Supporting girls to attend Secondary School can change a young woman’s life. It is proven that girls who receive an education are more likely to become more successful, community leaders and able to support her family’s livelihood. Cultural and economic barriers result in many girls not being able to attend Secondary School. The loss of education and opportunity leaves many young women to a life of absolute poverty.
In The Guardian’s recent article, Adolescent girls: the key to ending poverty? Global development experts share their thoughts as to the importance of girl empowerment:
“Girls are out of sight and of mind: Of the world's 130 million out-of-school youth, 70% are girls, and nearly half of all sexual assaults worldwide are against girls 15 and younger.”
“Investing in adolescent girls is both the smart thing to do and the right thing to do: Adolescence is a critical time. If supported during this stage, a young girl is likely to marry later, have less children and invest more money into her family and community.”
Your support not only changes the life of one girl but also plays a role in girl empowerment and ending poverty.
The founder of AfricAid, Ashley Shuyler, recently visited Tanzania and came back with some great insight for AfricAid's work and its future, particularly the future of Tanzanian girls aspiring to gain more education.
Upon her return she shared her impressions and thoughts...
"The most inspiring moment of the trip for me was visiting the remote home of Prisca Lesakire, a young Maasai woman who was one of AfricAid’s first 10 scholarship recipients. She was the first girl in her village to go to high school, and she has now become the first woman teacher from her community. As a result of her education, Prisca is not only teaching math and science classes to hundreds of students, but she is serving as a powerful role model in her home community. As she has built a permanent home for her parents and sent her own two daughters to school, her entire village has seen just how valuable educating girls can be. Her father even allows her to eat together with the men, a sign of the deep respect Prisca has earned. The ripple effects of Prisca’s education are evident.
During my time with Prisca, I could see that AfricAid’s mission is more critical now than it ever has been before. The challenges that young women face in Tanzania are extraordinary – by the time they are teenagers, they are struggling in the face of having to live on $2 per day or less, of arranged marriages, the spread of HIV/AIDS – all with little hope for a brighter future. Indeed, 95% of girls don’t even have the chance to go to high school in Tanzania, leaving them little opportunity to have a voice in their future."
Sponsorship’s for these girls is life changing and your support is pivotal for this dramatic change in their lives. It is amazing how some things we take for granted, education, when for others it is such a privilege. Prisca is one of many that AfricAid has had the opportunity to help and as the next class of scholars enters our program we only hope to share these life-changing possibilities with more young Tanzanian women.
Happy summer to all our of supporters,
In 2009 the percentage of girls that progressed from primary to secondary school in Tanzania was only 37% (The World Bank).
There are many factors that prevent or greatly hinder girls from advancing in their education. Cultural attitudes and traditions surrounding gender along with financial expenses are two significant obstacles that girls in Tanzania face in their pursuit of education.
With your support and financial contributions, we can change the landscape of education in Tanzania. We can provide solutions to some of these obstacles and create opportunties for these girls to attend school, and continue attending school.
We are so appreciative of your generosity and hope that you will continue to partner with us in opening doors to education for girls who desperately want and need education to transform their futures.
February marked the end of another school year for our Tanzanian students. This month students are on a much deserved vacation and will return to classes in April to continue their studies.
Through your continued generosity, AfricAid is currently supporting 10 girls' secondary school educations through scholarships. We look ahead with much anticipation to the graduation of our scholarship students. In a country where only 5% of girls graduate from secondary school, graduation will be an incredible feat that will certainly be celebrated!
Thank you again for your support of this project and the opportunities that your generosity has created in the lives of these young women.
Dear AfricAid supporters,
Thank you for your generous support of our program to enable Tanzanian girls to attend secondary school via scholarships. Your generosity is greatly appreciated and we wish you and your family a wonderful holiday!
Secondary school attendance and matriculation is a problem for girls in Tanzania as only 5% of girls now graduate from secondary school (the equivalent of high school in the U.S.) This prevents the girls from having choices and living rich, rewarding lives and holds the quality of living down across the country.
Your investment in girls' education in Tanzania gives these bright, determined young women a chance to be independent and become leaders, showing other young Tanzanian girls what is possible.
We're half way to our goal and know we will get there in 2013. Asante sana! (thank you),
Elizabeth
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