Educate a Girl, Educate a Nation - Sierra Leone

Youth unemployment remains a challenge globally.  According to the International Labor Organization, the youth unemployment rate in Africa remains below the world average estimation in 2022.  Young people in Sierra Leone have faced the consequences of recent setbacks to the global economy.  It is in that regard that Develop Africa Sierra Leone (DASL) organized a girls' mentoring session on designing slippers & headbands with beads.

At the beginning of the training session, the DASL team and the trainer discussed the importance of learning skilled work and entrepreneurship.  Madam Moiyatu K. (the trainer) explained to the girls that she graduated from the Fourah Bay University of Sierra Leone in 2018, but was not able to find a job so she opened Mio-fashion and Designs where she designs and sells African bags, slippers, dresses, and bridal makeups. She added that she has been supporting herself and her family with funds from her business. 

The mentees created three different beads products (beads slippers, elastic beads headbands, and non-elastic bead headbands). Twenty -seven girls attended the mentoring session and the mentees were divided into three groups (Group A, B, C). Each group designed different beads works; group A created bead slippers, group B designed non-elastic beads headbands and group C designed elastic beads headbands. All of the mentees were supervised to create one of the products which they took home.

The mentees were very interested in creating the beads designs; most of them took some of the leftover materials to design more products by themselves at home. All twenty-seven girls were very thankful for the mentoring session and expressed their gratitude to the donors that made the mentoring session possible.

YOUR support helps make these mentoring sessions possible as well as supporting girls' education.  You are truly making a difference with every dollar you donate.  If you are not yet a recurring donor and would like to make a greater impact you can set up a recurring donation here.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at GlobalGiving@developafrica.org.

With great appreciation,

Amy and the Develop Africa team

PS. Mark your calendars: From April 3-7, when you give up to $50 to support girls' education, GlobalGiving will match your generosity at 50% for the #LittleByLittle campaign.

Help us spread the word: share this post with your family and friends to let them know that little acts of kindness can make a big impact!   

Salma shared this video saying  "Hello, my name is Salma and I’m a beneficiary of Develop Africa in Sierra Leone. As a year one student in mass communication at Fourah Bay College, I am so grateful for this opportunity because there are so many girls out there who did not have this opportunity.  So I want to say a big thank you to Develop Africa donors for this great opportunity. 

In some of our cultures in Africa, our people stand against the fact that we girls deserve to be educated and say only boys should be educated, because we will get married, have kids, and our responsibility is to raise our families. 

I want us all to embrace gender equity and also break gender bias in education, thank you." 

Salma is thankful for the GlobalGiving donor support she has received to go to college and invites us all to embrace gender equity and break gender bias in education by empowering girls with education.

Making a monthly donation is the most effective way to help girls get their education, but every dollar donated makes a difference! If you are not yet a recurring donor and would like to sign up for a recurring donation go here. 

Please share this project with your contacts and invite them to consider supporting this ongoing project.  Just copy and paste the below text on your social media or create your own text. 

I support girls' education in Sierra Leone.  Educated girls become empowered women.  Learn how you can make a difference too at https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/educate-a-girl-educate-a-nation-sierra-leone/

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at GlobalGiving@developafrica.org. 
 

With great appreciation, 

Amy and the Develop Africa team

Links:

• Educate Girls to become Empowered Women
• Salma's Video