GlobalGiving.org: Educate girls and fight poverty in Senegal

WGEP Senegal Scholar wins local poetry contest

Amy Maglio — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:09:24 GMT

Congratulations, Mariama!

Congratulations to WGEP Senegal Scholar Mariama Diagne Diop, Winner of the Kergui Association Poetry Writing Contest!

AILLEURS, VERS L’INCONNU
Elsewhere, in the unknown
by Mariama Diagne Diop
translated from French (below)

Why do they go away to unknown horizons?
Why do they go away to hostile horizons?
Why do they go elsewhere?
To this elsewhere which gives them nothing without suffering
Yes, why!
You the immigrant, you the accursed of the earth
You send yourselves far from your homes, to Europe, to America
Oh yes, I understood you went away
Because your earth is stripped bare
Because fertility has deserted your soil
Because sun and fire have burned down your forests
Because your malnourished animals give nothing more than a small pittance
Because the greatly reduced food can no longer provide a subsistence
Because sometimes war, hideous war, has destroyed your homes
So, you launch yourselves into the music of the unknown
So, you disappear into the terrible belly of the Atlantic
Yes, I understand you, this is the wretched misery that withers you
And me, I pray that the skies of heaven would open themselves
For the abundant waters to bathe and revive the earth
That beautiful harvests will grow in your field.
That there will at last be a return of abundance and laughter will blossom in your homes,
henceforth, happiness.

Mariama is part of WGEP’s Sisters-to-School program that currently helps 270 girls in rural Senegal attend and succeed in school. To read more about WGEP Senegal, please visit us at www.womensglobal.org.

In the original French
AILLEURS, VERS L’INCONNU
Mariama Diagne Diop

Pourquoi s’en vont-ils vers des horizons inconnus?
Pourquoi s’en vont-ils vers des horizons hostiles?
Pourquoi s’en vont-ils ailleurs?
Vers cet ailleurs qui ne leur donne rien sans souffrances
Oui, pourquoi!
Vous les émigrants, vous les damnés de la terre
Vous vous envolez loin de chez vous, vers l’Europe, vers l’Amérique
Oh oui, j’ai compris vous partez
Parce que vos terres sont dénudées
Parce que la fertilité a déserté vos sols
Parce que le soleil et les feux ont brûlé vos forêts
Parce que vos animaux mal nourris ne donnent plus qu’une faible pitance
Parce que la nourriture bien réduite ne suffit plus à la subsistance
Parce que des fois la guerre, la guerre hideuse a détruit vos demeures
Alors, vous vous jetez dans l’inconnu des airs
Alors, vous vous enfoncez dans le terrible « ventre de l’Atlantique »
Oui, je vous comprends c’est la misère sèche qui vous sèche
Et moi, je prie pour que les gargouilles du ciel s’ouvrent
Pour que l’eau abondante baigne et ravive la terre
Pour que de belles récoltent croissent à vos champ
Pour que enfin l’abondance revienne et fleurisse de rires vos foyers désormais heureux.

Links:

WGEP website

WGEP scholars succeed academically and other news

Amy Maglio — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 17:38:02 GMT

WGEP scholar Maimouna

News from Women’s Global Education Project Senegal:

Scholars Succeed Academically

Congratulations to our WGEP elementary scholars, 100% of whom passed into the next grade for the 2011-2012 school year
Congratulations also to our 37 elementary scholars (71 percent) who placed at the top of their class
Special congratulations to elementary scholars Aminata and Marie who won a local poetry competition in Sokone village organized by the Keurgui Association
And congratulations to the 53 middle school scholars (91 percent) who passed their grade-level exams for promotion into the next grade!

Secondary School National Entrance Exam Revived

WGEP Senegal has just learned that the Senegalese government has reinstated the notoriously difficult 6eme grade-level national exam, used to weed out grammar school students before entering secondary school. The exam is especially challenging for students from poor, rural families who have fewer resources and less access to the quality education and academic tutoring needed to pass the exclusive examinations. WGEP Senegal remains committed to helping our scholars succeed at these exams so they can continue their education to the highest level they are capable of.

Community Awareness Programs Making a Difference

We have also learned the encouraging news that nationally, the number of girls going to school in Senegal is on the rise! This is a testament to the community awareness and outreach programs run by organizations like WGEP, and that our programs are making a difference. On a local level, we continue to see increases in the number of girls in school in the villages where our programs operate, and we are seeing more and more support for girls’ education in the community. For example, earlier this year, one of our secondary scholars from Karang village, Adele (name has been changed), was pressured into an early marriage, which normally would mean that she would drop out of school in order to tend to her house and start a family. However, because of the work that WGEP has done in Karang to raise awareness and support for girls’ education, the many members of the community rose up in support of Adele staying in school so that she can finish her education. Even the local police brigade spoke up for her! As a result, Adele was able to stay in school.

