Our Work
Education. Microfinance. Fellowships. Mentoring programs. Girls to School uses these tools to give girls and their families in West Africa new opportunities to thrive.
Our Mission:
Creating access to education and microfinance for women and girls to break the cycle of poverty in West Africa.
How We Work:
We work in partnership with non-governmental organizations in West Africa. We look for organizations that take a holistic approach to creating access to education for low-income girls.
It is not enough to simply create schools or provide tuition. Oftentimes girls do not have adequate food or clothing. Rarely have other members of their families completed an education and can provide help with their school work. Instead, the girls are expected to help their family’s work.
If we are to provide low-income, at risk girls with a foundation for long-term success, all of these obstacles must be addressed.
To date: Over 95% of donations go directly to programs in West Africa
Why focus on girls?
While we seek a world where all children get a high quality education, we focus on girls because:
- Without support girls are more likely to be pulled out of school at a young age. Research has shown that interventions in girls’ education have a higher economic return.
- Research has shown that income in the hands of women is more likely to be used on family expenditures such as education and food.
- Girls’ education gives them a voice to fight gender specific forms of oppression, such as rape, forced marriage, and employment discrimination.
- Girls’ education empowers them to become civic leaders and fight for social needs that particularly impact women as well as their own communities; for example, investment in water and sanitation.
Want to Join Us?
Registered non-profit organizations that meet the above descriptions and are interested in partnership can contact us at info@girlstoschool.org
