GlobalGiving Girl Fund

The leaders of our Girl Fund have had a busy spring! From leadership development to skateboarding lessons, take a look at what three of our members have accomplished in recent months:

Reclaim Childhood | Jordan

Many schools in Jordan are still closed due to COVID-19, making Reclaim Childhood’s sports programming for girls all the more vital. 

Coaches regularly hear how important these opportunities to connect, play, and build community are to the girls and families they work with, especially at a time with so much uncertainty. One of the coaches recently received this heartfelt  message from the mother of a participant sharing their gratitude: 

"Our sincere thanks and appreciation for all your tremendous efforts, your continued support, and for providing this safe environment for our children to stay active, play sport and have fun. All of this had a great impact on our daughter Aram - she became less stressed and helped reduce all the pressure she used to go through, be it on the streets or in school. We will always remember with love and gratitude the hands that offered all that is good to our children; you have been the best support to us in the darkest times.” 

In the coming months, the Reclaim Childhood team is excited to add skateboarding lessons to their soccer and basketball offerings. 

Women Inspiration Development Center | Nigeria

This spring, Women Inspiration Development Center (WIDC) joined 11 other nonprofits across the country to celebrate Good Deed Day, a global movement of people who are dedicated to giving back to their communities. This year, WIDC’s programming focused on public outreach and education programming in schools to equip girls to be advocates against gender-based violence. At the end of the program, WIDC successfully recruited and trained 214 girls who are now ready to speak out against gender-based violence in their their schools and communities.

Women LEAD | Nepal

This March, a new cohort of 30 girls in their final year of high school completed their a year-long professional development and leadership training with Women LEAD. 

When asked about her experience, program participant Manakamana shared: "Before I used to be very hesitant to do new things but not anymore. After SLP I have noticed a lot of changes in me. My brother also commented regarding the changes in me like how I speak more now."

After going through this intensive program, the new graduates are better equipped to study at the university of their choice, enter a leadership position in their school or community, and have greater access to employment opportunities.

Thank you for your continued commitment to breaking down barriers for women and girls everywhere!

With gratitude, 

Nic + the GlobalGiving Team 

From Jordan to Argentina, the leaders of our Girl Fund are working to ring in a brighter new year for women and girls through skills training, community building, and more. Take a look at what three of our members accomplished over the holiday season: 

Ιrida Women’s Center | Greece 

 Οn December 16 + 17, 2021 Irida Women’s Center hosted a Holiday Art Exhibition to celebrate the talent and skills of women living as refugees. The exhibition gave them an opportunity to share their work with their families, friends, loved ones, and the general public. Included in the event were 31 art pieces created during Irida Women’s Center’s psycho-social support sessions and arts and crafts workshops. 

As one of the first in-person events hosted since the beginning of the pandemic, this art gallery was a major milestone for both the artist and Irida Women’s Center staff.  

Women LEAD | Nepal

During fall 2021, Women LEAD virtually welcomed 20 fellows to their Young Women's Political Leadership Institute (YWPLI). This groundbreaking program gives fellows the opportunity to intern with a female leader in Nepali government. 

Sharoon, a 2020 YWPLI Fellow, shared how the experience helped her grow: 

“YWPLI has been a great platform for many young women like me who want to excel in their careers in politics or social sectors. Receiving a privilege to do an internship at the Federal Parliament Secretariat, Nepal under a Member of Parliament was the biggest opportunity that anyone could ask for. I believe apart from our hard work and dedication the whole credit solely goes to the Women LEAD for making it possible.”

Reclaim Childhood | Jordan

To kick off the fall and winter soccer season, Reclaim Childhood coaches traveled to Berlin to participate in the 2021 Discover Football Festival. Over the course of three days, they had the chance to participate in workshops, training sessions, and peer exchanges with more than 100 players, coaches, and activists from around the globe. These new skills will help them provide even more support to young athletes in Jordan. 

Your generosity helps make successes like these possible. Thank you for supporting local gender equality heroes! 

Wishing you a happy New Year, 

Nic + the GlobalGiving Team 

In the three months since you met  GlobalGiving’s new Girl Fund leaders, they’ve made incredible strides.From reopening sports camps in Jordan to supporting women within the LGBTQI+ community in Argentina, their efforts are as diverse as they are impactful—and their importance can be seen in stories like Fatima’s.

As the Taliban's rule jeopardizes the future of women and girls in Afghanistan, some courageous women refuse to stop learning, growing, and leading their communities. 55-year-old Fatima, who is living as a refugee in Greece, is one of these brave women. 

