Paul Ndione, a dedicated volunteer and future board member, recently traveled to his native Senegal and made a special stop at Friends of Gueoul to meet with our field director, Makhfou Diop and administrator Mortalla Gueye. Paul was so deeply moved by his experience and shared, "Meeting the students and hearing their stories, along with the positive testimonies from local people about FoG's impact, was truly inspiring. Kudos to all of you for the incredible work you're doing!"
Globally, 5.5 million more girls are out of school than boys. In 2017, only 37.6% of female students in Senegal completed primary school, and only 24.5% of girls from low-income families completed primary school. The problem is worse for rural girls who come from limited means: Only 14.1% of girls in rural Senegal completed secondary school, and only 5.0% of girls whose families in the lowest income quintile finished, according to the World Bank's Education Statistics.
FoG focuses its efforts on a rural community in Gueoul, Senegal, where many families cannot afford the basic necessities for schooling. We award $150 scholarships annually to 14 girls selected by a local parent and teacher group, solely based on need. We've been doing this for the last 19 years and currently have 169 girls in the program, 17 of whom are in college. Each year the girl stays in school she receives the scholarship.
FoG aims to close the education gender gap through programs that promote girls' participation in and access to learning opportunities. The United Nations says, " education is critical to gender equality and development." Education not only benefits a girl's future life but also the vibrancy of her family. Education is the number one tool to open new opportunities, break cycles of intergenerational poverty, and create a self-sustaining future.
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