How change happens
Our theory of change rests on an evidence-based conviction: educating a girl and supporting a woman transforms a household, then a community, then a nation. The causal chain below links needs to intended effects, and names the assumptions that condition it.
From the household to the nation
Educating a girl and supporting a woman changes more than one life. Change radiates outward: it reaches the household, then the community, then the nation. Each circle feeds the next: this is the logic underpinning both our programmes.
This theory of change guides our monitoring and evaluation: it helps us stay accountable, adjust our work and learn from every step.
From intervention to impact
How our interventions produce outcomes, then lasting impact. Click any item to trace its path, or filter by programme.
Interventions
Intermediate outcomes
Long-term outcomes
Impacts
The assumptions we track in the field
- A
French, the language of instruction, is the priority lever for academic success.
- B
The savings mechanism (VSLA), more than material endowment, is the key to sustainability.
- C
Participatory choice of activities, with the women concerned, conditions ownership.
Measure to improve
Monitoring and evaluation inform every decision the Foundation makes. Indicators track our progress at each level of the chain, and we share what works as openly as what we still need to improve. This work serves five aims, carried with the women and girls we support.
Accountability and transparencyTo women, families and partners: disaggregated, published impact data and open finances.
Evidence-based decisionsIndicators at every level (outputs, outcomes, impact) guide how we use our resources.
Adaptive managementOngoing tracking spots challenges early, such as the mid-year plateau in French, and lets us correct course.
Organisational learningA first independent external evaluation of ELLES & NOUS, at the end of 2026, will inform our next choices.
Beneficiary voice and sustainabilityFeedback from the women and girls we support steers our programmes toward real needs and lasting change.