By Ashley Lackovich-Van Gorp | Founding Director
We asked some of our participants what it means to be in school. They used a variety of descriptive words that provided insights into their lives and demonstrated the power of education.
“Opportunity,” one girl said. Others chimed in with “future,” “possibility,” “chance” and “hope.” These girls looked ahead and saw the potential that education brings. They saw pathways out of poverty and toward a destiny of their own choosing. Oher girls focused on what education offers them now. “Friends,” said one girl with a smile. Others offered “learning,” “playing” and “writing.” Of all responses, one struck us the most: an adolescent girl in ninth grade said that being in school means "safety."
The girls in our program live in one of the poorest communities in Addis Ababa. They lack access to the resources they need to have safe, happy childhoods. The average family in our program has an income of $1.88 per day. This lack of financial security leaves girls at risk. Girls often spend their days working instead of learning, collecting firewood and then haulding bundles on their back to sell at the market. Sometimes families marry off their daughters because they struggle to feed them and think their lives may be more secure with a husband. Unmarried girls are at high risk for gender based violence when they collect firewood and walk to the market alone.
These risks drop when a girl is in school. School provides a safe space for girls, helping communities see them as children- and therefore not marriageable. It lowers risks of violence and lets girls learn instead of work. When families have the means to send their daughters to school, they do. We know this because we are working with these families. They don't want to marry off their daughters, nor do they want to send them into the forest to collect firewood. They want their daughters to be inside of a classroom, learning and growing and making a safe transition into adulthood.
Thank you for giving girls a future of their choosing- and for keeping them safe in the meantime.
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