Day of the Girl Child is dedicated to celebrating the power of girls, championing their rights worldwide, and reflecting on challenges they continue to face because of their gender. So, today we’re highlighting five girls who are excellent examples of how empowered young women can change the world.
One of the best ways to help girls achieve their dreams is to help them have equal access to education. That’s evident in the stories of Geetha, Kiroshini, Malpoa, Josselyn and Flor.
Geetha: how did she help end child marriage in her community?
Refusing to accept the status quo in India and agree to be a child bride, Geetha changed the course of her life and other girls in her community. Through a Children Believe youth group, at 15, she found the help she needed to show her parents marriage at her age was against the law.
She helped educate leaders in her village as well, and for three years now, there have been no forced marriages. Geetha and girls like her can stay in school. Today, the eager student is on track to become a teacher.
Read Geetha’s full story…
Kiroshini: overcoming tragedy to win a school scholarship and change her life
Kiroshini, just 14, has had help overcoming the tragic death of her father so she could keep learning, even through pandemic school closures. In a Children Believe creative learning centre, she has proven to be an overachiever, excelling and winning a government-run scholarship program.
“I am very thankful and grateful … for such a lovely platform to nurture my talent. I’m convinced I will go to great heights in my future,” says the eighth-grader.
Read Kiroshini’s full story…
Malpoa: former sponsored child turned health facilitator helping kids thrive
As a child, Malpoa (pictured) was a sponsored child through Children Believe. Thanks to this support for her family and community in Burkina Faso, she stayed in school and graduated. Today she is a health facilitator at a child development centre, making an impact on the next generation.
Now 34, she’s continuing her education, working towards a degree in human resources management. And, Malpoa remains dedicated to her job in the health sector.
“What I love most about my work is visiting sick children, praying for them and their families,” she shares.
Read Malpoa’s full story…
Josselyn: young mother gets the support to continue her education
Those girls who do become child brides also have a chance to overcome their circumstances. For Josselyn, a mother at just 16, it was difficult to continue high school, until she was given a distance learning opportunity as part of a Children Believe project in Nicaragua.
“I would not have been able to graduate under other conditions … without that financial support. This made a huge difference in my life,” she says.
Read Josselyn’s full story…
Flor: training in culinary arts is giving her hope for a better future
Flor’s story is one of overcoming economic challenges through Children Believe’s EMPUJE project. Pursuing a culinary arts career, she benefited from training that gave her hope she will find a career in her homeland, Nicaragua.
Funded through a grant from the Government of Canada, EMPUJE is an opportunity for thousands of young people to access life-skills training, business skills and technical education through collaboration with various partners, including Nestlé and Gildan.
Read about Flor’s journey…
Through Children Believe’s Gifts for Good catalogue, you can empower girls to change the world by staying in school, participating in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning and much more. Donate today.