We thank you again for your support. We are making a difference, and we could not do this work without you!

WGEP scholar Ndeye

Links:

Learn more about the work of WGEP in girls' education.

16 Scholars Achieve Academically...and other news

Amy Maglio — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:59:00 GMT

NEWS FROM THE FIELD: WGEP SISTERS-TO-SCHOOL SENEGAL

16 WGEP Senegal Scholars Receive Academic Honors
WGEP Senegal congratulates our 16 secondary school scholars who received honors for academic achievement in 2010! Special recognition goes out to Maimouna Diallo, a 10th grader from Sokone High School who received four awards for academic excellence.

WGEP Senegal 2010 Retention Rate at 93%
Retention rates for WGEP Senegal scholars reached 93 percent by the end of the 2009-2010 school year. Retention rates this high are rarely seen among girls in rural Senegalese communities due to intense family, social and cultural pressures to prioritize other matters--including early marriage or supporting the family--ahead of school.

79% of WGEP Senegal Scholars Pass Baccalaureate National Exams
WGEP scholars who took the 2010 Baccalaureate national exams had a 79 percent passing rate, up from 75 percent in 2009. The Baccalaureate is a notoriously difficult exam that is often used to weed students out of the school system. All of the scholars who failed the exam in 2009 retook the exam in 2010 and passed.

185 WGEP Senegal Scholars Participate in Female Leadership Mentoring Program
In 2010, WGEP Senegal enrolled 185 high school scholars in its Female Leadership Mentoring program, where the girls were able to meet and talk with female role models, many of whom successfully broke into traditionally male-dominated fields. The students got to meet Dr. Marie Sarr, one of the head doctors of the Fatick medical district and had the opportunity to visit Senegal's Goree Island and visit the national Women's Museum there.

300 WGEP Senegal Scholars Receive Health Training
300 WGEP Senegal scholars and their families participated in our 2010 health training programs, receiving health education on a variety of health topics like sanitation, nutrition and disease prevention. Additionally, the program treated 120 cases of illnesses ranging from earaches to bronchitis, reducing health-related absences from school.

These reports from the field encourage all of us at WGEP that our work is making a difference in the lives of real people. Thank you for supporting our work!

Links:

Learn more about the work of WGEP in girls' education.

Impact to Date: We are making a difference!

Amy Maglio — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 02:17:04 GMT

Thank you for supporting the work of Women's Global Education Project to fight global poverty through the empowerment and education of women and girls! These recent numbers of our IMPACT TO DATE show that our work is making a big difference: **WGEP has provided 1,254 scholarships since our inception in 2003: 997 through our Senegal program and 257 through our Kenya program! These scholarships make it possible for girls who otherwise could not go to school have the opportunity for an education. **Retention rates in both our Senegal and Kenya programs have remained at 90 percent or higher over the past four years! This is especially impressive since the communities where we work have historically been known for high dropout rates among girls due to the prioritization of education for boys' over girls', over reliance on girls for home and farm chores, and the prevalence of early marriage. If you would like to learn about our sister project in Kenya, please visit our WGEP Kenya GlobalGiving page at http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/educate-girls-and-fight-poverty-in-kenya/ or you can visit us at www.womensglobal.org. If you would like to further support our work in Senegal and Kenya, GlobalGiving will be matching gifts made via GlobalGiving.org on Wednesday, March 16, 2011, up to $1000 per donor, with $75,000 in matching funds to be dispersed. We would not have been able to do this work without your support. Thank you for making a difference!

Links:

WGEP Senegal reaches out to community

Amy Maglio — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 21:24:57 GMT

The 2010-11 school year is well underway in Fatick, Senegal, and in addition to providing tutoring, health and mentoring support to our scholars, WGEP Senegal is reaching out to the local community to promote and strengthen support for girls’ education in the area, meeting with local government, health and education officials, including the Regional Council of Fatick, the new Inspector of Education for the region, and the Project of Support for the Education of Girls run by the Senegalese Ministry of Education.

