Girl-mother Empowerment Program

Dear GlobalGiving and Esteemed Donors,

We are pleased to share progress on the Girl Mother Project, a life-changing initiative improving the lives of vulnerable girls across rural communities in Northern Sierra Leone. Through your support, the project continues to restore hope, dignity, and opportunity for girls who face significant barriers to education, protection, and empowerment. Our community engagement efforts have reached Moria-Panhouse, Mathinka, Keteh, Moria, Mokondo, Laya, Kerefay Mankeneh, and Rokupr. Through sustained sensitization campaigns, we are challenging harmful cultural norms that limit girls’ rights and access to education. These dialogues have led to increased community awareness and growing support for girls’ education. Traditional leaders have expressed appreciation, noting that this is the first time such targeted advocacy and support have reached their communities. A key achievement is the establishment of an ICT Training Centre, which is equipping girls with essential digital skills. This initiative has attracted strong interest and is opening new pathways for learning, confidence-building, and future employment opportunities. The project also addresses critical protection issues, particularly early and forced marriage. Through community consultations, we identified commercial bike riders as a key group contributing to teenage pregnancies. In response, we have expanded our engagement to include targeted awareness sessions with these groups, promoting responsible behavior and safeguarding girls. In addition, we are collaborating with local authorities and lawmakers to strengthen awareness and enforcement of the Child Rights Act, with a focus on preventing rape and sexual violence and improving community-level accountability. While we are proud of these achievements, the need remains significant. With your continued support, we can expand our reach, strengthen protection systems, and empower more girls to realize their full potential. Thank you for your continued partnership in transforming the lives of girls. Together, we are building safer, more equitable communities.

Warm regards,

The Needy Today Team