Help fight child marriage - WHOLE Girl Fund

“I want to BE BOLD and speak out without shame.  Then I can help and teach others.”  Mariama, a 15-year-old girl from Sierra Leone says confidently.  In her hometown of Songo, Mariama takes a proud stand for the rights of girls with disabilities, so they will be protect from abuse and included with all children in school and the community. 

Join Mariama and millions of people around the world on October 11^th, the 3^rd International Day of the Girl, as we celebrate the bold actions of girls, women, boys, and men who stand up for girls’ rights every day.  The theme of this year’s celebration is “Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence.”

Because of your generous support of the Because I am a Girl program, over 30,000 girls in 8 countries have what they need to thrive: schools, water, scholarships, healthcare, financial knowledge, practical skills, and the support of hundreds of thousands of mothers, fathers, brothers, and community members. 

Here’s snapshot of what you’ve accomplished for girls around the world:

• Burkina Faso: One new school complex and 8 new supplementary classrooms were constructed, and scholarships for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school year were awarded to 300 girls;
• El Salvador: 1,396 girls and 139 boys were educated on violence prevention;
• Ethiopia: 5 schools were equipped with water tanks and pipes, science equipment and library books; 400 girls received school uniforms; and 240 parents are saving money in Savings Groups;
• India: 2,000 girls at risk of child labor were enrolled in school, and 2,000 parents of at-risk girls were connected with employment programs to support their families;
• Indonesia: 150 adolescent girls learned to facilitate peer trainings on life skills and health;
• Nepal: 139 alternative education centers are teaching 3,479 girls and boys to prevent trafficking;
• Sierra Leone: 240 savings groups are teaching 3,114 girls how to save and manage money, in addition to confidence and life skills;
• Vietnam: 566 Savings Groups are serving 9,326 members (90% women and girls).

But the change is even bigger than these numbers:  A local Plan staff member who works on the Because I am a Girl project in Sierra Leone says, “There is a change now in the way that girls are seen.  There was a time in these communities when they could treat girls badly, but now it’s different.  Girls eat with parents out of the same bowl.” 

Links:

• Learn more! Hear Our Voices report on adolescent girls' issues
• Watch for Plan's State of the World's Girls report 10/11/14
• Get involved! Check out DayoftheGirl.org to see how