My name is Linda Sheng, and I’m A2Empowerment’s canvasser and social media intern. When I was in 5th grade, I heard my dad talk about A2Empowerment, a non-profit program that empowers women through education in Cameroon, because one of his colleagues was a co-founder of the organization.  As soon as I entered high school, I took the first opportunity I could to become a part of this community and something bigger.  The mission of A2Empowermet resonated with me because I am a young woman who believes in the power of education and I recognize the opportunities it provides.  For ex ..read more

Imagine being a girl in Cameroon, where you face many barriers to education that prevent you from reaching your full potential. You may have to work to support your family instead of going to school. You may have to drop out because you can’t afford tuition fees and school supplies. You may have to miss school when you are menstruating. You may have to study in the dark because you don’t have electricity. These are some of the challenges that millions of girls in Cameroon face every day. But what if there was a way to change this? What if there was a way to empower girls through education, whi ..read more

Narrative written by A2Empowerment board member and alumna, Vanelle Takou; Data collection and analysis by A2Empowerment board member, Ryan Mitchell Girls’ education has been a preoccupation for anybody who believes that educating a girl child is the future of a whole nation. Historically, in many parts of the globe tremendous problems and vulnerabilities surround the environments of girls: systemic poverty, lack of family and community support, limited educational opportunities, lack of voice, early marriage, and adverse social attitudes. These vulnerabilities can constrain girls and women ..read more

A2Empowerment scholarships can make a decisive difference in the lives and educational experiences of Cameroonian girls. We regularly conduct surveys to better understand each student’s academic progress and situation as a result of the scholarship program, and to get feedback for improving our work. We are delighted to share a summary of the most recent survey results with you, authored by volunteer Ryan Mitchell. Notably, 78% of scholarship recipients reported that they would not be able to attend school without A2E’s scholarships. The scholarships also relieved students’ non-academic work ..read more

Written by: Graham Button (Who also contributes significantly to our monitoring and evaluation work.) Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa and the US, A2Empowerment has continued to make a positive impact in the lives of Cameroonian girls. In the 2020-2021 school year, more than 100 Cameroonian girls were given scholarships and mentorship that helped them to continue their education. In fact, approximately 4/5 of the girls who A2Empowerment funded reported that they would not be able to attend school without a scholarship from A2Empowerment. A2Empowerment endeavors to m ..read more

Since our founding, A2Empowerment has been monitoring and evaluating the program in various ways to continue to improve and determine our impact.  Monitoring and evaluation is currently led by Graham Button, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer and A2Empowerment Board Member.  Graham uses mid- and end-year surveys to capture information from our partners in Cameroon to assess student progress and meeting attendance.  Graham used that data to create the following narrative to recap the direct impact and tangible results A2Empowerment had last year during the 2019-2020 school ye ..read more

In today’s blog entry, we’re featuring some of the creative and deeply meaningful acts of support A2Empowerment has received. Our co-founder and friend Anne Cheung recently sat down for a Zoom conversation with the Whiting family: Lori, Pete, and their daughters Hannah and Abbey. The whole family is an inspiring example of selflessness. From hosting our annual fundraiser to offering dog-walking services for our raffle, Lori and Pete have taught their daughters, Hannah and Abbey, the importance of giving. The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity by Eugénie Olson.  Photo of t ..read more

Angèle Beigoll is an A2Empowerment Alumni who was mentored by PCV Leah about 10 years ago. She recently reconnected with us via social media and agreed to be interviewed for our blog! Please read her inspiring interview below. Hello hello to you! You are doing well, I hope … I am also well by the grace of God. Here are some answers to the questions you asked me last time: When did you receive the scholarship and were you mentors for the program? I received the scholarship for the first time during the 2009-2010 school year in 4th grade and Miss Leah my mentor for this program. What are your ..read more

Authored by Sidney Jasper, PCV Cameroon & A2Empowerment Mentor   With a few exceptions, women’s work in Nyambaka is mainly limited to selling food and other items at the market or tending fields. There is a lack of women role models who have broken out of the traditional gender roles. I believe many girls do not know of other possibilities or opportunities for their futures, which may create a major obstacle to education. This, in addition to what I have observed in the community as well as what I know and have learned about the traditional, agricultural way of life in Nyambaka, has ..read more

Grace Sop is an A2Empowerment Alumni from the Adamoua Region of Cameroon who was mentored by RPCVs Claire Kofler, Allison Sanders, Emma Jehle and Danielle Nicolai Freymeyer.  It is a challenge for us to stay connected with alumni, and we have plans to address this issue.  This is why we were absolutely thrilled when Grace contacted us through Instagram last year, and she agreed to be interviewed for our blog!  Please read her inspiring interview below. A2E: When did you receive the scholarship? GS: I received my scholarships from A2Empowerment during the school years 2009-2 ..read more