What first drew you to the work that Girls Opportunity Alliance is doing?
I had worked in the private sector for 15 years or so, but after spending time traveling the world as a part of my MBA program, I decided that I had to find a way to take action on some of the issues I had seen.
My grandmother was a victim of domestic violence, and seeing her and women around the world like her not have their own voice, not have an ability to reach their dreams because someone or something is holding them back is not acceptable. Right now, more than 100 million girls around the world are not in school. I want every girl on this planet to have the same opportunities as my daughter: to go to school and dream big dreams.
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What struggles are girls around the world facing?
The reasons that girls are kept out of school range from parents being unable to afford school fees, to girls facing pressure to get married. But it’s also due to a belief that girls simply aren’t as worthy of an education. That isn’t just a devastating loss for girls. It’s a devastating loss for all of us who are missing out on their potential.
What struggles are girls around the world facing?
The reasons that girls are kept out of school range from parents being unable to afford school fees, to girls facing pressure to get married. But it’s also due to a belief that girls simply aren’t as worthy of an education. That isn’t just a devastating loss for girls. It’s a devastating loss for all of us who are missing out on their potential.
What struggles are girls around the world facing?
The reasons that girls are kept out of school range from parents being unable to afford school fees, to girls facing pressure to get married. But it’s also due to a belief that girls simply aren’t as worthy of an education. That isn’t just a devastating loss for girls. It’s a devastating loss for all of us who are missing out on their potential.
How can supporting girls’ education have a broader impact on their lives and communities?
When girls get the opportunities they deserve, amazing things happen; poverty goes down, economies grow, families get stronger and babies are born healthier. Educated girls go on to earn higher salaries, which can help to lift entire families out of poverty.
How does Girls Opportunity Alliance work with grassroots leaders to have an impact on a local level?
There is already so much great local work being done in communities around the world, so we see our role as helping it to grow. We started the Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund so that anyone can support community-led organizations whose work ranges from building learning centers in Peru to teaching girls computer science in Kenya. We also connect the organization leaders to each other through a network, allowing them to learn from one another and achieve more than they could on their own.
Can you share an example of a grassroots organization Girls Opportunity Alliance supports and how they’ve succeeded?
Last month at our Get Her There launch event, Michelle Obama was joined onstage by an inspiring leader named Wanjiru Wahome, who leads the Samburu Girls Foundation in rural Kenya. In her community, girls often drop out of school as young as 10 years old to get married—where she lives, more than 80% percent of girls are married before they are 18, and 86% undergo female genital mutilation. She works with families and community leaders to change those practices and provide a safe space for girls who have been rescued from child marriage to reclaim their lives.
How can the Olivela community Stand With Her?
From bake sales to corporate events, everything helps. Share the stories of girls on social media to spread the word about this issue, or dedicate some of your holiday giving to give the gift of education. Anything people out there can do has the power to make a difference in a girl’s life—and to begin to build a brighter future for all of us.
How can the Olivela community Stand With Her?
From bake sales to corporate events, everything helps. Share the stories of girls on social media to spread the word about this issue, or dedicate some of your holiday giving to give the gift of education. Anything people out there can do has the power to make a difference in a girl’s life—and to begin to build a brighter future for all of us.
How can the Olivela community Stand With Her?
From bake sales to corporate events, everything helps. Share the stories of girls on social media to spread the word about this issue, or dedicate some of your holiday giving to give the gift of education. Anything people out there can do has the power to make a difference in a girl’s life—and to begin to build a brighter future for all of us.