Fatima started attending Farsi Literacy classes led by Girl Fund member Irida Women’s Center years ago and kept up her studies virtually throughout the COVID-19 lockdown.

"I come to the class, and I feel that I can achieve something. I want to learn more!" Fatima shares.

Earlier this fall, the Irida Center rebooted their Farsi Literacy Lessons. Fatima was there, ready to expand her knowledge and horizons—and help support newly-registered fellow students. In the past eight months, 49 classes have been held with 10 regular attendants like Fatima.

Thank you for supporting women like Fatima. With your generosity, the Girl Fund leaders can continue breaking down barriers for women and girls worldwide! 

With gratitude, 

Nic + the GlobalGiving Team

Globally, women and girls have always faced challenging hurdles, from access to education and healthcare to gender-based discrimination—and COVID-19 has only exacerbated these issues. As a GlobalGiving Girl Fund donor, your generosity provides vital support to organizations breaking down these barriers across the globe. 

Each year, GlobalGiving staff selects a different group of locally-led nonprofits that are helping women and girls can thrive for their incredible impact, thought leadership, and commitment to working with local communities. 

Today, we're thrilled to introduce our 2021/2022 Girl Fund leaders!

1. Creating safe spaces and new possibilities for women and girls
WOMEN INSPIRATION DEVELOPMENT CENTER | NIGERIA

Committed to advancing the rights of women and girls, the Women Inspiration Development Center (WIDC) originally set out to put an end to gender-based violence through services and activities in Nigeria. Through this initial work, it became clear that needs stretched beyond their founding purpose, and today WIDC provides vital support to improve the health, economic, and social well-being of women and girls in their local community.

Busayo Obisakin, Founder and CEO at WIDC, shared: “[It] is like we have gone 10 years backward as a result of COVID 19. The time is now to engage, mentor, and help girls regain back their confidence which is paramount to raising their voices in sensitizing their communities and policy makers to be more intolerant of sexual and domestic violence, encourage balanced power in relationships, and provide more legal, social, and financial supports for activists speaking out.” 

2. Helping refugee women take ownership of their lives

IRIDA WOMEN’S CENTER |GREECE

In Northern Greece, Irida’s Women’s Center is dedicated to creating a safe and warm space for women and girls who are refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants. From providing individualized psycho-social support and legal counseling, to protective services and language classes, their team is committed to eradicating the inequalities that typically leave women dependent on male family members.

When asked about the importance of their work and mission, Lydia Siapardani, Head of Media and Advocacy for the center, shared: “Despite the immense challenges they may face, we strongly believe that investing in the potential of the world’s women and girls is one of the safest ways to achieve global economic progress, political stability, and greater prosperity for all individuals across the world. Investing in women means investing in their entire families and communities. This is why we have chosen to work directly with women in creating a more inclusive community for all.”   

3. Challenging gender stereotypes in Nepal
WOMEN LEAD | NEPAL

In Nepal, longstanding gender stereotypes and discrimination limit the ability of women and girls to carve out their own path in life. Women LEAD is working to create positive change that will see opportunities for women and girls grow through skills training, education, sexual and reproductive health, and much more. 

Women LEAD Development Officer Dipasa Bista shared how the organization’s programs supported her: “My journey with Women LEAD started back in 2011 as a School Leadership Program (SLP) Participant when I was a 9th grader...Back then, I lacked self-confidence and subjected myself to constant self-doubts as a result of the bullying I faced in school. At Women LEAD, I found a safe space to express myself, explore my potential, and challenge my comfort zone along with my fellow program participants. I was given a nurturing environment at Women LEAD which helped me greatly to shape the life I’m currently living and the roles I am leading right now.” 

4. Discovering strength and ambition through sport
RECLAIM CHILDHOOD, INC. | JORDAN

Run by women for women, Reclaim Childhood, Inc. (RC) creates safe and inclusive spaces for underserved girls in Jordan—many of whom are refugees— and uses sport to develop their confidence, leadership, and teamwork skills. RC believes that building friendships across different national, economic, and religious backgrounds can help build their self-esteem, self-efficacy, and foster their integration into local communities.

When sharing about the importance of their mission, Jordan Program Director Rima Yacoub said:  “A girl, refugee, or Jordanian alike looking for physical activity in Jordan will face male-only gyms, fields that have never hosted women’s games, and a lack of programming and teams that they can join. This lack of access exacerbates the challenges girls and women face as they build their lives and futures in Amman. RC gets girls out of the house and onto the field, providing a safe space to play, learn, and build community.”

