Educate girls and fight poverty in Senegal

Earlier this month, WGEP hosted its first ever “higher education panel,” a panel featuring five of Sokone’s finest female role models. Three of the five panelists were alumni of WGEP’s “Our Sisters to School” program (see photo below). The panelists displayed a range of professional and academic interests, including hotel manager, French teacher, and information technology student. The goal of the panel was to help guide and orient the 53 newly minted high school graduates of our “Sisters to School” program in terms of opportunities in higher education. The attendees enthusiastically soaked up the panelists’ pearls of wisdom.

As a result of the panel, 10 girls registered for university for the first time and 14 girls modified their online registration. In addition to offering a forum for registration – an uncommon opportunity for girls living in villages without electricity – the higher education panel allowed for the exchange of ideas and backgrounds between both the attendees and the panelists, an experience that one high school graduate declared as, “especially rich”. During the event, attendees, “Sisters to School” alumni panelists, and current Femmes Plus employees gave thanks and appreciation to Adji Senghor, Program Director of “Sisters to School”. Since the panel ended, Adji’s phone has been ringing continually, with the high school graduates calling to express their gratitude for what was an inspiring day for these young women as they continue their path towards autonomy.

Links:

• http://www.womensglobal.org