WGEP Senegal Project Coordinator Adji Senghor also participated in a community round table hosted by the Regional Council of Fatick last November 11, 2010, to mark the National Day of Education for Girls. Adji raised awareness for the importance of helping girls stay in school amidst all of the issues that can pressure girls into dropping out such as early marriage, overreliance on girls for house and farm chores, and preference on boys for education.

Community awareness, support and buy-in is key to the success of our scholars in school, which is why it constitutes a major part of our work.

Links:

WGEP website

Making a Personal Difference: scholar Diama Gaye

Amy Maglio — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 20:12:08 GMT

Diama and her father Oussman

Thank you for your support of Women's Global Education Project-Senegal in 2010!

You have helped us touch the lives of girls in remote, rural areas of Senegal and help them have the chance for an education--a chance that they might otherwise never get. Because they are now able to go to school, our scholars can have hope of a changed life and of building a brighter future, and they in turn are also changing the minds and hopes of family, friends and communities around them.

One such girl is Diama Gaye.

Although unusual for their rural community of Diossong, Senegal, Diama was sent to school at a young age. This was because her mother valued education and wanted her daughter to have opportunities in life that she herself never had. But when her mother suddenly died, Diama's father, Oussman, withdrew his daughter from school and kept her at home to take over the house chores.

The young Diama was befriended by Maimona Ndong, a teacher at the local school, who began to mentor her. Maimona saw how much Diama wanted to go back to school and decided to talk to Oussman. At first, Oussman was unwilling to send his daughter back to school, especially because he could no longer afford the school fees.

Maimona, however, wouldn't give up. She told Oussman about Women's Global Education Project and our Sisters-to-School scholarship program and promised to help Diama apply for a scholarship to pay for the school fees. It took some time, but eventually, Oussman agreed.

Now 12 years old, Diama is doing well in school and is aspiring to become an entrepreneur to help her community. Her father is proud of her success and has now become a strong advocate in the village for girls' education. As a religious leader, Oussman has been key in helping to change minds and in persuading other families to send their own daughters to school.

"School has been very positive for my daughter," Oussman says. "After seeing what it has done for her, I now believe that it is very important for girls to go to school."

Senegal kicks off new school year with law change to help more children stay in school

Amy Maglio, WGEP; Elida Lynch, Peace Corps Senegal — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:51:50 GMT

Peace Corps Volunteer Elida Lynch, currently serving in Sokone, Senegal, and helping WGEP's program there, blogs about recent changes to the Senegalese education system.

Beginning with the 2010/2011 school year, the Ministry of Education in Senegal has eliminated the exclusive national entrance exam for the grade 6iéme, which will allow more grammar school students to continue their secondary school education!

In past years, students were required to pass three rigorous exams at different points in their academic career in order to be allowed to remain in school. The first exam, the entrance exam for 6iéme, took place after the sixth year of school and was required for continuing to the secondary level. The second, the BEFEM, is required for entrance to high school, and the third--the Baccalaureate--is taken at the end of high school. If a student fails a test he/she is allowed to repeat the year and the exam once. After failing for a second time, the child is automatically excluded from school for the rest of their school-age years.

This policy has prevented many children from continuing their education past the elementary level, particularly impacting children from poor rural communities who have fewer resources and less access to the quality education and academic tutoring needed to pass the exclusive examinations.

The État Général de l’Éducation of Senegal has recognized that this policy conflicts with the legally recognized right and obligation of children to attend school for at least 10 years. Therefore, the government has abolished the entrance exam for secondary school because it automatically limited anyone who didn’t pass to only six years of schooling. The government has long recognized that the entrance exam for 6iéme prevented children from attending school but could not afford the costs associated with maintaining all children in school through middle school. Starting this school year, the government will implement changes to honor its obligation to provide schooling for every child. Because this will increase the number of students in middle school, the government has pledged to construct new middle schools. In the past secondary schools were located only in certain towns and students who lived in villages outside of walking distance to the town were forced to find lodging in the town if they wished to continue their education. The new schools will be located so as to enable children living in villages to attend school without leaving home.

These changes have been made possible through the partnership of local communities, the international community and the Senegalese government. Local communities have donated land for the new schools, and the international community and NGOs are funding the construction and equipping of new schools. The government will then provide teachers and staff for the newly built schools. With the help of NGOs and international aid, the government is able to support more schools and educate more children.

Other future changes planned for the Senegalese education system include the provision of school supplies to each student by the government, school uniforms, the replacement of the first year of secondary school with a preparatory year to help students transition between elementary and secondary school, and an increase in the number of high schools and universities throughout the country. All of these changes are projected to increase access to education, as well as the quality of education throughout the country and were possible only through the engagement of NGOs and the international community.

