Events

Expand, Equip, Empower: A Conversation on Education in Eastern & Southern Africa

January 26, 2023

Online

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EVENT REPLAY

OVERVIEW
SPEAKERS

In Sub-Saharan Africa, nearly 9 in 10 children are unable to read and understand a simple text by the age of 10. Also, the region has the lowest participation rate in tertiary education across all regions of the world. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the pre-existing learning crisis, which is today just one of many crises that African countries are grappling with. Nevertheless, there’s an urgent need to turn the education crisis around for children’s wellbeing and to improve human capital outcomes and economic growth in the region.

In this conversation, we heard from civil society experts who discussed the transformations needed to expand education systems for greater access, equip students with real-world skills for economic growth, and empower girls and children with disabilities to stay in school and enjoy more opportunities for learning and building skills.

Andrew McCusker
Head of Education Finance, Opportunity International
Andrew McCusker is the Head of Education Finance at Opportunity International. The Education Finance program works with financial institutions in 30 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America to invest more capital into the education sector and increase school quality. Its partners have invested in more than 36,000 schools to finance school infrastructure like classrooms, washrooms and dormitories.

Prior to joining Opportunity, Andrew served in the Corporate Finance team for Bridge International Academies, working with over 500 low-cost schools across Africa and Asia. Splitting time between London and Nairobi, Kenya, he worked with both investors and education providers, helping to conduct financial impact analyses of key business decisions for these schools and lift education standards.
Muna Meky
Education Practice Manager, Africa region, World Bank
Muna Meky is a Practice Manager for East and Southern Africa at the Education Global Practice of the World Bank. She has occupied a number of positions across regions of the World Bank over the last 15 years, including Human Development Program Leader in Nigeria and Senior Education Specialist in India. Muna has worked extensively on education, skills development, second-chance education, and results-based financing.
Antonia Mutoro
Coordinator of the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), Rwanda
Antonia Mutoro is the National Coordinator of Forum for Africa Women Educationalist (FAWE Rwanda Chapter) which focuses on Empowerment of girls and women through gender equity in education, livelihood policies, programs, and practices. Antonia is former Executive secretary of National Capacity Building Secretariat in Rwanda and Director General of Capacity Development and Employment Services Board. Her role was to coordinate and provide strategic leadership in capacity building and employment promotion services in the priority sectors of the Economy in Rwanda. Antonia is the first Executive Director of Rwanda’s first independent think tank, the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (IPAR) from 2008 to 2013. Prior to establishing IPAR, Antonia was a Dean of the faculty of languages at KIST, Director of Academic Quality Assurance and lecturer.
Joseph Wasikhongo
National Coordinator of the Elimu Yetu Coalition, Kenya
Joseph Wasikhongo is the National Coordinator of Elimu Yetu Coalition, which is Kenya’s National Education Coalition, established in 1990 as the National platform for Civil Society Organizations. Professional groupings, Education and Research Institutions and other non-state actors in Kenya’s education sector-to lobby for the implementation of Education for All (EFA) goals as articulated in the Jomtien declaration in 1990 and the Dakar framework of Action 2000.

He is an advocacy and capacity-building professional with interests in Education and Gender and has over 15 years of experience in the field of development having worked at various levels including local, regional and international notable organizations, including World Vision, The Africa Platform for Social Protection, and the National Gender and Equality Commission in Kenya.
Edith Jibunoh
External & Corporate Relations Manager, Eastern and Southern Africa Region, World Bank
Ms. Jibunoh, a Nigerian national, is the External and Corporate Relations (ECR) Manager for East and Southern Africa, a role she assumed after completing roles as ECR Manager in the Infrastructure Practice Group and ECR’s Global Stakeholder Engagement Adviser.

Prior to this, Edith served as Global Policy Director at the ONE Campaign where she worked on advocacy, policy, and stakeholder engagement, and in several positions in the Nigerian government including Chief of Staff and Adviser on International and Bilateral Relations to Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, and Economist in the MDG Office of the Nigerian Presidency. Earlier in her career, she worked in the Bank’s East Asia and Pacific region as well as the UN Office in New York.

Ms. Jibunoh’s priorities include i) providing strategic communication, stakeholder outreach and reputation risk management advice to the leadership of the East & Southern Africa Region; (ii) leading the development of coordinated communication and partner engagement strategies across the region and working with corporate units; and (iii) creating a culture of teamwork, innovation, client orientation and talent management.