Support 50 Muslim Girls to Become Nurses

In highly impoverished and conflict-torn Sulu Province in the southern Mindanao area of the Philippines, the Nursing School at Sulu State College is a beacon of hope and progress for young Muslim women to serve their community.  A new milestone was reached on February 23, 2017 when the SSC nursing school skills team finished among the Top Five in a regional "Battle of the Nightengales" [as in Florence Nightengale, who is credited as the founder of modern nursing].  The competition, which was held in the region's largest city, Zamboanga, was televised as a "Quiz Bowl on the Nursing Arts."  Three SSC team members earned individual finalists honors, as well.  

The SSC nursing school has made incredible progress since 2013, when the Nursing Exam pass rate due to a lack of facilities and learning materials was under 30 percent.  In 2016, the percentage of sucessful License Exam new nurses rose to an average of 90 percent The total of new nurses grew to 91 in 2016, far surpassing our original goal of 50. An additional 30 student-nurses will graduate from SSC in March 2017.  Among them is 20 year old Miss Shaima. "It has been my lifelong dream to become a nurse," she says.  "It is a wonderful way to assist my family and my community."  She is a cheerful member of the SSC Nightengale Team.  "Our confidence and love of becoming a nurse is what motivates us to try our best," Shaima says.

Shaima and her colleagues, mostly young women, are symbols for the youth of Sulu in overcoming incredible challenges in schools that previously lacked textbooks and fundamental laboratory training tools. GlobalGiving donors have empowered Asia America Initiative to provide the Nursing School’s teachers and students many tools needed for academic success. The proof is in their smiles in the accompanying photos of the Nightengale Quiz Bowl and in their classrooms. 

These young nursing students demonstrate the potential success for Muslim women around the world, In many Muslim countries, the people live in terror-plagued and conflict-torn regions.  Females are denied an education to develop professional skills to assist their families and communities to rebuild and work their way out of poverty. In places such as Sulu, the malnutrition rate is more than 50 percent of all children. Clean drinking water and sanitation are difficult to find. In addition, where doctors are in short supply, nurses are providing vital services to all community members.  The young SSC nurses are heroes and inspiration to their families and communities.   We are ever-grateful to all of our Global Giving donors for your role in supporting their hard work and success.  

Links:

• Asia America Initiative Web Site