Empower girls in Niger for change via education

May we introduce you to our most recent and youngest girl scholarhip recipients who just entered Hampaté Bâ School this year in October: Haoua, Chamsiya, and Haouaou.

“I was a good student in primary school, but my family couldn’t afford to pay for my secondary school education. ”

“Without this scholarship, I would be like many otherNigerien girls, wanting so badly to continue going to school, but not being able to.”

“I’m learning incredible things in Hampaté Bâ School. I especially like the program for us girls. For me this is a dream come true.”

Life is tough for poor girls in Niger. Culture and tradition often keep them at home while their brothers go to school.  Some girls get married as young as 12 and if a girl convinces her parents to send her to a “free” government school, she often cannot continue her studies because her family lacks the funds for a uniform or supplies. 

So our charity, “les Amis de Hampaté Bâ”, endeavors to give underprivileged girls the chance to have a quality education and to keep them in school.

Our girl empowerment program, customized as a girl-only space, gives the opportunity to our girls for open discussion of intimate subjects between classmates and a specialized teacher, and addresses problems such as:

• gender-based violence
• early marriages
• health and hygiene
• risky sexual behavior
• truancy, drug abuse, and other negative behavior
• subjugation of girls and women in poor communities
• life skills and academic achievement.

 Moreover, our Girl Empowerment program offers support that will garner confidence and academic excellence, thus helping our scholarship students to transition from girls with dreams to women with means.

We do this by boosting their confidence, thus creating a domino affect that empowers our girls to take on an active role in their classrooms, among their peers, and in turn, in their communities.

In the Girl Empowerment program, we are taking steps to improve the lives of our girl students by giving them more understanding concerning the worth of a woman and what they are actually capable of accomplishing. They are surprised to see they can reach their own potential.

Here are some of the steps we have taken and actions we have implemented through this amazing program that are proving very successful :

• We demystify menstruation and physical changes.
• We suggest ways girls can better manage their household chores and studies.
• We encourage girls to assume leadership roles at school and in their communities.
• We help organize meetings with parents and teachers to discuss the problems girls face and to create the right environment for girls to study, attend, and stay in school.

We are so proud of the progress our girls have made so far at Hampaté Bâ School through our Girl Empowerment Program. We want to continue our actions and broaden the scope so that every single girl can realize her full potential.

Your continued donations count ! No amount is too small. Please consider making a contribution today.

You can change the life of a girl and through her, change the lives of a generation. We need your help to help these girls and make change happen.

Thank you so much for your kind support.