With more children given the opportunity to access secondary education, programs such as WGEP's Sisters-to-School can make a real difference in helping families overcome the financial, cultural and academic barriers that can keep their children from taking full advantage of these opportunities.

Thank you for supporting us in this important work!

Scholars participate in Peace Corps summer camp

Amy Maglio — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:37:32 GMT

Five WGEP Sisters-to-School Senegal scholars got the chance to participate in a recent summer camp for girls held just outside of Sokone in the Fatik region and hosted jointly by Peace Corps Senegal and WGEP's local Senegal partner UDEN. The camp focused on leadership and empowerment and was designed to help girls reach their academic and leadership potentials. Our five scholars were invited to participate because of their academic performance in school and their emerging leadership skills.

The camp was primarily facilitated by Peace Corps volunteers, in partnership with our local Senegal partner Union Democratique Des Ensiegnantes de Senegal (UDEN). UDEN is a national organization of Senegalese primary and secondary school teachers dedicated to supporting education and the teaching profession throughout Senegal.

Read Peace Corps Senegal volunteer Elida Lynch's report below. Elida is currently serving with the Peace Corps in Sokone and is also assisting our Sisters-to-School program.

Your support allows us to help provide empowerment opportunities like this for our scholars to develop their potential as individuals, as students, and as leaders in their communities. Thanks for your support!

Attachments:

Peace Corps-UDEN Summer Camp 2010 (PDF)

WGEP speaks at U.N. conference on girls' education

Amy Maglio — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:20:29 GMT

WGEP Executive Director Amy Maglio returned from a 12-day trip to Senegal for the United Nations Girls' Education Initiative global conference, "E4: Engendering Empowerment: Education and Equality." Amy also visited the WGEP program in the Fatik region, about an day-long drive from Dakar and got to meet with scholars, parents, teachers, community residents, and village leaders.

"The UNGEI conference focused on this finding: that despite the amazing progress made in girls' education over the last decade--more than 22 million girls enrolled worldwide since 1999--the current rate of progress will still leave out 56 million children by 2015," Amy Maglio says.

"According to the findings presented at the conference, most of these children will be from areas that already suffer the most neglect and deprivation, such as remote rural areas. And they are more likely than not to be girls.

I think our programs at WGEP were well-received because they address this very issue. Our work in remote, rural areas of Senegal not only help more girls from these areas go to school, but also focus on helping them stay and succeed in school--and so also address the further issue of retention, as it has been shown that those who have been most excluded, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, are more likely to drop out of school even after overcoming the obstacles to enrollment in school.

We were able to showcase the following aspects of our program at the UNGEI conference: 1) we target the exact population that is falling through the cracks of larger initiatives, 2) we have formed effective partnerships with local organizations that are smaller, community-based initiatives living and working in the communities in which we serve (our partners themselves have very limited access to other outside assistance), 3) we are able to provide a comprehensive array of services to the community -- ranging from scholarships to increase access; to community awareness activities for mothers, fathers, and community leaders to change minds and attitudes about the importance of girls education; to an alternative rite of passage program to prevent drop outs due to early marriage and pregnancy.

I made many good contacts and connections through the UNGEI conference, and I am so happy and humbled that WGEP was selected by UNGEI to be part of it! Thank you for supporting our work and mission!"

Links:

http://www.womensglobal.org/News%20and%20Media/ungeiconf.html

WGEP Community: People Impacted in 2009

Amy Maglio — Sat, 29 May 2010 02:00:25 GMT

The numbers are in: during 2009, WGEP provided 180 full and partial scholarships to girls from the rural Fatik region of Senegal, as well as tutoring and mentoring programs, health education workshops, family support, and community awareness programs, impacting a total of 2,500 individuals from 48 villages and 23 schools throughout the region.

Additionally, anecdotal information provided by our local partners indicate that the number of schools within the region has increased, the total number of girls has steadily risen within classes, and that school directors are now more apt to actively recruit girls than in the past.

Not only has the rate of enrollment of girls in school increased, but there has been an improvement in academic performance among girls in the region. More girls in Sokone have been receiving awards for classroom achievement. Among WGEP scholars, 55 percent of our scholars finished in the top five of their class; 70 percent earned average or above average grades. One WGEP scholar from Sokone High School was even admitted to the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa.

These numbers are especially meaningful considering that only 18 percent of all girls in Senegal attend middle school (UNICEF), and only 6.4 percent move on to high school (Ministry of Education, Senegal).

