Help girls become leaders in their communities!

We are proud to celebrate 13 young girl leaders who, through the Grandmother Project’s Holistic Development Program, have successfully passed their Baccalaureate exams and emerged as role models for their peers.

 Through leadership and personal development training, these girls gained the confidence and skills to speak up, influence decisions, and inspire others. Their education combined academic success with lessons in positive cultural values, reinforced through the active involvement of grandmothers, who are trusted custodians of tradition and powerful advocates for girls.

Before, girls’ voices were often silenced. Today, with the guidance of grandmothers, teachers, and community leaders, they are leading conversations on education, child marriage, and FGM— challenging harmful practices and promoting change from within.

Grandmothers’ influence is critical: as respected elders, their support ensures that fathers and families listen, accept, and act on new ideas. By engaging all generations—elders, parents, and youth— Grandmother Project builds collective responsibility and shifts social norms, resulting in reduced teen pregnancies, stronger backing for girls’ schooling, and a new generation of female leaders.

When girls are empowered to lead, they thrive as individuals while also shaping a brighter future for their communities. A powerful example is the 13 young girls below, who proudly earned their Baccalaureate Diplomas in July 2025.

WE ARE PROUD OF THEM! WE CELEBRATE THEIR SUCCESS!

13 Success Stories supported by Grandmother Project’ Girls Holistic Development Program, thanks to your generosity!!

Empowering girls to become leaders is a key strategy for promoting gender equality, improving education outcomes, and preventing harmful traditional practices such as child marriage. One powerful example of this approach in action comes from the Grandmother Project – Change through Culture, where young girls and grandmother leaders worked together to protect a 14-year-old girl from being forced into early marriage. 

In Senegal, girls face numerous barriers to their development, including:

• Poor quality education
• Limited family support due to gender inequality
• High school dropout rates, especially among girls
• Early and forced marriage (before the age of 18)

A Story of Leadership and Change

When two girl leaders participating in the leadership training program learned that their friend Fatou was at risk of being forced into marriage by her father, they acted swiftly. Empowered by the confidence and skills gained from the training, they turned to three respected grandmother leaders in their community for help.

Together with three additional grandmother leaders, they approached Fatou’s father and successfully convinced him to cancel the marriage plans. This story reflects the real impact of empowering girls and grandmothers: increased knowledge, stronger communication, and the courage to challenge harmful traditions.

Strengthening Intergenerational Bonds

The leadership training not only empowered girls but also fostered stronger, more open relationships between girls and grandmothers. Today, grandmothers are recognized as vital agents of change, with an enhanced role in the education, protection, and guidance of young girls.

Lasting Impact

This story shows that supporting girls to become leaders—alongside empowering grandmothers—can be a powerful and culturally rooted strategy to promote girls' rights, education, and well-being. These efforts have already contributed to a notable reduction in child marriages and early pregnancies as well.