My Theory of Change using the " what if" model.

The Change Makers'lab Lab has helped me in ways I can not count.

At the time of setting my SMART goals, I had difficulty with specifying my initiative tagged Retaining girls in school and Ending Menstrual Poverty" . It seemed big , so I removed the "  Ending Menstrual Poverty" part. As I carried on with the initiative, addressing the menstrual poverty challenge stared me in the face and it became inevitable to address this issue if girls will stay on in school. So I reverted back to the initial plan.

Drawing up my theory of change became instrumental to making my path to close the disparity between boys and girls in school clearer.

My "What if... Then .. method.

SITUATIONIn Potiskum, Yobe state, in the Northeastern part of Nigeria, there is a great disparity between boys and girls in school. With the fear of  Boko Haram insurgents, girls are more likely to be out of school or drop out of school. With deep rooted Parochial beliefs and customs, girls are considered as less important compared to boys and so their education is not given priority since they will end up marrying .

Not having menstrual sanitary products to use during periods causes girls to miss school, this affecting her school performance, leads to her dropping out eventually .  So we have less girls graduating.

" If "I can get these RESOURCES (inputs)

FUNDING

STAFF/VOLUNTEERS

RESEARCH

EQUIPMENT (Laptops, public address system)

RE -USABLE PADS

PARTNERS

Using this STRATEGY

EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS /OUTREACHES to girls in secondary Schools.

PAYMENT OF FEES for the least privileged.

WORKSHOPS to Parents of girls out of school.

WORKSHOPS for PTA of secondary Schools.

ADVOCACIES/ SENSITIZATION to Traditional Leaders/ Religious leaders.

DISTRIBUTION OF REUSABLE PADS to girls in secondary Schools.

REPRODUCTIVE/MENSTRUAL HEALTH AND HYGIENE TALKS

AUDIENCE 

My primary targets are

 Girls in secondary School.

Parents of out of school girls.

My secondary targets are 

PTA of secondary Schools

Traditional Leaders/ Religious leaders.

Government/ Elected Office holders.

Having ( OUT PUTS)

DEVELOPED AND Delivered  30 

Workshops to girls.

20 workshops to Parents Teacher's Association (PTA),

Distributed 1000 reusable pads to girls

"THEN"..... We will have

OUTCOME

Parents of out of school girls participate in the workshops.

Increased  parents knowledge on importance of girl child Education.

Increased knowledge of girls on how to manage  menstruation.

Reduction of number of girls missing school due to  monthly periods.

These are on the short term.

On the long term..

More girls enrollment to school.

Less girls dropping out of school.

Girls complete secondary School.

IMPACT-

Disparity between boys and girls reduces.

No disparity between boys and girls graduates from secondary School.

Behavioral change towards giving girls education.

Girls right to education is met.

My ASSUMPTIONS  are with continuous workshops, outreaches to girls on the importance on education of girls ,deep seated parochial beliefs can give way to favour the girls as much as the boys. Parents will enroll their daughters in school.

With advocacies and sensitization to traditional and religious leaders, who have great influence over the people, the leaders can champion the cause of meeting the girls right to education.

If girls have reusable pads, they will not have to miss school due to periods because they are armed with the reusable pads which can suffice for a year. Being in school provides a level ground for them to be excellent students and complete secondary School. Compeleting secondary School makes them more likely to pursuing higher education.

 EXTERNAL Factors 
Cultural, Religious and Parochial beliefs systems.

Election process. These are times when politicians are soliciting for votes and so can be lobbied. The International Day for the Girl Child is a time we will use to our advantage to advocate for education for the Girl Child.

The model shows the link between actions and outcome and how they will work to bring about closing the Disparity between boys and girls in school.  It answers the who, where ,what and how questions of the initiative.

The outcome will help me  plan impliment, monitor and evaluate the process of the initiative. This model enables me to monitor the process from the beginning, during the process and after the initiative.

The outcome will be the indicators whether qualitative or quantitative.

I will be using activity log, questionnaire etc to monitor and evaluate the process.