I wish I didn’t have to write posts’ like this.
It’s funny this day in age, society seems to do an awful lot of preaching ‘women supporting women’ but when it really comes down to it, do we follow through? We all hold thoughts of doing good, lending a hand, making a difference, but when push comes to shove it’s often too easy to ignore. To move forward with life’s distractions.
That’s why I want to hit pause on our regular content today, to discuss the significance + importance of International Day of the Girl and the initiative I have been proud to support over the last couple of years.
October 11, 2012 was declared by the United Nations as the International Day of the Girl. The day aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.
Women + girls represent half of the world’s population — and also half of it’s potential. Besides being a fundamental human right, gender equality is essential to achieve faster economic growth and sustainable development. Yet in many places, discrimination and violence against girls and women is still rampant.
Another misconception… many believe that gender inequality only impacts the lives of girls in developing countries; but it’s very much an injustice that prevails in all corners of the world, even in Canada. Canadian women have been one of the most powerful sources of growth in recent decades – but we need to do more to make sure girls and women everywhere can thrive.
We know that the most powerful weapon we have in the fight for equality is the untapped potential of millions of girls — who are ready and eager to create change in their communities. What we are aiming to do today [through October 11th], is help raise funds and awareness about the work that One Girl Can is doing so that we can extend the same opportunities to even more girls, causing a ripple effect through disadvantaged communities in Kenya.
Scroll down to learn how you can get involved now
It’s easy to think, what can I do? I’m just one girl. But let’s remind ourselves of the real power of just one girl. Just one girl… like Greta. Or just one girl, like Hilary. Or just one girl, like Oprah. If you could help just one girl, you never know what & who she could become.
In 2020, there should be NO WAY so many millions of girls go without access to education. It’s something we rarely think about in North America.
Obviously, this is a huge problem and these types of world problems tend to feel overwhelming like there’s little we can do, but where we can start is by supporting amazing organizations like One Girl Can.
Here are a few ways you can help directly:
+ you can sponsor a girl: many girls are sent home because they can’t pay their school fees, so One Girl Can provides scholarships to girls with the greatest need & highest potential. To give you an idea, it cost $500 for one year of secondary school education in Kenya, which is often half or more of a households annual income. By sponsoring a girl, you are paying for her tuition & board, giving her the chance to start writing her own future.
+ you can donate: aside from providing educational scholarships, your donations will also go towards building school infrastructure. The most critical project right now being the Ushirika School in Nairobi, Kenya. Due to worsening conditions, the government has started shutting down schools that don’t comply with safe building standard which could potentially leave over 600 students stranded, unable to finish their school year.
+ share & raise awareness: use your voice & social media channels to raise awareness, share links and get your family and community involved. It’s the one thing we can all, easily do.
One Girl Can is running a silent auction over the next week to raise money to help complete the Ushirika School in Kenya. You can participate in the silent auction here.
I should also note that I don’t just preach — I am so proud to be able to support Mercy Nduku for one full year of education + a safe place to stay. She is a high school student in Nairobi, Kenya and an aspiring journalist and I can’t wait to hear how she progresses over the next twelve months + beyond.
If you are interested in sponsoring a girl or learning more about how you can help, please take a look at OneGirlCan.com for more information!
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