3.1.3. Functionality of school structures The different structures that have been established by the three implementing NGOs in their respective project areas have been found to be instrumental in introducing awareness, innovation, and change and also in the sustaining productive impacts of the projects. There were school-based and community-based structures in different areas. Some of the structures are permanent and are still active while others were temporary and transformational in nature as they were used for the purpose of initial mobilization during the early years of the projects. Such groups as Community Conversations (CC) were also used for awareness campaigns and mobilization purposes There were also multi-sectoral Child Welfare Advisory Committees as well as Parent Mobilization committees in the case of (LIA-E). The most common however, were CMCs (later transformed to PTAs), school clubs, and anti-HTP and anti-child labor committees. CMCs/PTA: CMCs which were critically important initial structures were changed in to PTAs when the project schools were handed over to the respective WEOs at the end of the project. Most CMC members became PTA members and continued managing the schools and mobilizing resources and community support as well as partnering with local government agencies. The PTAs were found to be strong and active in all the schools that the evaluation team visited. The PTAs are the ones who know the evolution of the school in both the former NFBEs and the CLFZ schools and they are the ones who are now building on the gains of the project in collaboration with the WEO and the community. All of the WEO officers of the project woredas, the cluster supervisors, and the school principals that participated in this evaluation unequivocally acknowledged that the PTAs of all the project schools are still very active and supportive of the school expansion and activities. School clubs: Various types of clubs have been established in schools to engage students and make them active participants on different co-curricular activities. Some of the commonest clubs according to students of visited schools are sports, anti-AIDS, girls, environment, anti-HTPs, anti-child labor, mini-media, civic and ethical education, etc. clubs. While the clubs are diverse, the types and numbers of available clubs in different schools varied. Though the level of engaging students in club activities varied, the evaluation team did not come across a school that did not have clubs. The Chewsar Primary school students in their discussion with the evaluation team explained that there are sport club, girls club, anti-HTPs club and anti-AIDS club in their school. They also confirmed that all of them are club members and that 18
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