Gender Equality Sierra Leone Project #63653

Help Educate and Empower Girls in Sierra Leone

by Girls Education Mission International

Help Educate and Empower Girls in Sierra Leone

Project Report | Nov 24, 2025
Laying the Foundation for Change

By Keturah Shammah | Executive Director

Dear Partner,

We want to provide an honest and heartfelt update on our Girls Education in Sierra Leone Project.

Our mission remains to empower girls in Sierra Leone with access to quality education, mentorship, and community support, ensuring they can stay in school, thrive, and reach their full potential.

Community engagement has begun, with local schools and leaders expressing strong interest in collaborating.

Needs assessments have been conducted in pilot communities to understand barriers preventing girls from staying in school.

Initial plans for mentorship, learning materials, and scholarships are in development.

These foundational steps are critical—they ensure that when resources arrive, our interventions will be effective, sustainable, and community-driven.

Despite the strong groundwork, the project has not yet received the level of support needed to operate at scale.

Funding is required to provide scholarships and educational materials for girls at risk of dropping out.

Resources are needed to implement mentorship programs and community awareness campaigns.

Operational support is necessary to expand the program beyond pilot communities and reach more girls in need.

Without sufficient support, the project cannot reach its full potential, and many girls remain at risk of losing access to education.

Girls in Sierra Leone face numerous challenges, including economic barriers, early marriage, and cultural pressures that often interrupt schooling. Your support can help:

Keep girls in school through scholarships and school supplies

Strengthen mentorship and life-skills programs

Build community awareness and advocacy around girls’ right to education

Empower girls to become leaders and changemakers in their communities

Every contribution, no matter the size, brings us closer to ensuring these girls have a safe, supportive, and empowering learning environment.

This is a critical moment. With your help, we can move from planning to implementation, transforming the lives of girls in Sierra Leone.

Please consider donating today to help us bring quality education and opportunity to girls who need it most. Your generosity will directly impact their future, giving them the chance to dream, learn, and lead.

Together, we can make a lasting difference.

With gratitude, from all of us at
Girls Education Mission International Team

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Jun 4, 2025
On IWDGiving Directory; Featured in Global Article

By Keturah Shammah | Executive Director

Dear Partner,

We are proud to announce to you our official recognition as an #IWDGiving Member, now listed in the International Women’s Day Giving Directory, making us eligible to receive global support and donations. This milestone spotlights GEM International as one of the world’s leading nonprofits accelerating action for the empowerment of girls through education, health, and economic support.

In addition to the listing, GEM International is featured in a special article on the International Women’s Day platform titled “IWD Giving member Girls Education Mission International uplifts through education.”
Read the article here: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Missions/21476/IWD-Giving-member-Girls-Education-Mission-International-uplifts-through-education

“The story of Girls Education Mission International is one of resilience, vision, and an unwavering belief in the power of education,” the feature states.

Founded in 2007 by Keturah Shammah, GEM began as a grassroots mentorship initiative for 10 girls and has grown into a national movement empowering thousands of girls in Nigeria. Through scholarships, mentorship, digital literacy, menstrual hygiene support, and advocacy, the organization provides vulnerable girls with the tools to thrive and lead.

This prestigious recognition by International Women’s Day highlights GEM’s consistent, transparent, and impactful work and opens up greater opportunities for global donors to directly support their life-changing programs.

Despite recent challenges, including tragic incidents that affected the organization, GEM International continues to persevere. The girls we serve are back in class, holding tight to their dreams, and counting on our continued support.

Education transforms lives. Together, we can ensure that no girl is left behind.

With Gratitude,

Keturah Shammah

Executive Director

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Apr 14, 2025
Meet Mbalu from Sierra Leone

By Keturah Shammah | Project Leader

Mbalu of Sierra Leone

Dear Supporter,

We are thrilled to share an update of our bold vision for a new chapter in our mission to empower girls through education, taking impactful steps to establish our presence in Sierra Leone!

This expansion is inspired by our encounter with remarkable girls like Mbalu, a Form 3 student at Evangelical Model High School in Wellington, Sierra Leone.

Mbalu’s Story: A Spark of Hope

Mbalu is one of the many girls in Sierra Leone striving to rise above challenges and stay in school. She recently, through a GEM volunteer educator in Sierra Leone, benefited from GEM’s free sanitary pad distribution program, a simple yet powerful intervention that ensures girls like her can attend school with dignity and confidence.

With limited access to menstrual hygiene resources, many girls in her community miss valuable school days or drop out entirely. Mbalu’s participation in our program reaffirmed a critical truth: when girls are supported with the right resources, their dreams thrive.

Her courage and determination have fueled our commitment to deepen our roots in Sierra Leone and extend GEM’s education, mentorship, and empowerment programs to more underserved communities across the country.

Why Sierra Leone? Why Now?

Like many other African countries, Sierra Leone continues to face significant challenges in girls’ education, from poverty and gender inequality to period poverty and limited access to mentorship. GEM International recognizes the urgent need to fill these gaps by:

Establishing a local chapter to deliver tailored programs in education, digital skills, menstrual hygiene, and mentorship.
Building partnerships with local schools, community leaders, and volunteers.
Identifying and supporting girls like Mbalu with scholarships, learning materials, and life-changing mentorship.

Watch GEM Free Sanitary Pad in Sierra Leone

Your generosity has already transformed lives in Nigeria, and now, with your continued support, we can extend that impact to Sierra Leone.

Let’s accelerate action for girls' education and empowerment.

Let’s empower girls like Mbalu.

Donate Here:
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/help-educate-and-empower-girls-in-sierra-leone/

Thank you for standing with us. Together, we are building a world where every girl, regardless of where she is born, has the opportunity to learn, lead, and thrive.

With gratitude,
From all of us at
Girls Education Mission International

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