Joining Forces for Africa: Acting to End Child Labour (JOFA ACTE) – Endline Evaluation Report (Malawi, 2026)

The European Union (EU)-funded Joining Forces for Africa: Acting to End Child Labour (JOFA–ACTE) project is a three-year (2023-2026), multi-country intervention operating in Mali, Burkina Faso, Madagascar, and Malawi. The four countries are located in Sub-Saharan Africa where child labour remains widespread, driven by poverty, limited access to education, weak child protection systems, and socio-economic vulnerabilities.

In Malawi, the intervention was implemented by Save the Children and Plan International in Ntchisi and Lilongwe districts respectively. The project aims to reduce the worst forms of child labour (WFCL) in contexts characterized by poverty, reliance on informal livelihoods and limited access to education and child protection services.

The endline evaluation assessed project performance against OECD-DAC criteria, measured progress against results indicators and generated lessons and recommendations to inform future programming. The evaluation assessed contributions to observed changes rather than attribution and drew on data from children, caregivers, state and non-state actors.