5. Supporting women and girls through COVID-19
FONDO DE MUJERES DEL SUR | SOUTH AMERICA

Fondo de Mujeres del Sur’s (FMS) is focused on contributing to building societies in which  women, girls, and LBTIQ+ people can exercise all of their human rights and have access to equal opportunities to live happy, safe, and fulfilling lives. Their project in Uruguay is addressing the needs of survivors of gender based violence advocate by supporting grassroots organizations that provide legal and psychosocial support, deliver training courses, and run women's shelters and hotlines. 

When asked about their current programming, Rocio Alonso, Local Resource Mobilisation Head at the FMS, shared: “Our present challenges are located in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic, which has exposed and accelerated the breakdown of our social institutions. It has disproportionately impacted women, girls, and LBTIQ+ people, combined with the shrinking of civic space and the rise of regressive governmental and societal forces, which has further pushed back progress on gender equality. The FMS’ Grantmaking Model of Philanthropy supports women and LBTQI+ rights organizations through direct grants from a horizontal and transparent partnership, based on the conviction that women, girls, and LBTQI+ people have enormous potential to be agents of social change.”

Thank you for your continued commitment to building a more gender-equal world. In the months to come, we will update you with the ways that these five organizations transform the lives of women and girls across the globe! 

With gratitude, 

Nic + the GlobalGiving Team

Curious where your donation to the Girl Fund ended up? Here's just a glimpse of the moments that were made possible thanks to the support of donors like you. 

Next month, we will be announcing a new Girl Fund cohort filled with five more amazing, community-led organizations working to accelerate gender equality in their communities. If you set up a recurring donation to the Girl Fund, your donations will begin to go to these organizations starting on July 1, 2021. 

Until then, let's take a moment to celebrate how far we've come in the past year. Here are eight moments out of a year full of gender equality wins, brought to you by the leaders of the 2020 Girl Fund:

May 19, 2020: Marigold learns how to crochet. 

Marigold, one of the students at Sheepcare Community Centre, learned how to crochet on Youtube and is now helping train her peers. Founder and President Luke Jakoywa told us that crocheting helped students like Marigold cope through the pandemic. 

Aug. 4, 2020: More than 20,000 emergency menstruation kits are distributed.

After an enormous explosion tore through Beirut, Lebanon, 300,000 people were displaced. The Days for Girls International community came together to make sure no menstruator was left behind, providing dignity and comfort to those affected.

Aug. 26, 2020: The first peer health education session is held. 

August 26 marked a huge breakthrough for Adolescent Health Champion's ongoing work developing a youth-led health education model and mobile application. The team launched the mobile application in April 2021. Now, 5,500 female students in India are emerging as health leaders and will provide essential health education to 60,000 students across India. 

Sept. 2020: Celebrating a victory from hard work paid off.

On the first anniversary of their project, Rural Entrepreneurs Livelihoods Support Project, the local team at Generation for Change and Development (GENCAD) visited Ambiya's recently renovated home. Ambiya, a widow and mother of seven, used to live in a cramped one-bedroom home. But after Ambiya's business took off with the help of funding and skills training provided by GENCAD, she could construct a new room for her family.

Oct. 11, 2020: Young girls return to the beach for watersports. 

After six months away, Mariposa DR Foundation restarted their watersports programming again on International Day of the Girl. These trips help the girls maintain their mental health and stay connected during these otherwise isolating times.

Dec. 2020:  Water collection time is cut from three hours to just 45 minutes.

A new water access point was completed, which drastically eases the burden of water collection on busy Rwandan women and girls. The water source will serve roughly 850 households and 1,456 students at a nearby school for the long haul, according to Madeline Flamik of Global Water Challenges. 

April 28, 2021: More than 200 back-to-school menstruation kits are delivered. 

The Women's Global Education Project is helping girls start the school year focused on their studies instead of their periods. The scholarship recipients in Tharaka-Nithi county, Kenya also participated in various community-led programs and workshops throughout the year.

April 31, 2021: A day of listening to the stories and challenges of young mothers. 

When the Act4Africa team visited a village in Mayuge District, Uganda, they met a young girl who had just given birth hours before, at home, with no medical assistance at all. Following this encounter, they spoke and surveyed 225 adolescent mothers in the district to learn how best to support their mental health and wellbeing. 

These stories (and so many more) were made possible thanks to the generous support of donors like you. Let’s keep the stories rolling as we transition to our 2021 gender equality champions next month! 

*If you wish to continue supporting one of the projects from our 2020 cohort, please set up a recurring donation on their GlobalGiving project page (linked above).  

I look forward to introducing the next cohort very soon! 

All the best, 

Sami + the GlobalGiving Team