Agility, a leading global logistics provider, in partnership with the Campaign for Female Education (Camfed), will fund the education of 100 girls in rural Ghana.

Camfed is a non-profit organisation dedicated to eradicating poverty in Africa through the education of girls and the empowerment of young women.

Under the deal, Agility will pay the school costs for girls whose families do not have the financial means to send them to secondary school, providing support that includes school fees, uniforms and education supplies.

As the company has expanded business operations in Africa, it also has been increasing its social commitment. Efforts to support health and education programmes for women and girls has been a centrepiece of Agility’s community involvement in over 100 countries where it operates, it stated.

Dolores Dickson, executive director of Camfed Ghana, said: “In the rural communities where we work, chronic poverty excludes many girls from education, especially at secondary level, where costs rise sharply, and distances to schools are much greater.”

“Girls are so determined to access education that they put themselves at considerable risk to raise the money, heading to towns to work as street porters or maids,  vulnerable to abuse and exploitation,” she said.

“Camfed works with communities, schools, authorities and generous donor partners like Agility to rewrite the future of these girls, who then become mentors and role models for other girls,” she added.

Geoffrey White, CEO of Agility Africa, said: “Social development alongside commercial development is important to our company.”

“Without it our businesses can’t grow and operate as we would wish. Social inclusion is a core value for us. Education is one of the best investments we can make to alleviate poverty and create a better world. It has an incredible multiplier effect, and it provides returns for generations,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service