2021 Q2 Board Book (Staff)

The June 21-24th, 2021 Board Meeting, focused on scaling the Foundation's impact through strategic partnerships, with an emphasis on the "Young Africa Works" strategy, the Scholars Program, and a new regional health strategy. The Foundation is prioritizing digital transformation, gender equality and building the capacity of African organizations.

Key activities and initiatives include:

1) Young Africa Works: The Foundation is progressing with its goal of enabling 30 million young people, particularly young women, to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030. There is a focus on country-specific roadmaps in Ghana, Ethiopia, and Uganda. The Foundation is using a value chain approach, particularly in agriculture, to create work opportunities. MSMEs, agriculture, and the digital economy continue to be primary sectors for creating employment. The Foundation reports that 951,181 youth are now in work, a 55% increase since Q1 2021.

2) Country Programs: The Young Africa Works program in Ghana aims to enable 4.3 million young people in dignified work by 2030 and has a focus on the agriculture sector. Ethiopia has reached 154,540 youth in work, with 74% being young women. Kenya has created work opportunities for 351,780 youth. Nigeria reports 195,300 youth in work, 44% of whom are women.

3) Scholars Program: The Foundation is on track to achieve its target of 50,000 scholars by 2030. The program is addressing challenges related to online learning and is providing additional tutoring and mental health support to scholars. It is also developing e-learning initiatives to support partner universities in Africa.

4) Regional Health Strategy: A new regional health strategy has been launched with a commitment of $1.3 billion in partnership with the Africa CDC. The strategy focuses on primary healthcare, building capacity to train skilled healthcare workers, supporting women leaders in public health and health entrepreneurship. The Foundation is collaborating with several African universities and institutions to achieve the strategy's goals.

5) Digital Transformation: The Foundation is leveraging digital technology to support its programs, including the use of e-learning platforms, digital marketplaces for informal enterprises, and digital channels for training.

6) Gender Equality: The Foundation has developed a comprehensive gender strategy to advance gender equality, aiming to enable 21 million young women to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030. It is prioritizing gender mainstreaming and economic empowerment for young women. The Foundation is also working to improve data collection and monitoring of gender impacts across its programs.

7) Financial Commitments: The Foundation has committed $2.3 billion since 2017 with $914.6 million committed to African organizations. The Foundation is using a "Fund of Funds" model to accelerate job opportunities for young people.

8) COVID-19 Response: The Foundation continues to support COVID-19 recovery and resilience programs, including providing debt relief to farmers, supporting MSMEs, and enabling local manufacturing of face masks.

9) Impact Measurement: The Foundation is developing impact measurement frameworks and metrics for monitoring program implementation. It is also conducting impact reviews and generating knowledge through research.

Overall, the Mastercard Foundation in Q2 2021 is focused on scaling its impact, and on strategic partnerships, and on promoting inclusivity. It is leveraging digital technology, investing in African institutions, and addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic while remaining committed to its core goals.