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This program builds on Karat School Project’s proven incentive-based model, which promotes skill development and increases school enrollment for girls. The Girls’ Education Incentive Program â€" Building Her Future leverages economic empowerment by developing a viable compressed earth block (CEB) production training and business model for women.
At the heart of the initiative is training women in innovative techniques of Compressed Earth Blocks (CEB), also known as Earth-Block bricks. These bricks are made from low-cost, 90% locally sourced materials. This environmentally conscious approach supports both vocational training and sustainability.
This project is both a vocational training program and a pilot initiative to validate a sustainable EcoBlock business model in CÃ'te d’Ivoire. In partnership with Uhel International, a technical leader in compressed earth block production, the program will go beyond training women to also:
* Develop and adapt a business model and financial plan for Earth-Block production, ensuring long-term viability and scalability.
* Deliver curriculum and train-the-trainer capacity so that local staff and graduates can sustain future cohorts without external dependence.
*Certify construction partners in the use of Earth-Blocks, creating immediate market demand and quality assurance for the product.
By embedding these elements into the training program, the initiative strengthens both the women’s cooperatives and the wider housing value chain. This ensures that the project produces not only skilled women but also a tested, market-ready Earth-Block business model with clear pathways for replication and scale.
This program will be open to two groups of women:
Group 1: Mothers who enrolled their girls at the Karat School for full-time education as part of the Education Incentive Program. We anticipate this to be 20 mothers over a period of 12 months. These mothers will receive a monthly stipend for 6 months as they participate in the program.
Group 2: Other women in the community who may not have daughters but are living in extreme poverty. This group will be included in the training program, business planning, and financial literacy but participants will not receive monthly stipends. We anticipate 50 women in this group will participate.
The program aims to close the gender gap in education by increasing girls’ enrollment while also empowering women with skills needed to build better futures for themselves and their community. The funding will increase women’s representation in the local housing trades from near-zero to a measurable presence, contribute to safer, more affordable housing through locally produced, environmentally friendly materials, and strengthen community resilience by creating sustainable livelihoods in a male-dominated sector.
Main Objectives:
1) Train 70 women in sustainable building materials production (Earth Block bricks) and small business skills
over 12 months.
2) Achieve at least 50% of program graduates engaged in income-generating work in the construction or housing sector.
3) Enroll 15 girls in school through the Education Incentive Program, directly linking women’s training with increased girls’ education.
4) Validate and adapt a viable Eco-Block business model (including financial model and market strategy) to ensure long-term sustainability and scale.
5) Establish 2â€"3 women’s cooperatives to continue Earth-Block production and sales beyond the grant period.
Beneficiaries:
Primary: 70 women from low-income communities in Abidjan, CÃ'te d’Ivoire, who will gain technical skills, business training, and leadership capacity. 15 girls newly enrolled in school through the Education Incentive Program.
Secondary: Families of participants who will benefit from improved economic stability, safer living environments, and the ability of women to contribute to household income.
Construction Partners & Housing Value Chain: Local builders, construction companies, and cooperatives who will gain access to trained talent and high-quality Earth-Blocks, supporting adoption of sustainable building practices.
Community at Large: Local residents who will access durable, low-cost, eco-friendly building materials, while benefiting from improved public health outcomes linked to safer housing and reduced environmental impact.
1) Funds will be used for training equipment, materials, and infrastructure.
2) Women's stipends
3) Women participants meals and transportation
4) Girls education curriculum
5) Insurance, government fees, taxes, and contingency
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