On March 27, 2023, Hallie Scruggs, two other 9-year-old children, and three adults were killed in The Covenant School shooting in Nashville. Hallie's uncle, University of Fondwa's Andrew Scruggs, helped organize this scholarship to honor Hallie. "There's so much happiness when we think of her. That's what we want to share with people," Hallie's Aunt Kara said. Launched in September of 2024, this fund will provide full academic scholarships to 5 Haitian girls through middle and high school.
Every child has a right to a high school education. But in Port-au-Prince's Cite Soleil neighborhood, students -- especially girls -- are often denied that right. Just one in three girls completes primary school and starts high school. Parents in Haiti often don't have the means to send their children to school, and if forced to make a choice they frequently send boys to school instead of girls.
We launched this scholarship fund to make it possible for five girls to attend Andrew Grene School from middle school through high school. In addition to honoring the spirit and memory of Hallie, this project will fulfill a basic human right for these five girls, ensuring that they get a quality high school education. The project will also ensure that five additional qualified female graduates from the Andrew Grene School will be well-prepared for study at the University of Fondwa in Haiti.
When girls get an education, entire communities are transformed. Maternal and child deaths decline and health flourishes. Educated women become the guardians of their families' well-being, making life-saving decisions with wisdom and care. They become the voices that demand change, identifying critical gaps in public services and pushing for the betterment of all. Educated women don't just survive; they thrive, as women with high school and college degrees earn twice as much as women without.
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