Many young men and women across the world find themselves economically excluded before they even reach working age. We therefore believe tackling the socio-cultural barriers to their economic participation at an early age is key to long-term economic inclusion.
Futuremakers’ education projects encourage young people to take charge of their economic and financial future. But, just as importantly, we also aim to address the social norms that undermine their confidence and autonomy.
In developing and emerging markets in particular, issues of limited education, cultural bias (for example, pressures to marry and have children at a young age), gender-based violence, and poverty typically weigh heavier on women. For this reason, we created the Goal programme.
First established in 2006 (later becoming Futuremakers’ flagship education programme upon its launch in 2019), Goal seeks to help young women and girls in our markets overcome the barriers that hold them back.
The programme uses sport, play and life skills education to help participants learn about health, communication, rights, and management of their personal finances.
Goal was also designed to empower girls with the confidence and self-esteem needed to become economic leaders and role models in their families and communities. With this, we expect to see ripple effects of knowledge sharing and the inspiring of others. In the long run, we hope to create a critical mass of young leaders who can influence change at a community level.
The results Our education reach is wide – making up the majority of the broader Futuremakers reach. In total, we reached 583,751 young people from Goal and other education projects in 25 markets between January 2019 and mid-2022.
Mwita grew up in a Nairobi slum, with a love of football from a young age. Yet her family discouraged her passion, and she fell into marriage aged just 18. After her marriage failed, she joined Goal as a coach – inspiring younger girls with her resilience. In conjunction, Mwtia trained as a beauty therapist and learned new business skills. She aims to run her own business one day.
Read more
I am now a confident, empowered and happy young woman supporting my mum and my children through my job earnings.
Before joining Goal, shy 12-year-old Pranjal preferred to watch the games quietly from the sidelines. As she began to participate, her confidence grew. She felt encouraged to stand up for change in her community – in particular, by spearheading an initiative that allowed the boys and girls in the neighbourhood to share the local playing fields more equally.
I learned a lot from the programme, which drives me to think more about my goal in the future.
