Educating Girl Groups in South Sudan

Dear Friends and Supporters of Girls With Books!,

As we reflect on our progress in 2026, I am proud of what we have accomplished together. Thanks to your generosity and belief in the power of girls’ education, Girls With Books! continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of girls and young women in South Sudan and northern Uganda. 

Education is one of the most powerful tools for transforming lives. It opens doors, builds confidence, strengthens communities, and gives girls the opportunity to imagine and pursue a brighter future. Every girl deserves the chance to learn, lead, and reach her full potential, regardless of where she was born or the challenges she faces.

Together, we are not only keeping girls in school but also equipping them with the skills, confidence, and relationships they need to become leaders and peacebuilders in their communities.

Here are some of the important milestones we have achieved together in 2026:

1. Expanding Access to Education: Now Supporting 150 Girls

Girls With Books! welcomed 34 additional students into our education program, increasing the total number of girls we support to 150, including girls living in refugee camps in northern Uganda.

For these students, access to education means more than attending school. Girls With Books! provides support for tuition, boarding, school supplies, and personal necessities, helping girls remain in school and focus on their learning. Through mentoring and participation in programs such as our Girls’ Leadership Circles, students also develop confidence, leadership skills, and a stronger sense of responsibility to their communities.

By investing in these girls today, you are helping create opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom. You are supporting young women who can contribute to stronger families, more inclusive communities, and a more peaceful future for South Sudan.

2. Growing Our Women’s Center in Juba

Our Girls With Books! Women’s Center in Juba, South Sudan, continues to grow into an important hub for learning, connection, and opportunity. Established in late 2024, the Center serves as our South Sudan office and provides dedicated space for our Skills For Success program and other educational and community activities.

In 2025, we launched Skills For Success (SFS), beginning with a class of 16 young women who had graduated from the Girls With Books! education program. The three-month program equips graduates with practical skills to help them pursue employment, further opportunities, and greater independence.

Participants learn computer and internet use, résumé writing, job interview preparation, workplace readiness, business communication, and community engagement. These skills help bridge the gap between completing secondary school and preparing for life beyond the classroom.

Skills For Success: Building Pathways to Independence

Four cohorts have now completed the program, with 61 young women graduating successfully, and 24 additional students enrolled in the next cohort.

The demand for Skills For Success has exceeded our expectations. What began as a practical training opportunity has become a growing community of young women who learn together, build relationships, share experiences, and encourage one another.

The Women’s Center is becoming much more than a place for training. It is a space where our students and graduates can connect, develop their potential, and envision new possibilities for their futures.

3. Building Peace Through Girls’ Leadership Circles

Girls With Books! expanded its Girls’ Leadership Circles (GLCs) to another school in Uganda where our students are enrolled.

The GLC program brings girls from different tribal, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds together in small groups. In South Sudan, where communities speak different languages and ethnic divisions have contributed to cycles of conflict, creating opportunities for meaningful connection among young people is especially important.

Through guided discussions, group activities, and shared experiences, girls develop leadership skills, build friendships across community lines, and explore issues affecting themselves, their families, and the wider world. They learn to listen to one another, appreciate different perspectives, and recognize the values and aspirations they share.

These relationships help challenge prejudice and build bridges across communities. We believe that when girls learn to understand and respect one another, they become better equipped to lead with compassion and contribute to lasting peace.

The impact has already extended beyond the participating girls. The new school has been inspired by the program to adopt similar leadership initiatives for its broader student body, a promising example of how a small initiative can encourage wider change.

4. Built on a Successful 2025 Program: Trauma Healing Class

At Girls With Books!, we recognize that education is most effective when girls have the emotional support and safe spaces they need to heal, grow, and thrive.   

In November 2025, our Board Member introduced our first Trauma Healing Program, creating a supportive environment where girls could begin processing difficult experiences, strengthen their emotional resilience, and develop healthy coping skills.

Through guided discussions, peer support, and trauma-informed activities, students learn that they are not alone in their experiences. They gain practical tools for managing stress, building confidence, and moving forward with hope.

The girls responded enthusiastically to the first program and expressed a strong desire for it to continue. In response, our Juba team organized a second three-day Trauma Healing Program in August 2026.

The continued participation and enthusiasm of the students reaffirm the importance of addressing emotional well-being alongside academic achievement. By providing opportunities for girls to share their experiences, support one another, and form meaningful friendships, we are helping create an environment where they can feel understood and better equipped to pursue their goals.

5. Strengthening Our Team’s Ability to Share the Girls With Books! Story

This summer, we challenged our Juba team to find new ways to share the impact of Girls With Books! with our supporters and the wider community.

Our program leaders in Juba worked closely with our US team, including professional journalist Tamara Banks, to develop their skills in creating compelling, high-quality videos featuring students and community members.

Girls and parents shared personal experiences and described how Girls With Books! programs have influenced their lives. These firsthand accounts help bring our work to life, allowing supporters to hear directly from the people at the heart of our mission.

This effort also strengthens the capacity of our South Sudan team to document program experiences, communicate results, and tell the stories of the girls and young women whose lives are being transformed through education.

We are proud to see our team building these skills and helping ensure that the voices of our students remain central to our work.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who contributed, attended, volunteered, and helped make this event a success. Your support enables us to continue expanding educational opportunities and strengthening programs that help girls thrive.

Looking Ahead: Investing in Girls, Investing in Peace

Although we are encouraged by our progress, much work remains. Too many girls in South Sudan and surrounding refugee communities continue to face barriers to education, economic opportunity, and personal safety.

Our commitment is to keep building on what works: helping girls access and complete their education, equipping graduates with practical life and employment skills, creating opportunities for girls from different communities to build relationships, and ensuring students have the emotional support they need to thrive.

150 girls are receiving educational support, young women are gaining practical skills, and girls from diverse backgrounds are building friendships that can help bridge divisions. Our students are finding their voices and preparing to shape the future of their communities.

Every girl educated is a step toward a stronger community. Every friendship built across ethnic divisions is an opportunity for greater understanding. Every young woman equipped with skills and confidence represents another possibility for positive change.

Thank you for believing in these remarkable girls and for standing alongside Girls With Books! Together, we are empowering girls through education and building a brighter, more peaceful future.

With gratitude,

Micklina Kenyi
Executive Director, Girls With Books!
Cell: 720-447-4032
Email: micklina@girlswithbooks.org
Website: www.girlswithbooks.org