September is here and the kids are back in school. For me, this is the time of year when I experience an influx of college interns contacting me for an opportunity to work for my site. They honor the opportunity to learn via hands-on experience in their major. For girls here in the US, our ability to get an education is so common that we can take it for granted. I created I Hear That Girl! to provide a platform that continuously empowers girl and women. I believe that girls have so much to contribute to society and an education gives them the necessary scholarly and social skills needed to create true opportunities for success.
That is why it is so heartbreaking to know that for some young girls, education is not commonplace. And getting an education is not always easy. Meet Jennifer. Jennifer has to fetch water and work the home…she’d much rather be at school learning. However, in Ghana, girls are expected to take care of the home and that is priority one. This type of thinking lowers the possibilities for girls like Jennifer. More than likely, these girls end up dropping out of school and becoming young mothers. Did you know:
– Keeping girls out of school sentences them to a life of poverty and poor health
– Women earn 10-20% more for every year of school completed – Children of educated mothers are 2x as likely to go to school
– Children born to literate moms are 50% more likely to survive past the age of 5.
Watch Jennifer’s story here:
If you’re anything like me, you are wondering how something as simple as an education could be withheld from a young girl that is eager to learn. I know it can be frustrating to hear stories like this. However, there is something you can do about it. You can help by supporting CARE. CARE is a global humanitarian organization that fights poverty by empowering girls and women. And we are all for GIRL POWER, right? By visiting CARE.org and purchasing a back to school gift. CARE’s Gifts of Lasting Change catalog has back-to-school gifts for friends and family that support girls’ education around the world! How cool is that? Shopping with a purpose! I’m invested in this cause and organization, because I want every girl and woman to have the opportunity to learn in an educational environment. They shouldn’t have to decide between education and family. If you feel the same, I urge you to join me, shop the Gifts of Lasting Change catalog, or make a donation to CARE.