We could not do this work without your support--thank you so much!

Links:

WGEP website

WGEP to speak at U.N. conference on girls' ed

Amy Maglio — Wed, 05 May 2010 13:33:10 GMT

Women's Global Education Project to Speak at United Nations Girls' Education Initiative Global Conference

Women's Global Education Project is proud to announce that we have been selected by the United Nations Girls' Education Initiative to speak at their global conference this May 17-20 in Dakar, Senegal!

Executive Director Amy Maglio and Women's Global Senegal Project Coordinator Adji Senghor will be among the 150 presenters and delegates from around the world who will be attending and speaking at the "E4: Engendering Empowerment: Education and Equality" conference.

Amy will be speaking about the work of Women's Global in Senegal and Kenya, talking specifically about barriers we found to girls' education in the communities where we work. Amy will also present ways in which Women's Global has helped our communities remove these barriers so more girls enroll, attend and succeed in school.

During her trip to Senegal, Amy will also visit our program in Sine-Saloum, a day-long bus ride from Dakar. Women's Global has worked in the rural Sine-Saloum region since our inception in 2003.

Links:

Making a Personal Difference: Notes from the Field

Amy Maglio — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:27:08 GMT

Mossane Thiaw, age 13, is in sixth grade at Sainte-Thérèse Elementary School in Senegal and has been a Women's Global scholarship recipient since 2005. Because there was no school in her home village, Mossane mostly lives with her grandparents who live near Sainte-Thérèse.

Mossane and her grandmother, Sylvie, recently caught up with Women's Global:

Mossane: I visit my parents regularly but live with my grandparents and my six uncles, all of whom go to high school. I live with them so I can go to school. I get up at 6 a.m. every day to sweep the house and help wash up after the family breakfast. I also help with all the meals. We often eat couscous in the morning, maybe thieboudienne (Senegalese dish of fish, rice and tomato sauce) at noon, and couscous again at night.

At 7:30 am, I leave to go to school. I take courses in math, history, geography, observation, civic education, ethics, health education, drawing, French, and singing. My favorite subject is math, and I always do well in it.

One of the proudest days of my life was the day I received my books and school bag for the first time. I am so thankful for this scholarship that allows me to go to school. When I finish my studies, I want to be a doctor and help others who have no means to help themselves.

Sylvie (Mossane's grandmother): My husband and I wanted to help Mossane because there is no school in her village. I have no daughter, and I want to help Mossane with her education. We are thankful that she can receive a scholarship because my husband’s salary is insufficient to fully support our family, much less send her to school.

Because she is in school, Mossane has a better outlook on life and work, and she has developed good habits that will help her throughout life. The whole neighborhood sees her success and wants this same scholarship!

Senegal Scholars Shine!

Amy Maglio — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:39:49 GMT

Women's Global Senegal secondary students

Women's Global Education Project is proud to announce that our Senegal program finished school year 2008-2009 with flying colors:

* 60 percent of our secondary school full scholars finished in the TOP FIVE of their class

* Nearly half of our primary school full scholars finished among the TOP FIVE of their class

Their success is especially commendable considering many of these scholars are the first girls in their families to go to school and can be among only a handful of girls in their classroom. Their academic success is a testament to the effectiveness of Sisters To School, the commitment of their families, the hard work and dedication of our girls, and the support of people like you who keep this project going!

Throughout our years working in Senegal, we have found many challenges that can keep girls from finishing their education, even after they manage to enroll in school. Because of your support, Women's Global has been able to focus support programs on these issues to help our scholars stay in school despite these enormous challenges:

Bias towards boys and overreliance on girls for home and farm chores: Women’s Global works to bring awareness about the importance of educating girls to a community as a whole and works with families and communities to help them give time and space to their daughters for schooling and homework.

Lack of overall support in the community and lack of role models: Women’s Global community awareness programs target all members of a community to promote the importance of girls’ education to girls, boys, men, and women. Our mentorship programs bring scholars into regular contact with female role models, and our adult literacy classes are aimed specifically at helping mothers support their daughters in school. We also provide tutoring to help scholars excel and pass rigorous national grade-level exams.

Health issues (including menstruation) and cultural practices such as early marriage: Women’s Global provides mosquito nets, medical treatment and health workshops to scholars and their families to prevent malaria, dysentery and other illnesses. We help educate girls about menstruation and help them get access to sanitary supplies. Our community awareness programs encourage girls and their families to finish school before getting married.

