Educate a Girl, Educate a Nation - Sierra Leone

You, through your on-going support, have been a key partner in helping to effect permanent change in the lives of our girls in Sierra Leone.  Through your support, we have together provided hundreds of scholarships.  

We have done a lot more than providing scholarships.  Over the years, Develop Africa has developed a model of "complete, wholesome intervention".  This model focuses on addressing the whole picture - every area of the beneficiary’s life.  

We wanted to take a moment to also tell you some more about a specific girl that we have supported - called Marian.  Marian has a winning smile and eyes full of purpose.  She wants to be a lecturer / teacher when she grows up.  She is a good mixer and very friendly.  She is in great health.

Through your kindness, the kindness of other individual donors and a special family that lives in West Virginia, Marian and her family have received scholarships, books and school supplies, school uniforms, mosquito nets, mattress, suitcases , a bag of rice, financial assistance towards rent etc.  Our support has brought “a smile to our faces again”, “a place in society once more” and “tears of joy”. 

As you notice, we have jointly been able to provide assistance at multiple levels - complete, wholesome intervention.  This targeted support is helping to break the hold of poverty.  Our support together has helped to provide much more than the gift of education.  Thank you exceedingly for helping to bring hope and new life to this precious family.

If you are interested supporting the education of specific children, we would love to hear from you. You can do so right here on GlobalGiving.  School reopens in September and we would like to provide scholarships to 500 children.  Can you help us do so by making a donation of $100 or your best donation today?  

Want to help us do even more?  You can now easily create a fundraiser here on GlobalGiving and help us raise funds for more scholarships.  This is a fantastic way to invite your friends and family to join you in making a difference. You can start your fundraiser here - http://www.globalgiving.org/dy/v2/fundraiser-new/type today!  Let us know if you have any questions or need our help setting this up.  Thanks so much for all you do!

 

Links:

• View more photos of Marian and family

Dear friends and supporters:

It's a joy to once again share a project update on how we are together impacting the lives of girls and helping to further their education.  We are providing a vital lifeline - strengthening precious lives that would otherwise drop out of school - with potential and greatness unrealized.  What we are doing is simple, but so very profound!  This warms my heart and I hope it warms your heart too!

This report includes the story of Agnes. This following brief on Agnes typifies that of many of the girls that we are together helping.   These girls are gems, future leaders, with great potential and purpose.  However, they are faced with challenges that are beyond the ability of their families - living below the poverty line and at risk.

Agnes is an orphan who hails from a very poor home. Agnes’ parents died when Agnes was a baby. She has been living with her grandparents who are old, poor and unable to generate income. They used to live in a slum by the sea. Recently a flood washed away all their possession and her uncle died in the process. A few months later Agnes lost her blind grandfather due to the shock from the flood.  Agnes and her grandmother are presently displaced and are staying with a family friend. Agnes loves school and would like to be a lawyer. 

Though her family socio-economic situation is quite a challenge, yet Agnes is guaranteed continued education through your on-going support. Thank you for preventing Agnes from dropping out of school.  Your timely support has indeed given Agnes a hope and a future.  Through your support Agnes and many more girls are continuing their education.  Thanks so very much.

We welcome your on-going support that enables us to reach and impact the lives of many more girls. Through your special large gift today or by signing up for a recurring donation, we wll together do so much more.  Thanks for your support!