GlobalGiving Girl Fund

As a GlobalGiving Girl Fund donor, you break down barriers for girls around the world by providing steady, monthly support to highly effective projects. Each year, we select a new cohort of projects, and we’re thrilled to introduce you to this year’s selections.

We relied on the power and the wisdom of the crowd to select four of our winning Girl Fund projects. Each raised more than $8,000 in two weeks from their community to secure a spot in the fund. The four winners in turn selected two additional projects with a demonstrated history of impact and feedback-based decision-making in their community to join the fund. 

Without further ado, say hello to the 2019 Girl Fund winners! This year, you are: 

Helping girls explore science, technology, engineering, and math with Timeout for Africa Education and Sports Foundation in Nigeria.

Timeout for Africa is led by husband-wife duo Jonathan and Yovonda Kolo. They founded the organization to enrich the African childhood experience through education and sports. The Girl Fund will support their STEM camp for girls in Minna, a city in west-central Nigeria. “Basic school materials and equipment like desks and chairs and science and technology supplies are often missing from the class environment,” Jonathan explains. With support from the Girl Fund, girls in the camp will not only have access to basic supplies, they’ll be able to explore science, technology, engineering, and math with discovery kits, laptops, lego blocks, and more. Learn more.

Making space for girls to discover their independence with Polycom Development Project in Kenya.

Polycom Development was founded in 2005 in Kibera, a slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Its mission is to empower women and girls from Kibera to take charge of their futures. “Girls in many situations have no one to give them hope, and they keep all these frustrations to themselves,” explains Jane Anyango, a Polycom project leader. With support from the Girl Fund, Jane hopes to help 1,000 girls from Kibera graduate from high school. She and her team will provide a range of resources, from scholarships to sanitary napkins, to help girls confront the challenges that threaten their education and wellbeing. Learn more.

Dispelling taboos, myths, and misconceptions about periods with International Association for Human Values in India.

Social taboos, myths, and misconceptions about periods are still strong in parts of India. International Association for Human Values is combating the negative misconceptions around women’s menstruation and health in rural areas of the country. The Human Values team now operates in 24 states across India. In one year, they trained 1,490 volunteers who in turn provided menstrual educational services to 19,500 girls. With support from the Girl Fund, their reach will continue to grow. Learn more.

Ending child marriage through higher education with Shadhika Project in India.

“Shadhika” means “a girl with aspirations” in Bengali. It’s a fitting name for a powerful initiative. With support from the Girl Fund, the Shadhika Project will cover all the costs associated with college—including tuition, books, transportation, nutritious meals, and housing—for the most at-risk girls in India. Focusing on education allows girls to break the cycle of poverty, earn an income, and provide for their future families, according to Kim Burnett, Shadhika’s project leader. She explains, “In the long run, we hope to challenge the rigid cultural norms that promote gender discrimination and child marriage in India.” Learn more.

Combating violence against girls with disabilities with Special Families Saint Julie Billiart in Nicaragua.

Rebecca Trujillo and Marlena Hernandez lead Special Families Saint Billiart, a nonprofit dedicated to the development of children with disabilities in Nicaragua. As they evaluated their programs, they realized that boys were twice as likely to participate than girls, yet girls were disproportionately at risk of sexual abuse and violence. With support from the Girl Fund, they’ll be able to deliver a new program called Magical Shoes to reach more girls and combat violence. Magical Shoes will provide education, health, parenting, recreation, and violence prevention services to 25 Nicaraguan girls and their mothers. “We want mothers to see their daughters as human beings not as a handicap,” Rebecca said. Learn more.

Hosting girl-led clubs to reduce sexual exploitation with Self-Help International in Ghana.

Girls in rural Ghana want to stay in school, but it's not easy. It's a struggle to afford school supplies, let alone sanitary supplies. Without supplies, they miss a few days of school each month. Their grades suffer. Many girls never receive any sex education, and they suffer sexual exploitation and high teen pregnancy rates. Self Help International hosts Teen Girls Clubs in three Ghanaian villages—and club members’ junior high and high school graduation rates have improved. Women in the community volunteer to lead the clubs and girls set their club’s learning agendas. With help from the Girl Fund, the clubs will expand to new communities. Learn more.

Thank you for your continued support of the GlobalGiving Girl Fund. Because of you, girls from Nigeria, Kenya, India, Nicaragua, and Ghana will receive the support they need to reach their full and brilliant potential!