We truly could not do this work without you. Thank you for supporting Women's Global Education Project!

Women's Global is making a personal difference!

Amy Maglio — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:50:57 GMT

Women's Global Senegal staff have recently been visiting the homes of our scholars to get feedback about how the program has been working for the scholars and their families. When possible, village leaders have also been included in these visits. The feedback has been very positive, and has been a testimony to the personal difference our work is having on individual lives, families and communities.

Here are comments from two of the parents who spoke with us:

Lucie Diatta, gardener, mother of scholar Christine Diouf. Christine is a star student who leads her class

“This program is wonderful! We know how much you’re investing in our daughter, and we want more than anything for her to succeed. I serve as president of our village women’s group, and I’ve told them at every meeting they need to send their children to school. I actually used to go to school as a girl, but I had to drop out quite early because my parents could no longer afford it. Now, as the only woman in the group who went to school at all, it’s me who has to do all the accounting. If it were not for your support, we might not be able to afford to keep Christine in school either. I am thankful there is another option for her.”

Saliou Segnane, vegetable carter, father of scholar Aissatou Segnane

"Now that I understand the importance of education, I'm going to try my best to have the rest of my children attend school--even if I have to sell my cart! This program really helps those of us in poor villages. Without this program, Aissatou would not be going to school, because we would not be able to afford it. We pray a lot for you because we know what this program does for our children. Aïssatou is the first of my children to go to school, because before, I didn't know how important school was. Now I've told all my neighbors to send their children to school, especially the girls!"

We would not be able to have this kind of impact without all your support--thank you!

Together, we are making a difference!

Amy Maglio — Fri, 15 May 2009 17:27:42 GMT

Thank you for your recent support of Women's Global Education Project Senegal! With your help, Women's Global is making a measurable difference in the lives of our scholars, their families and their communities, and is making a positive impact on the state of girls' education in the villages where we work.

Women's Global Senegal partner Union Democratique Des Ensiegnantes de Senegal (UDEN) recently completed an analysis of the impact of our scholarship, support and awareness programs. Their analysis found that:

1. After a specific community participated in our girls' education awareness programs, there was a marked increase in the number of resident girls in that community who attended school

2. Over the five years that Women's Global and UDEN have worked in these communities, the number of elementary and secondary schools have steadily increased as more community leaders recognize the value of education, especially for girls

3. In these communities, academic success among girls has been on the rise, and fewer girls are dropping out of school prematurely

We could not do this work without your continued support. Thank you for your commitment to the fight against global poverty through the education of girls!

Women's Global adds scholarships

Amy Maglio — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:02:25 GMT

Women’s Global is proud to report that more than one-third of our scholars finished at the top of their class after the year-end exams for school year 2008!

During Senegal’s summer/harvest school break, Women’s Global provided an Educational Vacation Program for scholars to give them extra academic tutoring and to keep them from getting drawn into hard domestic or agricultural labor. We had a successful summer program, with 36 elementary students and 25 high school students participating. Average daily attendance was around 98 percent, which is an increase from the previous year. The girls got tutoring in their weakest subject areas to better prepare them for the 2009 school year.

For 2009, we were able to add nine elementary school scholarships and 10 high school scholarships, bringing our total number of Senegal scholars to 79. We were also pleased to see positive effects from our community awareness program to help families grasp how educating their daughters—a low priority for many poor Senegalese families—provides them with long-term and effective tools for escaping poverty. The number of girls attending school is increasing in rural villages where we work, and in five of the schools where we have scholars, the number of girls now slightly exceeds that of boys!

Your support enables us to provide these invaluable scholarships and programs to our girls and their families, who along with the majority of rural families in Senegal are struggling with the rising costs of living expenses brought on by the global recession. Without these scholarships, these families would not be able to afford to send their daughters to school. You are making a difference—thank you for your support!

Scholars pass grade-level exams

Amy Maglio — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:21:10 GMT

We are very proud of our Senegal scholars, all of whom passed their recent end-of-year exams and moved on to the next grade-level! Many Senegalese girls who do get a chance to enroll in school often drop out prematurely because they found their grade-level exams too difficult, their families run out of funds to pay their school fees, they become sick with a preventable illness such as food poisoning or malaria, or they become engaged to marry and to start a family. The success of our scholars was enabled by support programs such as our after-school tutoring and mentoring program and our health education program, which have helped address barriers that keep girls from staying and doing well in school.

We also found a marked increase in the number of resident girls attending school after a specific community participates in one of our girls’ education awareness programs. Thank you for your support!