The organisation's unique approach is to not only support girls and young women through school, but also on to new lives as entrepreneurs and community leaders.

Over the past 17 years, 1,065,710 young people directly benefited from Camfed's programmes in Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Contrary to the common assumption that families weren't sending girls to school for cultural reasons, Cotton discovered that poverty was the main roadblock.

[3] Cotton knew that educated girls were less likely to contract HIV/AIDS, would marry later, have fewer and healthier children, and would support the next generation to go to school.

CAMA alumnae use their experience and expertise to design and deliver extended programs to students and communities, including health and financial literacy training.

[9] Cotton has won numerous awards for her work, including an Honorary Doctorate in Law from Cambridge University; an OBE in 2006 in honour of her advocacy of girls' education in Africa; the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship;[2] Woman of the Year in the UK; and UK Social Entrepreneur of the Year.