Thank you for spending time on our website! We know we are “preaching to the choir” and that you already understand and believe in the value of girls’ education. Young women like Malala are your heroes.
There are countless unnamed Malalas out there, who while they may not be facing violence preventing them from attending school, have the insurmountable hurdle of poverty. Primary school education is universal in Uganda, but secondary school students must pay tuition and buy supplies, including uniforms and shoes. For large families in rural Northern Uganda, who are mainly subsistence farming, the entire cost to send their daughter to secondary school is beyond their reach. They can scrape together a small portion, which is what we ask them to do, and we pay the rest.
Why should you consider getting involved and supporting organizations like African Girls Can?
Like many of us, you may be feeling a bit discouraged and overwhelmed by a range of events right now. Doing small things like contributing toward a Ugandan girl’s education makes us feel better – and that is ok. It is not out of guilt, but a way of being proactive and part of the global community.
It feels great to be a part of something – to know that on the other side of the world, a girl is in school learning (and having fun too!) instead of marrying and having children earlier than she should. And, when she does marry and become a mother, you can bet that she will be sure her children are also educated. That’s the future investment that you will be making!
When girls don’t go to school, think of the brainpower that is left untapped. A future President of Uganda could be out there, or scientist who discovers a cure for malaria, or engineer who invents an innovative solution to a problem. No doubt there are some geniuses who are not going to school (did you see the movie “Queen of Katwe?”) More realistically though, educating these girls will greatly impact their own communities. It will result in nurses and midwives who can better the health of their neighbors, and primary school teachers who will influence and inspire the next generation of students. It will improve local economies by giving young women the skills and confidence to start businesses.
African Girls Can has two girls who have successfully completed their first year of secondary school. They will return in January, 2017 and we would like to give more girls the opportunity to continue their education. Primary school students in Uganda just took their “Leaving Exam” in mid-November. We know there are girls that scored off the charts, but are in despair because they have no hope of continuing school. Let’s restore that hope. Please help us expand by contributing to our GoFundMe campaign this holiday season. Thank you!
