In Madagascar girls as young as 9 years old get sold off to marry much older men. With 80% of the population relying on farming as a source of income women become commodity. Nofy i Androy equips girls with tools to fight early child marriage, early pregnancies and gender inequality. This project will promise girls college degrees and brighter futures. We redefine the meaning of a "woman" by providing quality education, leadership training, sex education, and women's workshops.
Located in the deep south of Madagascar, the Androy region has alarmingly high rates of child marriage and premature pregnancies, making adolescent girls much more likely to drop out of school and often jeopardize their health. Parents purposely build a hut habitually for their daughter as an invitation for men to approach her. This is customary and normal for poor families. Once married off, an Ntandroy girl is subject to early pregnancy, discontinued education, and developmental problems.
We carefully choose academically competent young girls who are at risk of getting married off to a much older man, early pregnancy and dropping out of school. By offering to cover their expenses, the financial burden of sending their daughters to school is removed from parents. NiA provides additional tutoring to help improve GPAs, prepare students for competitive national exams and university. Through our extracurricular workshops and leadership training, women gain control of the future.
NiA provides education to 120 rural girls. The tutoring services offered ensures girls receive quality education. Most of the chosen women are first generation students. In order to create role models who can combat gender inequality in Androy, we make sure all girls go to university. College students will receive internship opportunities to enter the real world with valuable skills. This project will ensure success and brighter futures for girls who would otherwise miss out on higher education.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
