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The future in uncertain times
Spring is around the corner to coax us once again to shed our coats and boots and enjoy the freedom of the milder weather. Hope and optimism are clearly eternal and are our greatest allies when facing difficult times and new challenges. Of course being surrounded by committed, determined friends seems to melt away all obstacles. Despite the economic turmoil that we have seen all around us for the past six months, you have proven your generosity yet again in 2008 by enabling us to reach our ambitious target of raising $200,000. Because of you, 1300 young Afghan girls will be attending community-based schools, many of them for the very first time. And to ensure these young girls can continue their education, parent-teacher committees are being established in 37 communities, and 80 female teachers will be receiving the additional training that they need to provide quality education and act as role models for the girls and in the community. Because of you, another 485 young girls in primary school in the refugee camps of Dadaab and Kakuma in Kenya, will be enrolled in remedial classes to help them attain the grade levels they need to get to high school. Once again, community awareness is a strong component of this project to ensure continuity and support for girls' education. Five young girls will also be eligible for full high school scholarships from 60 million girls' support. With $500,000 raised to date enabling over 3,000 children to attend school, we know we can still do more together. Our only limit to effecting change is the one we place on ourself. Our 2009 campaign will target our support to two vastly different countries : Zimbabwe and Honduras. With hyper inflation at record levels, political uncertainty and economic chaos, Zimbabwe's citizens face ever growing challenges to making it through each day - none more so than the young girls. Poverty, violence, HIV/AIDS, gender discrimination - more than ever girls are dropping out of school. It is just at such devastating times that our support is greatly needed.
The Girl Child Network in Zimbabwe encompasses all that 60 million girls is about: education opportunities for girls, empowerment, mentoring, activism, teacher development and a new outlook on a future that wouldn't be possible otherwise. Click here for more details.
In Honduras, life remains particularly unkind and hard to most all indigenous groups. The Lenca are no different. Beyond poverty and the major obstacles that young girls around the world face when wanting to attend school (getting water every day, taking care of younger brothers and sisters, domestic chores, early marriage and pregnancy, etc.) the Lenca are doubly targeted as indigenous people in remote rural areas under a government running one of the poorest countries in Latin America. Our support will enable a dormitory to be built to enable young Lenca girls to stay in residence while attending high school away from home. Funds will be in place to support them financially with bursaries, adult women will run the home with the help of the community and to ensure the dormitory becomes self-sustaining over time, micro-enterprise activities are being set-up. As well, we will be supporting 3,000 children in villages throughout San Francisco de Opalaca with school supplies and learning materials. To know more click here. As a completely volunteer run organization with no administration fees at all in 2008, 60 million girls ensures that your investment in girls' education has the maximum impact. Our project partners are chosen with great care after a long selection process to make sure that our financial commitment will go towards a sustainable and effective program that has the deep and lasting impact that the community wants. Thank you for talking about 60 million girls to your family and friends. Thank you for inviting them to participate in our annual conference. Thank you for taking the time to get to know us and our projects so that you can be one of the important actors in changing the world in concrete ways. Give a young girl the gift of a quality education, she will do the rest. We all count… A song for 60 million girls ! Canadian author, composer and musician Jeanette Arsenault was so touched by the mandate of 60 million girls - to help millions of children across the world achieve their dreams of improving their life through education - that she has dedicated a song to the foundation. The lyrics of her song, entitled Secret Dreams, truly reflect our mission and so we are thrilled by this wonderful gift. Click here for more details. An unforgettable evening with Sima Samar
She arrived from Afghanistan, exhausted but with a smile, after too many airport and visa adventures for one trip. We never really doubted that she would move heaven and earth to get from Kabul to Montreal and be with us to support our work! One of the wonderful things to see in that full room at Polytechnique last October 22nd was that it was filled with people of all generations, almost holding their breath as Sima Samar slid behind the podium. So many people told me how she was their heroine and that they held her in such great esteem for so long. It's true that many of those in attendance would have gone to great lengths to not miss the chance of seeing this activist doctor (having built 4 hospitals, 10 clinics and 72 schools!) and President of the Afghan Human Rights Commission. That night, through her charisma, her stories, her great sense of humour, her insight, Ms. Samar was able to give us hope again for the plight of women and young girls in her country. This hope was put forward despite the corruption she denounced, the culture of violence that destroys spirits, the strengthening of the Taliban in too many areas and the military presence which she strongly believes is necessary despite the difficulties and setbacks it has faced. With her quiet strength, with the sum of the innumerable tangible accomplishments that she continues to bring forth every day, Sima Samar was able to motivate us yet again to continue our work to make sure the most vulnerable and marginalized girls on the planet see their right to a quality education fulfilled. "If my country is in such a state today," said Ms. Samar, "it's because about 30 years ago it stopped believing in the values that come from education." New ways to give
Not in a long time have we had to make fewer dollars go further. Such is definitely the case when it comes to charitable contributions. Unfortunately, the situation does not look like it will be remedied anytime soon. So have you considered thinking outside the box when it comes to supporting your favorite cause (and if you are reading this newsletter, I assume 60 million girls is at the top of your list)? Here are three creative ways that were used by our supporters to raise funds:
These are but a few of the many ways of raising funds and more importantly, raising awareness for the work we do and the work that still needs to be done! Regardless of your ways or means, one thing we can all agree on is the need to educate the women and girls of the world. Seeing is believing!
Last August, during our safari trip to Kenya and Tanzania, my family and I had the incredible opportunity to visit the project financed by 60 million girls with Free the Children in 2007: the Oloosiyioi school project. Since the roads in the Masai Mara are almost unpassable in the best of times, we didn't even expect to be able to get to Oloosiyioi but thought we would instead see a similar school that would be easier to get to. Imagine our great surprise to actually find ourselves at our 60 million girls project accompanied by Robin Wiszowaty, project director for Free the Children.
As we entered the school area, hundreds of children were waiting for us. They surrounded the car and starting singing songs to welcome us and all of them wanted to hold our hands. We were then directed towards a meeting place where the school staff, the parents' committee and the women's committee spoke to us. What pride they felt in seeing the project in place, what expressions of gratitude to have received the help of Canadians and what hope they expressed for the future of their community. As the principal explained to us, 10 years ago there were no schools in this sector and the Kenyan government had forgotten them. At that time only a handful of people in the community could read and write. The people of the villages got together and, with the help of Free the Children, they built a first school. That school became so popular that very quickly there was no more room and more classrooms had to be built. What amazing strides have been made in that time!
The people gathered continued singing songs and dancing and we were given necklaces and bracelets to celebrate the occasion. My four children, aged 11 to 21 years old, introduced themselves and talked about their schools. They then joined in the dancing with the young people of the group. We visited the project and saw the 7 built units, 6 classrooms and one immense reservoir for water all of which was financed by 60 million girls. It was an unforgettable and deeply touching visit! 60 million girls is a public foundation established in February 2006 by a group of passionate women who share a very strong commitment to creating a more just and balanced world by supporting the empowerment of girls and women through education. We know that our every action will have an impact. Join us to create positive change in the world! To contact us, simply click here! |
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