerable to early marriage, early pregnancy, exploitation, gender-based violence, and other protection risks.

WHAT WE WANT FOR GIRLS

Skills, Confidence & Opportunity

We want girls to have a safe opportunity to learn, develop practical skills, build confidence, and prepare for a more independent future.

Our Approach

At CRS, we believe girls need more than assistance. They need opportunities to learn, build practical skills, feel protected, gain confidence, and be supported by people who believe in their potential.

We work alongside girls and young women through vocational training, life skills, leadership, entrepreneurship, mentorship, and protection support, helping them build the skills and confidence to make informed choices and pursue their goals.

We also collaborate with stakeholders, implementing partners, and community leaders to ensure that the support we provide is safe, relevant, and always guided by the best interests of vulnerable girls.

Our Impact

Since 2020, I have witnessed how practical skills and opportunities can begin to change the lives of girls and young women in Dzaleka. For many of the girls we have trained, learning a skill has been a first step toward earning an income, becoming more independent, and believing in their own ability to build a better future.

Through our vocational training programmes, CRS has empowered 480+ vulnerable girls and young women from Dzaleka Refugee Camp and the surrounding host communities. We are proud of this progress, but for us, the real impact is not only the number; it is seeing a girl gain a skill, build confidence, and begin to see possibilities where she once saw very few.

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Dzaleka Refugee Camp & Surrounding Host Communities

For us, impact is not just a number. It is seeing a girl gain a skill, build her confidence, and begin to see a future where she can support herself and contribute to her family

What We Aim to Achieve

We want more girls in Dzaleka and the surrounding communities to have the opportunity to learn, work, make informed choices, and build a future with dignity.

WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE

More Skills & Opportunities

More girls can access vocational, entrepreneurship, life, and leadership skills that prepare them for work and self-reliance.

Greater Confidence & Leadership

Girls can develop the confidence to make informed decisions, speak up, take leadership roles, and participate in their communities.

Stronger Protection

Girls have greater awareness of their rights and are better equipped to recognize and respond to exploitation, GBV, early marriage, and other risks.

Greater Economic Independence

Girls can use their skills to start small businesses, find work, generate income, and contribute to their own needs and families.

Stronger Community Support

CRS works with stakeholders, partners, and community leaders to create safer and more supportive opportunities for vulnerable girls.

Help a Girl Build Her Future

Every girl deserves the opportunity to learn, develop her abilities, and build a future with dignity. In Dzaleka, many girls have the potential and determination to succeed, but they need opportunities and people willing to stand with them.

You can help us create those opportunities.

SUPPORT GIRLS’ TRAINING

Your support can help provide vocational training, learning materials, and practical resources for vulnerable girls and young women.

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PARTNER WITH CRS

Partner with CRS to strengthen girls’ education, protection, skills development, and livelihood opportunities.

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HELP CREATE OPPORTUNITIES

Support mentorship, entrepreneurship, leadership, and other opportunities that help girls move toward greater independence.

Together, we can help girls in Dzaleka move from uncertainty to opportunity and build futures they can believe in.

Stand With Girls in Dzaleka

Living and working here in Dzaleka, I see every day how much potential our girls have and how much they can achieve when they are given a real opportunity. I do not want to see their future determined by poverty, displacement, or the lack of opportunities around them.

You can stand with us as we work to create more opportunities for vulnerable girls and young women in Dzaleka Refugee Camp and the surrounding communities. Whether through funding, partnership, training support, mentorship, or other resources, your support can help us provide the skills, confidence, protection, and opportunities these girls need to build more independent lives.

Together, we can help our girls move from uncertainty to opportunity and build futures they can believe in.