Even though International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8th each year,  GlobalGiving is honoring women all week with 50% matching on all donations through March 12 up to $50. You can make an even greater impact this week on girls' education. Girls today, women in leadership tomorrow!

"A challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change.
So let's all choose to challenge.

Thanks to your ongoing support, the Develop Africa Sierra Leone (DASL) team held another girls’ mentoring program in late February on the topic of adolescent reproductive health. Twenty young ladies in Freetown attended February’s mentoring session. One of the girl’s, Joy, tells us in this video what she learned today-

Thanks to you, girls are getting the support they need to become future leaders in Africa. This past week a hands-free washing station was set up at Hope Academy for Girls at York Village.

The students at Hope Academy were encouraged to use the hands-free washing stations not only during this period of Covid-19 but on an ongoing basis as it helps promote much-needed hygiene in their schools and reduce the spread of germs.

Elizabeth is very thankful for your support that helped cover some of her school needs including a kindle, a calculator,  and school supplies that are shown in the photos.

Funds received will help Elizabeth complete her final year of high school (senior secondary school)  in order to start college the following year and eventually become a medical doctor - her desired future profession. 

Thanks to your ongoing support, the Develop Africa Sierra Leone (DASL) team held a girls’ mentoring program at the end of December on the topic “How to make your Dreams a Reality?”. Twenty-one young ladies in Freetown attended the program.  The facilitators spoke on three key steps (self-belief, setting SMART goals, and self-discipline) as a guiding tool to make one's dream a reality. The girls were further asked to do presentations in groups on the above topics with a focus on the three steps.

Because of YOU, more girls are getting their education and the support they need to become future leaders in Africa. The FAWE school is an all-girl school and thanks to your support, they each received pencils, notebooks, books, and other needed school supplies. The girls were each delighted to receive their new school supplies.

One of the students, Clara, made a video of appreciation saying:

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, my name is Clara from FAWE school for girls.

Thanks to your support, we recently provided books and school supplies to an all-girls school located at York - outside Freetown.   

The school is an exemplary school. The Founder / Headteacher is very passionate about empowering girls.

The school environment is serene and conducive for learning.  The girls are being taught holistic leadership. They are helping to keep the compound tidy in turns 

The school is growing an assortment of fruit trees. This provides fresh fruits for the girls to eat.

Your support is helping young ladies like Fatmata, get their education.  Fatmata received school supplies, protective masks, and all her school fees for this year thanks in part to YOU.  

Fatmata is so thankful for your generous support that is making it possible for her to attend her first year of Senior Secondary School.  She expresses her gratitude in this video-

Your support is helping young ladies like Fatu, get their education.  She is one of the students that recently received school fees and school supplies and she wrote a letter of appreciation included below that says –

Hello. I am very much thankful to all donors for your educational support towards me. Your support are making a difference in my life.

My name is Fatu C. I am 13 years old. I live in Kamawornie village Kerena district in Sierra Leone.

Thanks to your ongoing support multiple vocational trainees, like Kadija, are getting the training they need to empower themselves and become self-reliant, even now during COVID-19 because of your support.  

Kadija is a current vocational trainee and expresses her gratitude for the opportunity to receive this training in her video saying-