Caravan to Class is building a movement
Through our programs, Caravan to Class empowers young women in West Africa with transformative education and skill-building, shaping the next generation of female leaders
Caravan to Class expands access to education and leadership opportunities for young women across fourteen West African countries. Through our Bourse Jackie programs, we combine university and English-language scholarships with public-speaking training, mentorship, and leadership development.
With offices in Bamako, Mali, and Accra, Ghana, our programs are led by West African women, including former scholarship recipients. Together, we are building a growing network of women leaders who advance their own ambitions, open doors for others, and strengthen their communities.
We envision a world where young women from West Africa thrive, achieve their ambitions, and inspire generations of women to come.
Our programs are
University Scholarships in Bamako, Mali, supporting young women from Timbuktu in pursuing higher education;
English Language Scholarships in Accra, Ghana, equipping young women, from eight Francophone West African countries with critical language and global communication skills;
The West African Women’s Speakers Forum (WAWS) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, designed to elevate female voices, cultivate leadership, and develop public speaking skills among young women from Francophone and Anglophone West Africa
Meet the Women Creating Lasting Change
Chaya Saleck | Mali
President of the Association des Champions de la Paix and Vice President of Carrefour des Communautés du Mali (CARCOMA), she was selected for the OWLA Leadership Lab 2026.
University scholarship
Djeneba | Mali
Leads ClimateVoice AI for Mali and was named one of five global finalists for the 2026 AI for Climate Action Award, presenting her work on inclusive AI at a forum in Cambodia.
English-language Scholarship
Samantha | Nigeria
A WAWS finalist, she represents Nigeria as a Youth Leader for the Global Partnership for Education and has engaged with global leaders at the United Nations General Assembly and the World Social Summit.
WAWS and LeadershipWHAT WE ACHIEVED
Across 14 West African countries, women in our programs are turning opportunity into achievement—and opening doors for others.
37 full scholarships each year help exceptional young women pursue higher education, build English-language skills, and develop as leaders.
1,000+ participants each year take part in leadership webinars, speaking competitions, and forums that build skills, confidence, and connections.
Achievements that multiply. Women in our network are earning international scholarships, advancing careers in engineering and agriculture, representing youth on global stages, and returning as mentors and program directors.
Caravan to Class expanded its work into six English-speaking West African countries—Ghana, The Gambia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Cameroon—through WAWS-Anglophone, whose finale took place on April 25, 2026, in Accra, Ghana. The program featured a speaking bootcamp for thirty-five young women from Ghana held at the U.S. Embassy in Accra. The finale drew a crowd of more than three hundred attendees and showcased impressive speeches from the young women, with The Gambia crowned the winner.
WAWS Expands into English-speaking West Africa
Bourse Jackie scholarship recipients spreading the message of human connection of our founder’s book, Belonging to the World
Belonging To The World
In our 2nd West African Womens Speakers Forum WAWS-Francophone 2026, Mali won again, with Ms. Bah Massata Hassane chosen by our professional panel of judges as West Africa’s best French-speaking orator. Our keynote speakers were the U.S. Ambassdor to Mali and a Mission Officer of Mali’s Youth and Sports.
Mali Wins Again!
As part of our WAWS program, we facilitated a Public-speaking Bootcamp for 35 young women from Mali at the US Embassy, where they learned from professionals how to use their voices to drive change.
Bourse Jackie teaching Public-speaking at the US Embassy in Mali
WAWS
Featured News:
West Africa Women Speakers Forum
Caravan To Class’ Board Member, Ms. Doussouba Konate, shines a spotlight on Mali, Africa at President Barak Obama’s Global Democracy Forum 2022
Bourse Jackie
The Bourse Jackie scholarship is awarded to five deserving young women from Timbuktu annually to attend university and develop leadership skills
Learn how our scholarships and post-training support equip the next generation of West African women leaders