Botswana
Our work in Botswana
Youth Impact was founded in Botswana in 2014, and the country continues to serve as our global headquarters. Here, we deliver all three programs in our portfolio - Choices, Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL), and ConnectEd - in partnership with the Government of Botswana.
200,000
students
10
regions
3,000 facilitators & teachers trained
Context
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Botswana has high school enrollment rates and a high education expenditure. But this does not guarantee learning. A recent national assessment found that 88% of Grade 5 students could not divide, and nearly half could not read a story. At junior school level, our own research revealed that 90% of girls were unaware that older partners carry a significantly higher risk of HIV infection, at a time when new HIV cases among young women were among the highest in the world.
Youth Impact was founded to close these gaps: connecting young people to proven life‑changing information that improves both health and education outcomes.
The intervention​
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Choices is a 90-minute, evidence-based program delivered in junior secondary schools. Through interactive activities and peer-led discussions, it empowers young people to make informed, healthy relationship choices and dramatically reduces HIV risk and teenage pregnancy.
Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) improves foundational numeracy and literacy outcomes in primary school children. Instead of grouping students by age or grade, TaRL uses fun techniques to teach them at the level they are currently at, ensuring every child gets the instruction they need to succeed.
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ConnectEd is a phone-based tutoring program that delivers targeted instruction and foundational maths and literacy lessons. Designed for low-connectivity settings, it boosts learning using a basic mobile phone, with no internet and no apps required.
Spotlight​
A highlight of our scaling work has been our partnership with the Government of Botswana, since 2018.
“When Youth Impact walked in my office, the office was just energized by their energy and passion. They listened, they partnered, they aligned to government policies and programs. Their programs give learners confidence, resilience and adaptability, and the teachers they have trained love the program. Even without Youth Impact they continue, because they've now been trained, so it's spreading across schools.”
Grace Muzila, Former Permanent Secretary of Ministries of Education, Health, Finance and Environment, and Advisory Board Member, Youth Impact
Government partnership​
We work closely with the Government of Botswana at all levels. We deliver TaRL under an MoU with the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education, and have strong partnerships with the Ministry’s regional offices to deliver all our programming. This includes having Youth Impact sub-regional coordinators embedded in the Ministry’s regional offices and integrated into government systems.
Partners
